Process for treating searles lake brine

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR TREATING SEARLES LAKE OR SIMILAR BRINE CONSISTING IN THE SEQUENTIALLY PRACTICED STEPS OF CARBONATING THE BRINE WITH CO2 TO PRECIPITATE SODIUM BICARBONATE AND SEPARATING THE PRECIPITATED SODIUM BICARBONATE FROM THE BRINE; COOLING THE BRINE TO CRYSTALLIZE SODIUM TETRABORATE FROM THE BRINE AND SEPARATNG THE CRYSTALLIZED SODIUM TETRABORATE FROM THE BRINE; DILUTING THE BRINE WITH WATER, COOLING THE DILUTED BRINE TO CRYSTALIZE SODIUM SULFATE DECAHYDRATE FROM THE BRINE TO PROVIDE A BRINE HAVING AN NA2SO4 TO NA2CO3 RATIO BY WEIGHT OF THE ORDER OF 1 TO 1; THE QUANTITY OF WATER ADDED TO DILUTE THE BRINE BEING EQUAL SUBSTANTIALLY TO THAT REMOVED FROM THE BRINE UPON THE AFORESAID CRYSTALLIZATION OF SODIUM SULFATE DECAHYDRATE; CRYSTALLIZING AND SEPARATING ADDITIONAL SODIUM TETRABORATE FROM THE BRINE; EVAPORATING THE BRINE TO CONCENTRATE THE SAME IN A TRIPLE EFFECT EVAPORATOR, FIRST AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 50*C., THEN ABOUT 85*C., AND FINALLY ABOUT 110*C., TRANSFERRING THE BRINE TO A SUCCESSIVE TEMPERATURE EFFECT BEFORE GLASERITE FORMATION BEGINS AT THE PREVAILING TEMPERATURE AND CONCENTRATION IN A GIVEN EFFECT, COOLING THE CONCENTRATED BRINE TO ABOUT 30*C. TO PRECIPITATE POTASSIUM CHLORIDE AND SEPARATING THE POTASSIUM CHLORIDE.