Dehydration of solids-bearing liquids

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR DEHYDRATING SOLUTIONS OR THE LIKE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF INTRODUCING AN INERT GAS INTO THE SOLUTION AND WHIPPING THE SOLUTION TO PRODUCE A FOAM; ABSTRACTING HEAT FROM THE FOAM DURING WHIPPING TO PRODUCE A SLUSH FOAM THAT COMPRISES A CONGLOMERATION OF CONCENTRATED SOLUTION, ICE CRYSTALS AND GAS BUBBLES; ABSTRACTING HEAT FROM THE SLUSH FOAM UNTIL THE SOLVENT IN THE FOAM IS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY FROZEN TO PRODUCE A FROZEN FOAM THAT ENCOMPASSES A NETWORK OF VOIDS CORRESPONDING TO THE GAS BUBBLES; PLACING THE FROZEN FOAM IN A VACUUM DRYING CHAMBER; AND ADDING THE HEAT OF SUBLIMATION TO THE ICE IN THE FROZEN FOAM WHILE MAINTAINING THE TOTAL GAS AND WATER VAPOR PRESSURE OVER THE ICE CONTENT, THROUGHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE ICE STRUCTURE, LOW ENOUGH TO PREVENT WATER VAPOR MOLECULES SUBLIMED FROM THE ICE FROM REMIXING WITH THE SUBSTANTIALLY DRY SOLIDS CONTENT OF THE PRODUCT.