Regeneration of copper ammonium salt solutions

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR REGENERATING AQUEOUS AMMONIACAL COPPER TREATING SOLUTION USED TO ABSORB CARBON OXIDES WHEREIN SYNTHESIS GAS IS INTRODUCED INTO A CARBON OXIDE ABSORPTION COLUMN AND CONTACTED THEREIN WITH AMMONIACAL COPER TREATING SOLUTION TO ABSORB CARBON OXIDES FROM SAID SYNTHESIS GAS AND PRODUCE A SPENT TREATING SOLUTION WHICH IS THEN PASSED FROM SAID ABSORPTION COLUMN TO THE UPPER PORTION OF A REGENERATION TOWER TO REMOVE SAID CARBON OXIDES ABSORBED IN SAID AMMONIACAL COPPER TREATING SOLUTION AND PRODUCE A REGENERATED TREATING SOLUTION AND SAID REGENERATED TREATING SOLUTION IS CYCLED BACK TO SAID ABSORPTION COLUMN, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: (A) CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING A SAMPLE OF SAID SPENT TREATING SOLUTION DURING THE PASSAGE OF SAID SOLUTION TO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID REGENERATION TOWER; (B) INTRODUCING AN OXIDANT INTO SAID WITHDRAWN SAMPLE IS AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO OXIDE THE CUPROUS IONS IN THE SAMPLE TO CUPRIC IONS; (C) AUTOMATICALLY DETERMINING THE TOTAL CUPRIC ION CONCENTRATION IN THE THUS OXIDIZED SAMPLE; AND (D) INJECTING STEAM INTO SAID UPPER PORTION OF SAID REGENERATION TOWER AUTOMATICALLY IN RESPONSE TO SAID CUPRIC ION CONCENTRATION AS DETERMINED IN (C),THEREBY PREVENTING THE BUILDUP OF COPPER CARBONATE DEPOSITS IN SAID UPPER PORTION OF SAID TOWER, SAID STEAM BEING INTRODUCED CONCURRENTLY WITH SAID SPENT TREATING SOLUTION FLOWING INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID REGENERATION TOWER, AND VARYING THE STEAM RATE BY INCRESING THE STEAM RATE IN RESPONSE TO THE RISING CUPRIC ION CONCENTRATION IN SAID SPENT TREATING SOLUTION.