Continuous method and apparatus for the production of chlorine dioxide

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF CHLORINE DIOXIDE BY THE REACTION OF A SOLUTION OF A CHLORATE AND AN ACID IN AN APPRATUS OF THE TYPE COMPRISING A SERIES OF VESSELS ARRANGED AT RELATIVELY DESCENDING LEVELS AND OVERFLOWING EACH INTO THE VESSEL NEXT BENEATH, INCLUDING THE STEPS OF HEATING FROM AN INTERNAL SOURCE OF HEAT ONLY THE LOWERMOST VESSEL OF SAID SERIES, ADMITTING AN INERT GAS INTO SAID LOWERMOST VESSEL, CONDUCTING SAID GAS IN COUNTER-CURRENT FLOW DIRECTION RELATIVE TO THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF SAID SOLUTION, THROUGH SAID SOLUTION IN THE INDIVIDUAL VESSELS OF SAID SERIES, AND REMOVING SAID GAS TOGETHER WITH THE CHLORINE DIOXIDE PRODUCED IN SAID SERIES OF VESSELS, FROM THE UPPERMOST VESSEL OF SAID SERIES, WHEREBY THE DEGREE OF HEAT WILL BE RELATIVELY GREATER IN THE VESSELS HAVING A LOW CONCENTRATION OF CHLORINE DIOXIDE, THAN IN THE VESSELS HAVING A HIGHER CONCENTRATION OF CHLORINE DIOXIDE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF CHLORINE DIOXIDE BY THE REACTION OF A SOLUTION OF A CHLORATE AND AN ACID IN AN APPRATUS OF THE TYPE COMPRISING A SERIES OF VESSELS ARRANGED AT RELATIVELY DESCENDING LEVELS AND OVERFLOWING EACH INTO THE VESSEL NEXT BENEATH, INCLUDING THE STEPS OF HEATING FROM AN INTERNAL SOURCE OF HEAT ONLY THE LOWERMOST VESSEL OF SAID SERIES, ADMITTING AN INERT GAS INTO SAID LOWERMOST VESSEL, CONDUCTING SAID GAS IN COUNTER-CURRENT FLOW DIRECTION RELATIVE TO THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF SAID SOLUTION, THROUGH SAID SOLUTION IN THE INDIVIDUAL VESSELS OF SAID SERIES, AND REMOVING SAID GAS TOGETHER WITH THE CHLORINE DIOXIDE PRODUCED IN SAID SERIES OF VESSELS, FROM THE UPPERMOST VESSEL OF SAID SERIES, WHEREBY THE DEGREE OF HEAT WILL BE RELATIVELY GREATER IN THE VESSELS HAVING A LOW CONCENTRATION OF CHLORINE DIOXIDE, THAN IN THE VESSELS HAVING A HIGHER CONCENTRATION OF CHLORINE DIOXIDE.