Method of countercurrent in-line base exchange for removing potassium from wyomingite

Claim 1

A METHOD OF COUNTERCURRENR IN-LINE BASE EXCHANGE FOR REMOVING POTASSIUM FROM WYOMINGITE BY BASE EXCHANGE WITH THE SODIUM CONTENT OF A BASE EXCHANGE LIQUOR IN A SERIES OF VESSELS HOLDING BEDS OF FRAGMENTS OF WYOMINGITE WHICH COMPRISES FILLING THE FIRST VESSEL WITH FRESH FRAGMENTS OF WYOMINGITE, FILLING THIS WITH ONCOMING BASE EXCHANGE LIQUOR FOR ABOUT HALF OF A PREDETERMINED PERIOD, WITHDRAWING FINISHED LIQUOR DURING THE OTHER HALF, SHIFTING THE FIRST VESSEL WITH PART OF ITS POTASSIUM REMOVED TO SECOND POSITION IN-LINE AFTER THE PREDETERMINED PERIOD, AND AFTER A SUCCESSION OF SUCH PERIODS, SHIFTING TO THE LAST VESSEL IN-LINE IN THE SERIES, CONTINUALLY INTRODUC-ING FRESH BASE EXCHANGE LIQUOR INTO THE LAST VESSEL OF THE SERIES CONTAINING SUFFICIENT SODIUM TO BE EQUIVALENT TO THE POTASSIUM WITHDRAWN IN THE FINISHED LIQUOR AND THE SODIUM IN THE SAID LIQUOR, FLOWING SAID LIQUOR THROUGH THE SERIES FROM LAST TO FIRST BY PERCOLATION THROUGH SUBSTANTIALLY FIXED BEDS OF FRAGMENTS THEREIN, THE NUMBER OF SUCH VESSELS AND THE TREATMENT CONDITIONS BEING SUCH THAT THE RATIO OF POTASSIUM TO SODIUM IN THE SAID FINISHED LIQUOR IS NOT LESS THAN ABOUT 6.8 TO 1.0 MAINTAINING SAID VESSELS UNDER A TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE CORRESPONDING TO ABOUT 225 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH STEAM PRESSURE, FINALLY ISOLATING THE LAST VESSELS IN TURN FROM THE SERIES, SEPARATING AND RECOVERING THE CONTAINED SODIUM BASE EXCHANGE LIQUOR AND DISCARDING THE WYOMINGITE TAILS, ONE VESSEL BEING FRESHLY FILLED AND PUT ON-LINE AND ONE REMOVED AT EACH PREDETERMINED INTERVAL.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF COUNTERCURRENR IN-LINE BASE EXCHANGE FOR REMOVING POTASSIUM FROM WYOMINGITE BY BASE EXCHANGE WITH THE SODIUM CONTENT OF A BASE EXCHANGE LIQUOR IN A SERIES OF VESSELS HOLDING BEDS OF FRAGMENTS OF WYOMINGITE WHICH COMPRISES FILLING THE FIRST VESSEL WITH FRESH FRAGMENTS OF WYOMINGITE, FILLING THIS WITH ONCOMING BASE EXCHANGE LIQUOR FOR ABOUT HALF OF A PREDETERMINED PERIOD, WITHDRAWING FINISHED LIQUOR DURING THE OTHER HALF, SHIFTING THE FIRST VESSEL WITH PART OF ITS POTASSIUM REMOVED TO SECOND POSITION IN-LINE AFTER THE PREDETERMINED PERIOD, AND AFTER A SUCCESSION OF SUCH PERIODS, SHIFTING TO THE LAST VESSEL IN-LINE IN THE SERIES, CONTINUALLY INTRODUC-ING FRESH BASE EXCHANGE LIQUOR INTO THE LAST VESSEL OF THE SERIES CONTAINING SUFFICIENT SODIUM TO BE EQUIVALENT TO THE POTASSIUM WITHDRAWN IN THE FINISHED LIQUOR AND THE SODIUM IN THE SAID LIQUOR, FLOWING SAID LIQUOR THROUGH THE SERIES FROM LAST TO FIRST BY PERCOLATION THROUGH SUBSTANTIALLY FIXED BEDS OF FRAGMENTS THEREIN, THE NUMBER OF SUCH VESSELS AND THE TREATMENT CONDITIONS BEING SUCH THAT THE RATIO OF POTASSIUM TO SODIUM IN THE SAID FINISHED LIQUOR IS NOT LESS THAN ABOUT 6.8 TO 1.0 MAINTAINING SAID VESSELS UNDER A TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE CORRESPONDING TO ABOUT 225 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH STEAM PRESSURE, FINALLY ISOLATING THE LAST VESSELS IN TURN FROM THE SERIES, SEPARATING AND RECOVERING THE CONTAINED SODIUM BASE EXCHANGE LIQUOR AND DISCARDING THE WYOMINGITE TAILS, ONE VESSEL BEING FRESHLY FILLED AND PUT ON-LINE AND ONE REMOVED AT EACH PREDETERMINED INTERVAL.