Method and apparatus for refining salt or other soluble substances

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF REFINING SALTS OR OTHER SOLUBLE SUBSTANCES WHICH COMPRISES CIRCULATING SALT SOLUTION THROUGH A CLOSED SYSTEM, IN ONE ZONE HEATING THE SALT SOLUTION BY DIRECT CONTACT WITH COMPRESSED VAPORIZED SOLVENT, PASSING THE HEATED SALT SOLUTION AT A FIRST PREDTERMINED TEMPERATURE THROUGH A SECOND ZONE CONTAINING IMPURE SALT THEREBY SATURATING SAID SALT SOLUTION, MAINTAINING THE SALT SOLUTION AT A PREDETERMINED PRESSURE IN SAID FIRST AND SECOND ZONES, PASSING SAID SATURATED SALT SOLUTION INTO A THIRD ZONE MAINTAINED AT A SECOND PREDETERMINED PRESSURE LESS THAN SAID FIRST PREDETERMINED PRESSURE THEREBY VAPORIZING A PART OF THE SOLVENT AND REDUCING THE SOLUTION TEMPERATURE TO SIMULTANEOUSLY PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE TO SIMULTANEOUSLY CRYSTALLIZE PURIFIED SALT OUT OF SOLUTION DURING EVOLUTION OF VAPOR THEREFROM, COLLECTING THE PURIFIED SALT, COMPRESSING THE VAPORIZED SOLVENT TO SAID FIRST PREDETERMINED PRESSURE, REMOVING THE RESIDUAL SALT SOLUTION FROM THE COLLECTED PURIFIED SALT, SUBJECTING THE REMOVED RESIDUAL SALT SOLUTION TO THE PRESSURE MAINTAINED IN SAID FIRST ZONE, RETURNING THE RESIDUAL SALT SOLUTION TO SAID FIRST ZONE AND SUPPLYING THE COMPRESSED VAPORIZED SOLVENT TO SAID FIRST ZONE FOR INCREASING THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID RESIDUAL SALT SOLUTION.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF REFINING SALTS OR OTHER SOLUBLE SUBSTANCES WHICH COMPRISES CIRCULATING SALT SOLUTION THROUGH A CLOSED SYSTEM, IN ONE ZONE HEATING THE SALT SOLUTION BY DIRECT CONTACT WITH COMPRESSED VAPORIZED SOLVENT, PASSING THE HEATED SALT SOLUTION AT A FIRST PREDTERMINED TEMPERATURE THROUGH A SECOND ZONE CONTAINING IMPURE SALT THEREBY SATURATING SAID SALT SOLUTION, MAINTAINING THE SALT SOLUTION AT A PREDETERMINED PRESSURE IN SAID FIRST AND SECOND ZONES, PASSING SAID SATURATED SALT SOLUTION INTO A THIRD ZONE MAINTAINED AT A SECOND PREDETERMINED PRESSURE LESS THAN SAID FIRST PREDETERMINED PRESSURE THEREBY VAPORIZING A PART OF THE SOLVENT AND REDUCING THE SOLUTION TEMPERATURE TO SIMULTANEOUSLY PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE TO SIMULTANEOUSLY CRYSTALLIZE PURIFIED SALT OUT OF SOLUTION DURING EVOLUTION OF VAPOR THEREFROM, COLLECTING THE PURIFIED SALT, COMPRESSING THE VAPORIZED SOLVENT TO SAID FIRST PREDETERMINED PRESSURE, REMOVING THE RESIDUAL SALT SOLUTION FROM THE COLLECTED PURIFIED SALT, SUBJECTING THE REMOVED RESIDUAL SALT SOLUTION TO THE PRESSURE MAINTAINED IN SAID FIRST ZONE, RETURNING THE RESIDUAL SALT SOLUTION TO SAID FIRST ZONE AND SUPPLYING THE COMPRESSED VAPORIZED SOLVENT TO SAID FIRST ZONE FOR INCREASING THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID RESIDUAL SALT SOLUTION.