Process for producing granular clusters of crystalline matter

Claim 1

A PROCESS OF REMOVING SULFATE IONS FROM A SOLUTION OF CALCIUM CHLORIDE CONTAINING SAID SULFATE IONS WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING SAID SOLUTION UPWARDLY THROUGH A VERTICAL REACTION CHAMBER, ADMITTING TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID CHAMBER A SOLUTION CONTAINING A SOLUBLE BARIUM SALT WHICH FORMS INSOLUBLE BARIUM COMPOUNDS WITH SAID SULFATE IONS, WHEREBY TO FORM A PRECIPITATE OF BARIUM SULFATE, KEEPING SAID PRECIPITATE IN SUSPENSION IN THE ASCENDING FLOW OF LIQUID SOLELY BY CONTROLLING THE VELOCITY OF SAID FLOW, THEREBY AGGLOMERATING SAID PRECIPITATE OF BARIUM SULFATE AND FORMING CRYSTAL CLUSTERS, SAID CLUSTERS SERVING AS NUCLEI ON WHICH FURTHER PRECIPITATED BARIUM SULFATE IS FIXED AND THE CLUSTERS ARE CAUSED TO GROW TO SUBSTANTIALLY SPHERICAL AGGREGATIONS OF SUFFICIENT SIZE TO FALL BY GRAVITY AGAINST THE FLOW OF SAID SOLUTION TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID CHAMBER, WITHDRAWING SOLUTION FREE OF PRECIPITATE BUT CONTAINING SAID CALCIUM CHLORIDE IN DISSOLVED FORM FROM THE TOP OF SAID REACTION CHAMBER, INTRODUCING A PORTION OF SAID PRECIPITATE-FREE SOLUTION INTO THE BOTTOM OF SAID CHAMBER TO CONTROL THE SUPERSATURATION OF THE SOLUTION FLOWING UPWARDLY IN SAID CHAMBER, AND WITHDRAWING THE SPHERICAL CRYSTAL AGGREGATIONS FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID CHAMBER.