Waste effluent treatment and solvent recovery system

Claim 1

A chemical waste effluent treatment and solvent and solids recovery system for inorganic and organic solutions comprising: a support; a primary reservoir on said support receiving solution to be treated; a solar distilling unit adjacent said support including: a secondary reservoir; a frame extending above said secondary reservoir and being adjustable in height, a trough on an uppermost portion of said adjustable frame, absorbent means draped over said trough and both sides of said frame and extending downwardly into said reservoir, said absorbent means being aligned parallel to the rays of sun, means connecting said primary reservoir to said trough for gravity fluid flow from said primary reservoir to said trough, automatic leveling means attached to said frame and operatively associated with said connecting means for maintaining a desired level of solution in said secondary reservoir by continuously regulating flow through said connecting means from said primary reservoir to said trough whereby overflow from said trough flows down said absorbent means to said secondary reservoir, a dome comprising glass panel covering and enclosing on both opposite sides of said secondary reservoir, said frame, said trough, and said absorbent means, said panels being aligned with said frame and serving as a condensing surface for solvent evaporated from said absorbent means, said dome having a peak, collecting troughs at a lowermost portion of said panels for receiving and collecting condensed solvent, at least one auxilliary mirror located adjacent outside said dome reflecting additional sunlight thereinto, and a bonnet shading said peak of said dome and the uppermost portions on both sides thereof, the ratio of height of the frame carrying the absorbent means to the height of the interior of said dome being adjustable to enable selective collection of more volatile solvents; chemical trap means for additional treatment of said distilled water; transfer means for transferring said distilled solvent from said collecting troughs to said chemical trap means; and product collection means connected to said chemical trap means for collecting the additionally treated distilled solvent.