Method for mixing liquid, solids and gas and for simultaneously separating gas or gas and solids from the liquid

An apparatus for maintaining continuous mixing in a liquid containing solids and gas, and for simultaneously separating gas or gas and solids from the liquid, which apparatus comprises a substantially vertically disposed, generally cylindrical reactor having a top part and a bottom part;

• a helical impeller installed inside the reactor and rotatable about a generally vertical axis of the reactor, said helical impeller comprising at least two spiraling tubes, a bottom part of which helical impeller is provided with a protective cone extending downwardly and outwardly from the axis of the reactor, and a top part of which helical impeller is provided with a flow reverser comprising two cones arranged vertically base to base around the reactor axis to;
• baffles arranged on inner walls of the reactor;
• at least one inwardly projecting zone division ring attached to the reactor inner walls at about the same vertical location as the flow reverser with respect to the reactor;
• and the top part of the reactor further having means for discharging gas;
• said helical impeller having a diameter which is 0.5-0.75 times the diameter of the reactor in the same horizontal plane.