# US 5,346,534 A · Process for treating an article with a volatile fluid

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- Number: US 5,346,534 A
- Document ID: US5346534A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/071,581
- Filed: 1993-06-02
- Granted: 1994-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 1990-09-12
- Assignees: Baxter International Inc.
- Inventors: David C. H. Grant
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5346534A

## CPC

- B01D 5/0054: {General arrangements, e.g. flow sheets}
- B01D 53/005: {by heat treatment}
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)

## Abstract

A system for processing a product with a solvent containing volatile constituents, the system including a pressure chamber for receiving the product, a vacuum pump for evacuating the chamber, a solvent recirculating system for admitting the solvent at a predetermined pressure into the chamber, the solvent recirculating system including a heater for maintaining the temperature of the chamber at the saturation temperature of the solvent, gas liquid separator for separating the gas and liquid components of the solvent discharged from the chamber, a first closed loop system connected to the separator to return the gas constituent to the chamber and a second closed loop system connected to the separator to return the liquid component to the chamber.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for treating an article with a volatile fluid, which comprises:
(a) disposing the article in a chamber in a manner that admits air to the chamber;
(b) sealing the chamber;
(c) evacuating the chamber to remove substantially all of the air therefrom;
(d) introducing the fluid into the chamber so that the fluid contacts the article and fills the chamber with fluid vapors;
(e) evacuating the chamber to remove fluid vapors therefrom;
(f) drying the article by circulating a gas through the chamber;
(g) then evacuating the chamber to remove residual fluid vapors therefrom; and
(h) then opening the chamber and removing the treated article from the chamber.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, further comprising repeating (e) and (f) one or more times prior to final evacuation (g).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the gas circulated in (f) is resident in a closed loop including the chamber, further comprising condensing fluid vapor from the gas in a stripper, the gas containing fluid vapor being circulated from the chamber to the stripper and back to the chamber again.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The process of claim 3, wherein the gas consists essentially of air retained within the closed loop, further comprising a step of relieving pressure within the closed loop due to air build-up caused by residual air present in the chamber after (c).

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The process of claim 3, further comprising heating the gas prior to circulating it through the chamber by passing the gas through a heater provided in the closed loop disposed downstream from the stripper.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The process of claim 5, further comprising compressing the gas, prior to condensing fluid vapor therefrom in the stripper, in a compressor provided in the closed loop upstream from the stripper between the chamber and the stripper.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, further comprising heating the gas prior to circulating it through the chamber.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, further comprising a step of filling the evacuated chamber with air prior to opening the chamber and removing the article therefrom in (h).