Sulfur extraction process

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR EXTRACTING ELEMENTAL SULFUR OF HIGH PURITY FROM AN ORE CONTAINING THE SAME AND MOISTURE WHICH COMPRISES MIXING PARTICLES OF SAID ORE WITH A FIRST QUANTITY OF A WATER-IMMISCIBLE LIQUID SOLVENT FOR SAID SULFUR AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE BOILING POINT OF WATER AND FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO REMOVE BY VAPORIZATION SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE WATER FROM THE RESULTING SLURRY, SAIS SOLVENT HAVING A BOILING POINT ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF SULFUR AND BEING ADDED IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITY TO FORM A FLOWABLE SLURRY WITH SAID ORE PARTICLES, PASSING THE RESULTING MOISTURE-FREE SLURRY INTO A CONTACT ZONE AT ONE END, PASSING A SECOND QUANTITY OF SID WATER-IMMISCIBLE LIQUID SOLVENT INTO SAID CONTACT ZONE AT ANOTHER END FOR COUNTERCURRENT FLOW DIRECT CONTACT RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID SLURRY, WHEREBY SULFUR VALUES IN SAID SLURRY PARTICLES ARE DISSOLVED IN SAID LIQUID SOLVENT, WITHDRAWING A SLURRY OF GANGE AND SOLVENT DEPLETED IN SULFUR CONTENT FROM SAID ANOTHER END OF SAID CONTACT ZONE AND DISCHARGING A SULFURENRICHED SOLVENT FROM SAID CONTACT ZONE ADJACENT SAID ONE END, THE TEMPERATURE WITHIN SAID CONTACT ZONE BEING MAINTAINED ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF SULFUR.