Method of producing calcium chloride pellets

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF PRODUCING A SUBSTANTIALLY ANHYDROUS CALCIUM CHLORIDE PELLETED PRODUCT FROM AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION CONTAINING NOT LESS THAN ABOUT 50 PERCENT BY WEIGHT CALCIUM CHLORIDE WHEREIN A MASS OF SEMI-ANHYDROUS CLHORIDE PARTICLES IN A WEIGHT RATIO OF PARTICLES-TO-SOLUTION OF FROM 8 TO 30 TIMES, BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF TOTAL CHLORIDE SOLIDS IN SAID PARTICLES TO THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF CHLORIDES IN THE SOLUTION, IS MAINTAINED IN A MIXING ZONE AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND SAID SOLUTION, AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN 25 CENTRIGRADE DEGREES OF ITS ATMOSPHERE BOILING POINT, IS SPRAYED ONTO SAID MASS OF SEMI-ANHYDROUS PARTICLES WHILE SUBJECTING THEM TO A TUMBLING ROLLING MOTION IN THE PRESENCE OF DRYING FLUE GASES CAPABLE OF ABSTRACTING MOISTURE THEREFROM TO PRODUCE LARGER SEMIANHYDROUS SINGLE AND AGGLOMERATED PARTICLES, A PORTION OF WHICH ARE SUBSEQUENTLY FURTHER DRIED WITH DRYING FLUE GASES, AFTER BEING SCREENED, TO A FINAL ANHYDROUS PRODUCT, THE REMAINDER OF SAID PRODUCED SEMI-ANHYDROUS PARTICLES NOT SO-DRIED FURTHER TO THE ANHYDROUS STATE BEING RECYCLED ESSENTIALLY FOR USE AS THE MASS OF PARTICLES ONTO WHICH MORE SOLUTION IS SPRAYED; THE IMPROVMENT WHICH COMPRISES, INTRODUCING ADDITIONAL HEAT ENERGY AS HOT GASES HAVING A TEMPERATURE IN EXCESS OF 500*C. AND UP TO ABOUT 1760*C. INTO THE MIXING ZONE WHILE SPRAYING SAID AQUEOUS CALCIUM CHLORIDE SOLUTION THEREIN, THEREBY LOWERING THE RECYCLE RATIO OF PARTICLES-TO-SOLUTION TO A RATIO WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 2 TO ABOUT 8, THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF SAID ADDITIONAL HEAT ENERGY TO BE EMPLOYED BEING AN AMOUNT TO PROVIDE SAID HOT GASES WITHOUT EXCEEDING THE MELTING POINT OF THE SEMI-ANHYDROUS CHLORIDE PARTICLES.