Method and apparatus for continuously conducting ion exchange operations

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF MIXEDLY REGENERATING EXHAUSTED ION EXCHANGE MATERIAL WITH H-IONS AND WITH NA-IONS WHICH COMPRISES GRAVITATIONALLY PASSING THE MATERIAL CONTINUOUSLY DOWNWARDLY THROUGH A SEQUENCE OF THREE LIQUID-FILLED INTERCOMMUNICATING TREATMENT ZONES WITH THE RATE OF DESCENT OF THE MATERIAL BEING SUCH AS TO HAVE PRESENT IN EACH ZONE A BODY OF SAID MATERIAL SUBSIDED AND SUBMERGED, SAID ZONES COMPRISING IN DOWNWARD SEQUENCE AN NA-ION REGENERATION ZONE IN WHICH THE MATERIAL IS REGENERATION ZONE IN SALT SOLUTION, AN H-ION REGENERATION ZONE IN WHICH THE MATERIAL IS REGENERABLE WITH ACID REGENERANT SOLUTION, AND A WASHING ZONE IN WHICH THE MATERIAL IS WASHED FREE OF RESIDUAL REGENERANT CHEMICAL; CONTINUOUSLY PASSING RINSE WATER UPFLOW THROUGH THE WASHING ZONE AND COUNTERCURRENTLY TO THE DESCENDING MATERIAL SO THAT SPENT RINSE WATER PASSES FROM THE BODY OF MATERIAL IN THE WASHING ZONE CARRYING HIGHLY DILUTED RESIDUAL REGENERANT ACID WASHED FROM THE MATERIAL ; CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING FRESH ACID REGENERANT SOLUTION OF HIGH CONCENTRATION TO THE SPENT RINSE WATER TO CONSTITUTE ACID REGENERANT SOLUTION MIXTURE OF INTERMEDIATE CONCENTRATION TO PASS UPWARDLY INTO AND THROUGH THE MATERIAL OF THE ACID REGENERATION ZONE FOR PARTLY CONVERTING CONVERTING NA-ION REGENERATED MATERIAL IN THAT ZONE TO ITS H-ION FORM SO THAT SUBSTANTIALLY SPENT ACID REGENERANT SOLUTION PASSES FROM THAT MATERIAL; CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING SALT REGENERANT SOLUTION TO THE SPENT ACID REGWNERANT SOLUTION TO CONSTITUTE PREDOMINANTLY SALT REGENERANT SOLUTION HAVING AN ADMIXTURE OF USPENT ACID TO PASS UPWARDLY INTO AND THROUGH THE BODY OF MATERIAL OF THE SALT REGENERATION ZONE FOR REGENERATING THAT MATERIAL MAINLY WITH NA-IONS SO THAT SPENT REGENERANT SOLUTION PASSES CONTINUOUSLY UPWARDLY FROM THE MATERIAL IN THAT ZONE WHILE MIXEDLY REGENERATED AND WASHED MATERIAL DISCHARGES DOWNWARDLY FROM THE WASHING ZONE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF MIXEDLY REGENERATING EXHAUSTED ION EXCHANGE MATERIAL WITH H-IONS AND WITH NA-IONS WHICH COMPRISES GRAVITATIONALLY PASSING THE MATERIAL CONTINUOUSLY DOWNWARDLY THROUGH A SEQUENCE OF THREE LIQUID-FILLED INTERCOMMUNICATING TREATMENT ZONES WITH THE RATE OF DESCENT OF THE MATERIAL BEING SUCH AS TO HAVE PRESENT IN EACH ZONE A BODY OF SAID MATERIAL SUBSIDED AND SUBMERGED, SAID ZONES COMPRISING IN DOWNWARD SEQUENCE AN NA-ION REGENERATION ZONE IN WHICH THE MATERIAL IS REGENERATION ZONE IN SALT SOLUTION, AN H-ION REGENERATION ZONE IN WHICH THE MATERIAL IS REGENERABLE WITH ACID REGENERANT SOLUTION, AND A WASHING ZONE IN WHICH THE MATERIAL IS WASHED FREE OF RESIDUAL REGENERANT CHEMICAL; CONTINUOUSLY PASSING RINSE WATER UPFLOW THROUGH THE WASHING ZONE AND COUNTERCURRENTLY TO THE DESCENDING MATERIAL SO THAT SPENT RINSE WATER PASSES FROM THE BODY OF MATERIAL IN THE WASHING ZONE CARRYING HIGHLY DILUTED RESIDUAL REGENERANT ACID WASHED FROM THE MATERIAL ; CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING FRESH ACID REGENERANT SOLUTION OF HIGH CONCENTRATION TO THE SPENT RINSE WATER TO CONSTITUTE ACID REGENERANT SOLUTION MIXTURE OF INTERMEDIATE CONCENTRATION TO PASS UPWARDLY INTO AND THROUGH THE MATERIAL OF THE ACID REGENERATION ZONE FOR PARTLY CONVERTING CONVERTING NA-ION REGENERATED MATERIAL IN THAT ZONE TO ITS H-ION FORM SO THAT SUBSTANTIALLY SPENT ACID REGENERANT SOLUTION PASSES FROM THAT MATERIAL; CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING SALT REGENERANT SOLUTION TO THE SPENT ACID REGWNERANT SOLUTION TO CONSTITUTE PREDOMINANTLY SALT REGENERANT SOLUTION HAVING AN ADMIXTURE OF USPENT ACID TO PASS UPWARDLY INTO AND THROUGH THE BODY OF MATERIAL OF THE SALT REGENERATION ZONE FOR REGENERATING THAT MATERIAL MAINLY WITH NA-IONS SO THAT SPENT REGENERANT SOLUTION PASSES CONTINUOUSLY UPWARDLY FROM THE MATERIAL IN THAT ZONE WHILE MIXEDLY REGENERATED AND WASHED MATERIAL DISCHARGES DOWNWARDLY FROM THE WASHING ZONE.