Apparatus for the continuous on-site chemical reprocessing of ultrapure liquids

A distillation apparatus for the distillation and condensation of liquids comprising:

• a first elongated upright chamber having an inlet and outlet for liquids contained therein;
• heating means surrounding said first chamber for purposes of heating the contents contained therein;
• a plurality of substantially concentric boiling rings within said first chamber and disposed substantially axially near the bottom of said first chamber and spaced from the walls of said first chamber;
• means for securing said boiling rings in spaced relationship to the interior walls of said first chamber;
• a packing stop disposed substantially crosswise of said first chamber above said boiling rings;
• at least one redirector ring within said first chamber and comprising a substantially truncated funnel shaped ring having a large opening and a smaller opening which is disposed above said packing stop with its smaller opening facing the bottom of said first chamber;
• packing disposed above said packing stop and within and without said redirector ring;
• a reflux condenser head disposed within the upper part of said first chamber;
• a vapor outlet disposed near the top of said chamber for continuous escape of vaporized liquids;
• a condenser and cooler in communication with said vapor outlet from said chamber;
• said condenser and cooler comprising a second chamber;
• at least one cooling means within said condenser and cooler for cooling and condensing vapor contained therein;
• and,
• an outlet for condensed liquid.

A distillation apparatus comprising:

• a first elongated substantially upright chamber having an inlet and outlet for liquids contained therein;
• heating means surrounding said first chamber for purposes of heating the contents contained therein;
• a plurality of substantially concentric boiling rings within said first chamber and disposed substantially axially near the bottom of said first chamber and spaced from the sidewalls of said first chamber;
• means for securing said boiling rings in spaced relationship to the interior walls of said first chamber;
• a packing stop disposed substantially crosswise of said first chamber above said boiling rings;
• at least one redirector ring disposed above said packing stop;
• packing disposed above said packing stop and within and without each said redirector ring;
• a vapor outlet disposed near the top of said chamber for continuous escape of vaporized fluids;
• a condenser and cooler in communication with said vapor from said chamber;
• and,
• a downwardly sloping conduit from said condenser and cooler to said distillation column whereby liquid condensate from said condenser can overflow back to said distillation column to provide reflux.

Distillation apparatus for the distillation and condensation of corrosive acid liquids comprising:

• a first distillation unit including a chamber having walls and inlet means for introduction of feed liquid composed of a corrosive acid liquid to be purified and recovered and impurities having a boiling point below that of the liquid to be purified and solid particulate contaminant impurities of a size and size distribution;
• said first distillation unit being operative to effect separation of the impurities having a boiling point below the liquid to be purified and recovered by converting to a vapor substantially all of the impurities having a boiling point below that of the liquid to be purified and to increase the concentration of the liquid to be purified and recovered over that present in the feed liquid thereby to form a partially purified liquid;
• said first distillation unit being composed of a material which is resistant to corrosion by the corrosive acid liquid;
• vapor outlet means for removal of substantially all of the impurities having a boiling point below that of the liquid to be purified as a vapor from said first distillation chamber;
• liquid outlet means for removal of a portion of the liquid to be purified and recovered and the solid particulate impurities therein contained in said first distillation chamber;
• heating means for said distillation chamber for heating the contents contained therein;
• said heating means being external of the walls of said distillation chamber and being operative to heat the walls thereby to heat the feed liquid to a temperature to vaporize the impurities having a boiling point below that of the liquid to be purified;
• a second distillation chamber having walls and liquid inlet means in communication with said liquid outlet means of said first distillation chamber for withdrawal of the partially purified liquid from said liquid outlet means of said first distillation chamber and introduction thereof as feed liquid for said second distillation chamber;
• said second distillation unit being composed of a material resistant to corrosion by said corrosive liquid material and operative to effect separation of the solid particulate impurities from said liquid to be purified and recovered by converting to a second vapor substantially all of the liquid to be purified and recovered whereby substantially all of the solid particulate impurities remain in a non-volatilized feed liquid contained in said second distillation unit thereby to reduce the particle size and size distribution of the particles in said second vapor;
• liquid outlet means in said second distillation chamber for removal of at least a portion of the non-volitized feed liquid contained therein;
• vapor outlet means for exit of second vapor from said second distillation chamber;
• means in said second distillation unit composed of a material resistant to corrosion by the corrosive liquid to permit said second vapor to travel towards said vapor outlet means for said second vapor while retaining a substantial portion of said particles in said second distillation unit;
• condensation means in communication with said vapor outlet means for condensing second vapor to a liquid which is purified and to be recovered and which includes solid particulate contaminant impurities of a size and size distribution less than that of the starting feed liquid;
• heating means for said second distillation chamber for heating the contents contained therein;
• and,
• said heating means for said second distillation chamber being external to the walls of said second distillation chamber and being operative to heat the walls thereof thereby to heat the liquid therein to a temperature to vaporize the liquid to be purified and recovered.