Method of making hyposulfites

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF MAKING AN ALKALI METAL HYPOSULFITE WHICH COMPRISES PASSING AN AMALGAM OF THE ALKALI METAL OF A PREDETERMINED AND CONTROLLED CONCENTRATION THROUGH AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF THE BISULFITE OF THE ALKALI METAL IN A REACTION ZONE AND TO A COLLECTION REGION, FORMING DISSOLVED HYPOSULFITE OF THE ALKALI METAL IN THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION BY REACTION OF THE ALKALI METAL OF THE AMALGAM WITH THE BISULFITE IN THE REACTION ZONE, WITHDRAWING THE AMALGAM AT LOWER ALKALI METAL CONCENTRATION FROM THE COLLECTION REGION FOR ENRICHMENT AND RECIRCULATION THROUGH THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION, WITHDRAWING AQUEOUS SOLUTION, FROM THE REACTION ZONE AT ANOTHER REGION AND PASSING THE WITHDRAWN SOLUTION TO A CRYSTALLIZATION REGION, COOLING THE SOLUTION AFTER IT LEAVES THE REACTION ZONE TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE ALKALI METAL HYPOSULFITE SATURATION TEMPERATURE OF THE SOLUTION AND BY SAID COOLING PRECIPITATING CRYSTALS OF THE HYPOSULFITE IN THE CRYSTALLIZATION REGION, PASSING THE REMAINING SOLUTION FROM THE CRYSTALLIZATION REGION BACK TO THE REACTION ZONE IN A CLOSED CYCLE AND FOR ENRICHMENT WITH ADDITIONAL HYPOSULFITE IN THE REACTION ZONE, RAISING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SOLUTION AFTER IT LEAVES THE CRYSTALLIZATION REGION AND BEFORE ITS ENRICHMENT WITH ADDITIONAL HYPOSULFITE, REDUCING THE VISCOSITY OF THE CIRCULATING SOLUTION AND THE CONCENTRATION OF HYPOSULFITE REQUIRED FOR SATURATION IN THE CRYSTALLIZATION REGION AND THROUGH THE CYCLE BY CIRCULATING WITH THE SOLUTION AND IN INTIMATE MIXTURE THEREWITH A QUANTITY OF ALCOHOL SUFFICIENT TO SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE THE SOLUBILITY OF THE HYPOSULFITE IN THE SOLUTION, AND MAINTAINING THE QUANTITY OF ALCOHOL IN CIRCULATION BELOW THE VALUE THAT PRECIPITATES THE BISULFITE FROM THE SOLUTION WITHIN THE TEMPERATURE RANGE THROUGH WHICH THE SOLUTION PASSES DURING ITS CYCLE OF CIRCULATION.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF MAKING AN ALKALI METAL HYPOSULFITE WHICH COMPRISES PASSING AN AMALGAM OF THE ALKALI METAL OF A PREDETERMINED AND CONTROLLED CONCENTRATION THROUGH AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF THE BISULFITE OF THE ALKALI METAL IN A REACTION ZONE AND TO A COLLECTION REGION, FORMING DISSOLVED HYPOSULFITE OF THE ALKALI METAL IN THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION BY REACTION OF THE ALKALI METAL OF THE AMALGAM WITH THE BISULFITE IN THE REACTION ZONE, WITHDRAWING THE AMALGAM AT LOWER ALKALI METAL CONCENTRATION FROM THE COLLECTION REGION FOR ENRICHMENT AND RECIRCULATION THROUGH THE AQUEOUS SOLUTION, WITHDRAWING AQUEOUS SOLUTION, FROM THE REACTION ZONE AT ANOTHER REGION AND PASSING THE WITHDRAWN SOLUTION TO A CRYSTALLIZATION REGION, COOLING THE SOLUTION AFTER IT LEAVES THE REACTION ZONE TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE ALKALI METAL HYPOSULFITE SATURATION TEMPERATURE OF THE SOLUTION AND BY SAID COOLING PRECIPITATING CRYSTALS OF THE HYPOSULFITE IN THE CRYSTALLIZATION REGION, PASSING THE REMAINING SOLUTION FROM THE CRYSTALLIZATION REGION BACK TO THE REACTION ZONE IN A CLOSED CYCLE AND FOR ENRICHMENT WITH ADDITIONAL HYPOSULFITE IN THE REACTION ZONE, RAISING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SOLUTION AFTER IT LEAVES THE CRYSTALLIZATION REGION AND BEFORE ITS ENRICHMENT WITH ADDITIONAL HYPOSULFITE, REDUCING THE VISCOSITY OF THE CIRCULATING SOLUTION AND THE CONCENTRATION OF HYPOSULFITE REQUIRED FOR SATURATION IN THE CRYSTALLIZATION REGION AND THROUGH THE CYCLE BY CIRCULATING WITH THE SOLUTION AND IN INTIMATE MIXTURE THEREWITH A QUANTITY OF ALCOHOL SUFFICIENT TO SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE THE SOLUBILITY OF THE HYPOSULFITE IN THE SOLUTION, AND MAINTAINING THE QUANTITY OF ALCOHOL IN CIRCULATION BELOW THE VALUE THAT PRECIPITATES THE BISULFITE FROM THE SOLUTION WITHIN THE TEMPERATURE RANGE THROUGH WHICH THE SOLUTION PASSES DURING ITS CYCLE OF CIRCULATION.