Recovery of heat and chemical values from spent pulping liquors

An integrated apparatus for the recovery of energy and chemical values from spent pulping liquors comprising:

• (a) an initial fluidized bed reaction chamber provided with means for combusting concentrated spent pulping liquor with air and a plurality of solid particulate materials, at least one of which is of finer particle size than another;
• (b) means for separating the finer particle size inert particulate material from the gaseous and solid combustion products communicating with the top portion of said initial fluidized bed reaction chamber;
• (c) a fluidized bed heat exchanger means external to said initial fluidized bed reaction chamber communicating with said means for separating the finer particle size inert particulate material;
• (d) means for returning separated finer particle size inert particulate material to the initial fluidized bed reaction chamber communicating with the fluidized bed heat exchanger means;
• (e) oxidation reactor means for further combusting said gaseous combustion products at a temperature greater than the melting point of the solid combustion products;
• (f) means for carrying gaseous and solid combustion products of the initial combustion step to the oxidation reactor means, said means for carrying gaseous and solid combustion products communicating with the means for separating finer particle size inert particulate material from the gaseous and solid combustion products;
• (g) reducer means for reducing at least a portion of the solid combustion products by action of a reducing agent in a molten inorganic salt mass and recovering a smelt;
• and
• (h) means for recovering and conveying to the reducer means, molten salts produced in the oxidation reactor means communicating with both the reducer means and the oxidation reactor means.