US 6,058,623 AGranted

Apparatus and process for removing volatile components from a composition

AssigneeThe Chemithon Corporation

InventorsBurton Brooks, Walter A. Jessup, Brian W. MacArthur

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Apparatus and processes for removing volatile components from a composition utilize a dryer having an inlet chamber and a plurality of channels. A flow restriction is disposed immediately upstream of the inlet of each channel with respect to a direction of flow of the composition through the dryer. The process includes the step of heating the composition at a location upstream of the flow restriction to a temperature above the flashing temperature of at least one of the components at a pressure of the channel inlet and applying a pressure to the heated composition to avoid such flashing. The process further includes the step of passing the pressurized, heated composition through the dryer inlet chamber, the flow restriction, and through the channels.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A process for removing a volatile component from a composition, the process comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a dryer having an inlet chamber, a plurality of channels, and a plurality of flow restrictions, each of the channels having an inlet operating at a pressure, each flow restriction disposed between the dryer inlet chamber and one cooperating channel, the flow restriction being immediately upstream of the cooperating channel inlet with respect to a direction of flow of the composition through the dryer;
(b) heating the composition at a location upstream of the flow restrictions to a temperature above a flashing temperature of the volatile component at the pressure of each channel inlet;
(c) applying pressure to the composition to avoid flashing of the volatile component upstream of the flow restrictions;
(d) passing the pressurized, heated composition through the dryer inlet chamber and through the flow restrictions, the volatile component flashing into each channel inlet, resulting in two-phase flow of the composition at each channel inlet;
and
(e) passing the composition in two-phase flow through and out of each channel.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/032,303Filed 27 Feb 1998 · continuation in part
Priority: 24 Sep 1993
Granted: 9 May 2000
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

C11D 11/0082
Special methods for preparing compositions containing mixtures of detergents: one or more of the detergent ingredients being in a liquefied state,…
B01D 1/10
Evaporators with vertical tubes: with long tubes, e.g. Kestner evaporators
B01D 3/06
Distillation or related exchange processes in which liquids are contacted with gaseous media, e.g. stripping: flash distillation
C11D 11/0094
Special methods for preparing compositions containing mixtures of detergents: process for making liquid detergent compositions, e.g. slurries,…