Crystallization process utilizing compression of the crystallized material

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR CRYSTALLIZING A CRYSTALLIZABLE MATERIAL FROM A FEED LIQUID IN WHICH SAID MATERIAL IS SOLUBLE AT CERTAIN TEMPERATURES AND INSOLUBLE AT LOWER TEMPERATURES, AT WHICH LOWER TEMPERATURES SAID MATERIAL IS CRYSTALLIZED FROM ITS SOLUTION, WHEREIN THE LIQUID CONTAINING THE CRYSTALLIZABLE MATERIAL IS COOLED FROM THE FEED TEMPERATURE TO THE DESIRED CRYSTALLIZATION TEMPERATURE BY COUNTERCURRENT CONTACT IN A TOWER WITH A CONTINUOUS PHASE LIQUID IMMISCIBLE COOLANT OF DIFFERENT DENSITY THAN THE SOLUTION CONTAINING THE MATERIAL TO BE CRYSTALLIZED, AND WHEREIN THE LIQUID CONTAINING THE CRYSTALLIZABLE MATERIAL IS INTRODUCED INTO THE COOLANT PHASE IN THE FORM OF A DENSE DESPERSION OF ESSENTIALLY UNIFORM SIZE DROPLETS, SAID DISPERSED PHASE COLLECTING AND COLLAPSING AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE TOWER FROM WHICH IT WAS INTRODUCED TO FORM A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS COLLAPSED PHASE OF CRYSTALLIZED MATERIAL AND MOTHER LIQUOR FORMING A SHARP CONCENTRATION GRADIENT BETWEEN THE COLLAPSED PHASE AND THE DISPERSED PHASE, GRADUALLY COMPRESSING THE COLLAPSED PHASE IN A CONSTRICTED AREA OF THE TOWER TO FORM A PLUG AND PRESSURE SEAL OF ESSENTIALLY CONTINUOUS COLLAPSED PHASE MATERIAL, AND REMOVING SAID COLLAPSED PHASE FROM SAID TOWER.