Method and apparatus for recovering gas suspended liquid-soluble material

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR RECOVERING SULFATE ASH SUSPENDED IN A STREAM OF EXHAUST GASES FROM A SULFATE PULP PROCESS RECOVERY FURNACE WHICH COMPRISES ELECTRICALLY PRECIPITATING SAID SULFATE ASH FROM A STREAM OF SUCH EXHAUST GASES UPON AN EXTENDED SURFACE IN A PRECIPITATING ZONE, ESTABLISHING A POOL OF BLACK LIQUOR IN A DISSOLVING ZONE SUBJACENT TO AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID PRECIPITATING ZONE, INTRODUCING A STREAM OF BLACK LIQUOR INTO SAID POOL AT ONE SIDE THEREOF AND WITHDRAWING AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME RATE A STREAM OF BLACK LIQUOR FROM SAID POOL AT AN OPPOSITE SIDE THEREOF TO ESTABLISH A CROSS-FLOWING FIRST STREAM IN SAID POOL, REINTRODUCING SAID WITHDRAWN BLACK LIQUOR AS A STREAM INTO SAID POOL OF BLACK LIQUOR AT SAID OPPOSITE SIDE THEREOF AT A POINT ADJACENT TO THE POINT AT WHICH SAID FIRST STREAM IS WITHDRAWN FROM SAID POOL,WITHDRAWING A STREAM OF BLACK LIQUOR FROM SAID POOL AT SAID ONE SIDE THEREOF AT A POINT ADJACENT TO THE POINT AT WHICH SAID STREAM OF BLACK LIQUOR IS FIRST INTRODUCED INTO SAID POOL TO ESTABLISH A SECOND STREAM OF BLACK LIQUOR IN SAID POOL FLOWING ADJACENT TO, PARALLEL WITH AND COUNTERCURRENTLY TO SAID FIRST STREAM OF BLACK LIQUOR, AND TRANSFERRING PRECIPITATED SULFATE ASH FROM SAID PRECIPITATING ZONE TO SAID DISSOLVING ZONE WHEREIN IT IS DISSOLVED IN SAID COUNTER-FLOWING STREAMS OF BLACK LIQUOR.