Production of alkali metal phosphates and carbon dioxide

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF AN ALKALI METAL PHOSPHATE SOLUTION AND SUBSTANTIALLY PURE CARBON DIOXIDE, WHICH COMPRISES: CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING PHOSPHORIC ACID, AN ALKALI METAL CARBONATE AND WATER INTO ONE END OF AN ELONGATED REACTION ZONE, REACTING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF SAID ACID AND SAID CARBONATE IN SAID ELONGATED REACTION ZONE TO YIELD CARBON DIOXIDE AND ALKALI METAL PHOSPHATE, DISCHARGING THE REACTION MIXTURE INTO A BODY OF GAS MAINTAINED IN A SECOND REACTION ZONE IN WHICH AN AGITATED BODY OF LIQUID IS MAINTAINED BELOW THE BODY OF GAS, WHEREBY THE CARBON DIOXIDE FORMED IN SAID ELONGATED REACTION ZONE SEPARATES FROM THE REACTION MIXTURE DISCHARGED INTO THE BODY OF GAS WHILE THE DISCHARGED LIQUID FROM SAID REACTION MIXTURE IS FALLING INTO SAID AGITATED BODY OF LIQUID, REACTING THE COMPONENTS OF SAID DISCHARGED LIQUID IN SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE TO YIELD ADDITIONAL CARBON DIOXIDE AND ALKALI METAL PHOSPHATE, WHEREUPON SAID ADDITIONAL CARBON DIOXIDE SEPARATES FROM THE REACTION MIXTURE WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL FOAMING, CONTINUOUSLY DISCHARGING SUBSTANTIALLY PURE CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE TOP OF SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE, AND CONTINUOUSLY DISCHARGING ALKALI METAL PHOSPHATE SOLUTION FROM THE LOWER PART OF SAID REACTION ZONE, WHEREBY SAID ALKALI METAL PHOSPHATE AND SAID CARBON DIOXIDE ARE PRODUCED IN AMOUNTS OF AT LEAST FOUR TIMES AS GREAT AS THE AMOUNTS PRODUCED BY EQUIVALENT SINGLE BATCH REACTORS, AND RECOVERING SAID CARBON DIOXIDE AND SAID ALKALI METAL PHOSPHATES.