Recovery of ion exchange regenerant

Claim 1

IN THE TREATMENT OF SUGAR JUICE TO REMOVE IMPURITIES, WHEREIN SUCH JUICE IS PASSED THROUGH A BED OF CATION EXCHANGE MATERIAL AND THEN THROUGH A BED OF ANION EXCHANGE MATERIAL, SUCH ANION EXCHANGE MATERIAL BEING CAPABLE OF REGENERATION BY AN AMMONIA SOLUTION HAVING A CONCENTRATION OF BETWEEN 2.5% AND 5% AMMONIA, AND SAID ANION EXCHANGE MATERIAL BEING SUBJECTED TO A WATER RINSE AFTER THE PASSAGE OF SAID AMMONIA SOLUTION THERETHROUGH, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES COLLECTING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE SPENT REGENERANT AMMONIA SOLUTION AND AT LEAST A PORTION OF SUCH RINSE WATER WHICH CONTAINS AMMONIA, EACH AFTER PASSAGE THROUGH SAID ANION EXCHANGE MATERIAL, TO PROVIDE A SPENT REGENERANT SOLUTION HAVING FROM ABOUT 0.15% TO 1.7% CONCENTRATION OF AMMONIA; TREATING SAID SPENT SOLUTION WITH AN ALKALINE HYDROXIDE IN PROPORTION TO NOT OVER 2% OF CALCIUM HYDROXIDE; EVAPORATING NOT OVER ABOUT 15% OF SAID SPENT SOLUTION; AND CONDENSING SAID EVAPORANT, SO AS TO PRODUCE AN AQUEOUS AMMONIA SOLUTION HAVING A CONCENTREATION AT LEAST EQUAL TO BETWEEN 2.5% AND 5% FOR SUBSEQUENT REGENERATION OF ANION EXCHANGE MATERIAL.