Waste disposal method and apparatus

Claim 1

A METHOD OF TREATING LIQUID WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING A HEAT VAPORIZABLE PORTION TO OBTAIN A DRY, READILY HANDLED CONCENTRATE PRODUCT THEREFROM WHICH COMPRISES: (A) PASSING A STRIPPING FLUID HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE AT WHICH IT WILL VAPORIZE SAID PORTION THROUGH SAID MATERIAL IN LIQUID PHASE, THUS OBTAINING A SUBSTANTIALLY SOLID CONCENTRATE, (B) PASSING A FIRST PORTION OF THE VAPORS, OBTAINED BY PASSING SAID HEATED FLUID THROUGH SAID MATERIAL, INTO HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID SUBSTANTIALLY SOLID CONCENTRATE, SAID FIRST PORTION OF THE VAPORS AND SAID CONCENTRATE DURING SAID HEAT EXCHANGE BEING AT RESPECTIVE TEMPERATURES SUCH THAT HEAT WILL PASS FROM SAID VAPORS TO SAID CONCENTRATE, (C) COOLING AND PARTICALLY CONDENSING A SECOND PORTION OF THE VAPORS, OBTAINED BY PASSING SAID HEATED FLUID THROUGH SAID MATERIAL, SAID SECOND PORTION CONTAINING COMPONENTS OF DIFFERENT VAPORIZING TEMPERATURES, AND (D) UTILIZING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE RESULTING NONCONDENSED VAPORS OF STEP "C" AS AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE STRIPPING FLUID HEATED AND PASSED IN STEP "A".