Concentration of aqueous solutions by crystallization with sonic defoaming

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR CONCENTRATING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF CONTACTING SAID AQUEOUS SOLUTION WITH CARBON DIOXIDE SO AS TO FORM A SLURRY OF ICE CRYSTALS AND AQUEOUS SOLUTION IN A CRYSTAL FORMING ZONE; PASSING VAPOROUS CARBON DIOXIDE TO A FIRST SONIC DEFOAMING MEANS POSITIONED WITHIN SAID CRYSTAL FORMING ZONE; WITHDRAWING VAPOROUS CARBON DIOXIDE FROM SAID CRYSTAL FORMING ZONE; PASSING SLURRY FROM SAID CRYSTAL FORMING ZONE TO A CRYSTAL GROWTH ZONE; MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE IN SAID CRYSTAL GROWTH ZONE AT LEAST 1 TO 2*F. BELOW THAT IN SAID CRYSTAL FORMING ZONE SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR CONTINUOUS GROWTH OF SAID ICE CRYSTALS; PASSING VAPOROUS CARBON DIOXIDE TO A SECOND SONIC DEFOAMING MEANS POSITIONED WITHIN SAID CRYSTAL GROWTH ZONE; WITHDRAWING CARBON DIOXIDE FROM SAID CRYSTAL GROWTH ZONE; MAINTAINING THE PRESSURE WITHIN SAID CRYSTAL GROWTH ZONE LOWER THAN THE PRESSURE WITHIN SAID CRYSTAL FORMING ZONE; PERMITTING SAID ICE CRYSTALS TO GROW WITHIN SAID CRYSTAL GROWTH ZONE; AND SEPARATING A CONCENTRATED AQUEOUS SOLUTION FROM THE SLURRY WITHDRAWN FROM SAID CRYSTAL GROWTH ZONE.