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US 4,125,063 AGranted
Continuous digester
OwnerJames W. Jelksinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for use in the continuous treatment of cellulosic matter to improve the digestibility thereof, comprising means for receiving finely divided cellulosic matter, acidic process chemicals, and steam; a first attrition mill wherein the steam, cellulosic matter, and process chemicals are intimately mixed and initially reacted; a reactor with rotatable sweeps therein to complete the reaction; and a second attrition mill wherein the reacted material is neutralized to the desired level.
Claims8
Apparatus for the continuous chemical conversion of cellulosic material to a digestible ruminant feed which comprises:
- means for rapidly and intimately mixing cellulosic material at atmospheric pressure with steam and acidic process chemicals at an elevated pressure;
- a reactor housing providing a vertical reaction chamber, an inlet port in open communication with the upper portion of said vertical reaction chamber, and an outlet port in open communication with the bottom portion of said reaction chamber, said reactor housing being capable of withstanding operating pressures of 3 to 10 atmospheres;
- means for directing the mixed cellulosic material, steam and acidic process chemicals at the elevated pressure to the reaction chamber through the reactor housing inlet port;
- means for removing the acidic reaction products from the outlet port of the reactor housing;
- means for mixing the removed acidic reaction products with neutralizing process chemicals to produce a neutralized feed;
- and
- means for discharging the neutralized feed from the apparatus while maintaining back pressure on the reaction chamber.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.