Gas cleansing means

Claim 1

A method of treating a horizontally flowing gas stream containing air pollutants with a scrubbing liquor including a reactant which absorbs at least a portion of said pollutants, comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a downstream portion of said gas stream in an upper region of a first zone with a mist which includes a plurality of substantially vertically falling droplets of said scrubbing liquor whereby said droplets absorb a portion of said pollutants; (b) collecting said absorbed polluted droplets in a first area within said first zone wherein said polluted droplets are reamalgamated; (c) contacting said gas stream in a lower region of said first zone with a mist of droplets formed from said reamalgamated scrubbing liquor whereby said newly formed droplets absorb a portion of said pollutants; (d) collecting said absorbed polluted droplets of step c in a second area within said first zone and below said first area wherein said polluted droplets are reamalgamated; (e) contacting a portion of said gas stream upstream from said downstream portion in an upper region of a second zone with another mist of droplets formed from said reamalgamated scrubbing liquor from step d whereby said newly formed droplets absorb a portion of said pollutants; (f) collecting said absorbed polluted droplets in a first area within said second zone wherein said polluted droplets are reamalgamated; (g) contacting said gas stream in a lower region of said second zone with a mist of droplets formed from said reamalgamated scrubbing liquor from step f whereby said droplets absorb a portion of said pollutants; (h) collecting said absorbed polluted droplets of step g in a second area within said second zone and below said first area wherein said polluted droplets are reamalgamated; and (i) repeating steps e through h with at least one additional said zone disposed upstream from said second zone so as to remove said pollutants from said gas stream under conditions wherein the freshest most reactant scrubbing liquor is applied to the furthest downstream zone of said gas stream having the least amount of pollutants and the least reactant scrubbing liquor being applied to the furthest upstream zone of said gas stream having the greater amount of pollutants.

Claim 2

A method of treating a horizontally flowing gas stream containing air pollutants with a scrubbing liquor including a reactant which absorbs at least a portion of said pollutants, comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a downstream portion of said gas stream in an upper region of a first zone with a mist which includes a plurality of substantially vertically falling droplets of said scrubbing liquor whereby said droplets absorb a portion of said pollutants; (b) collecting said absorbed polluted droplets in a first area within said first zone wherein said polluted droplets are reamalgamated; (c) contacting said gas stream in a lower region of said first zone with a mist of droplets formed from said reamalgamated scrubbing liquor whereby said newly formed droplets absorb a portion of said pollutants; (d) collecting said absorbed polluted droplets of step c in a second area within said first zone and below said first area wherein said polluted droplets are reamalgamated; (e) contacting a portion of said gas stream upstream from said downstream portion in an upper region of a second zone with another mist of droplets formed from said reamalgamated scrubbing liquor from step d whereby said newly formed droplets absorb a portion of said pollutants; (f) collecting said absorbed polluted droplets in a first area within said second zone wherein said polluted droplets are reamalgamated; (g) contacting said gas stream in a lower region of said second zone with a mist of droplets formed from said reamalgamated scrubbing liquor from step f whereby said droplets absorb a portion of said pollutants; (h) collecting said absorbed polluted droplets of step g in a second area within said second zone and below said first area wherein said polluted droplets are reamalgamated; and (i) repeating steps e through h with at least one additional said zone disposed upstream from said second zone so as to remove said pollutants from said gas stream under conditions wherein the freshest most reactant scrubbing liquor is applied to the furthest downstream zone of said gas stream having the least amount of pollutants and the least reactant scrubbing liquor being applied to the furthest upstream zone of said gas stream having the greater amount of pollutants.