Method of producing calcium chloride pellets

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF PRODUCING A SUBSTANTIALLY ANHYDROUS CALCIUM CHLORIDE PRODUCT IN CONTINUOUS MANNER IN THE FORM OF DENSE HARD PELLETS FROM AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF CALCIUM CHLORIDE, SAID SOLUTION CONTAINING NOT LESS THAN 50 PER CENT OF CALCIUM CHLORIDE, THE STEPS WHICH CONSIST IN MAINTAINING AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 150* AND 190* C. IN A MIXING ZONE A MASS OF SEMI-ANHYDROUS PARTICLES OF THE SAID CHLORIDE DERIVED FROM LATER STEPS IN THE METHOD; SPRAYING THE SOLUTION AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN 25 CENTIGRADE DEGREES OF ITS ATMOSPHERIC BOILING POINT ONTO THE SAID MASS OF SEMI-ANHYDROUS PARTICLES WHILE SUBJECTING THEM TO A TUMBLING ROLLING MOTION IN THE PRESENCE OF A DRYING GAS HAVING A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 200* AND 500* C. AND BEING CAPABLE OF ABABSTRACTING MOISTURE FROM THE SAID MASS, SAID MASS HAVING A WEIGHT BETWEEN ABOUT 0.07 AND 0.4 OF THE WEIGHT OF THE DAILY INPUT OF THE CALCIUM CHLORIDE IN THE CALCIUM CHLORIDE SOLUTION; INTRODUCING INTO THE MIXING ZONE SEMI-ANHYDROUS CALCIUM CHLORIDE PARTICLES DERIVED FROM LATER STEPS IN THE METHOD AT A RATE BETWEEN ABOUT 8 AND 30 TIMES THAT OF THE CALCIUM CHLORIDE IN THE SOLUTION; SUBJECTING THE RESULTING MIXTURE AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 150* AND 190* C. TO THE DRYING ACTION OF A HEATED DRYING GAS CAPABLE OF ABSTRACTING MOISTURE THEREFROM SO AS TO PRODUCE A SEMI-ANHYDROUS PRODUCT CONTAINING FROM 3 TO 13 PER CENT OF WATER; SUBJECTING A PORTION OF THE SEMI-ANHYDROUS PRODUCT TO THE DRYING ACTION OF A DRYING GAS HAVING A TEMPERATURE OF 250* TO 500* C. SO AS TO RENDER THE PRODUCT ANHYDROUS, THE PORTION SO DRIED BEING SUBSTANTIALLY THE AMOUNT OF THE CALCIUM CHLORIDE CONTENT OF THE INCOMING CALCIUM CHLORIDE SOLUTION; AND RETURNING THE REMAINDER OF THE SEMI-ANHYDROUS PRODUCT TO THE MIXING ZONE.