Process and apparatus for the recovery of the solvent from the exhaust air of dry cleaning machines

Claim 1

A process for the recovery of solvent from the exhaust gas and air mixture of a dry cleaning machine, said solvent being utilized in said machine and having a freezing point below the freezing point of water, the process comprising the steps of: providing a substantially nonaqueous bath consisting of said solvent in liquid form; maintaining the temperature of said bath between the freezing point of said solvent and the freezing point of water; passing the exhaust gas from said dry-cleaning machine through said liquid solvent bath in direct contact therewith thereby to cause the gaseous solvent to condense within said bath and aqueous moisture in said exhaust gas to immediately freeze within and float upon the surface of said bath; drawing purified air from above said bath and returning it to said dry-cleaning machine; removing the water condensed in the form of floating ice crystals and excess solvent from said bath as overflow; and separating the liquid solvent and the water resulting from the molten ice crystals by decanting said overflow; said solvent bath and said dry-cleaning machine being interconnected in a closed circuit path through which said exhaust gas and purified air are continuously passed therebetween.