Art of treating black liquors

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF TREATING BLACK LIQUOR WHICH COMPRISES: PROVIDING A DISTILLATION ZONE HAVING A DOWNWARDLY MOVING BED OF REFRACTORY PEBBLES THEREIN; CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING PEBBLES AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 1000 AND 1800* F. TO THE TOP OF SAID BED; CONTINUOUSLY SPRAYING BLACK LIQUOR FEED CONTAINING ABOUT 50% SOLIDS AND'' AT A TEMPERATURE OF 200* F. ONTO THE TOP OF SAID BED; PASSING THE LIQUOR AND PEBBLES CONCURRENTLY DOWNWARD THROUGH THE DISTILLATION ZONE; WHILE THE HEAT IN SAID PEBBLES ACTS TO DRY THE BLACK LIQUOR INTO A FRANGIBLE SOLID; REMOVING VAPOROUS PRODUCTS FROM THE DISTILLATION ZONE; REMOVING THE DRIED BLACK LIQUOR FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE DISTILLATION ZONE; REMOVING THE REFRACTORY PEBBLES FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE DISTILLATION ZONE; PASSING THE DRIED BLACK LIQUOR AND THE REFRACTORY PEBBLES SEPARATELY INTO A COMBUSTION ZONE; COMBUSTING THE DRIED BLACK LIQUOR AND SIMULTANEOUSLY COMBUSTING ANY DRIED BLACK LIQUOR ADHERING TO THE REFRACTORY PEBBLES, THE HEAT OF CO MBUSTION HEATING THE PEBBLES; AND RECYCLING THE HEATED PEBBLES TO THE DISTILLATION ZONE AS THE PEBBLE FEED THERETO.