Apparatus for treating suspensions

In an apparatus for the treatment of suspensions, a pressure-tight reaction vessel for grinding and stirring operations at positive and negative pressures, said reaction vessel including a discharge element for a free-flowing reaction product in a bottom region and a supply element for the suspension to be treated in an upper region;

• grinding means in said reaction vessel comprising a grinding cage, said grinding cage containing grinding bodies arranged within said reaction vessel, a circulatory path within the vessel for circulation of the suspension and with said grinding cage forming an element of said circulatory path, said grinding cage being arranged within a tubular insertion member or within a bypass line so as to extend over the entire cross-section thereof;
• inlet and outlet-side orifices in said grinding cage for preventing the grinding bodies from passing there through and which facilitate a through-flow of the suspension, said orifices being perforated plates or integral parts of the grinding cage, on both sides of the grinding cage as viewed in a direction of flow of the suspension from the inlet-side orifice to the outlet-side orifice upstream and downstream thereof, at least one element for stirring and delivery of the suspension subjecting the suspension to an intensive circulation effect, said grinding cage being fixedly arranged inside said reaction vessel, a bottom end face of the tubular insertion member or the lower connection point of the bypass line respectively forming the inlet port of the insertion member or of the bypass line, the respective inlet port of the insertion member or of the bypass-line being situated at a distance from the bottom region of the reaction vessel whereas upper radially oriented orifices or the upper connection point of the bypass-line respectively form the outlet port of the insertion member or of the bypass-line and are situated at a distance from a top terminal wall of the reaction vessel, and a drive shaft of the grinding means carrying an arrangement of grinding disks extending through the grinding cage with the drive shaft carrying said at least one element for stirring and delivery with at least one drive unit being arranged outside the reaction vessel and being linked to the drive shaft via pressure-tight wall ports.