Methods of and apparatus for effluent disposal

Claim 1

A method of treating a liquid effluent which comprises an air reactive material to provide a disposable material, said method comprising the steps of: supplying a suitable amount of a solution comprising a treating material which is capable of reacting with the liquid effluent to provide a disposable reaction product; providing a pressurized gas which is non-reactive with the effluent and the treating material; subjecting the liquid effluent to a pressure which is at least equal to the pressure of the pressurized gas to cause the effluent to be moved through a tube and to be discharged in a direction along a path from an end of the tube to contact the treating material and react therewith to provide the reaction product; and causing the effluent to contact the treating material at a predetermined distance from the end of the tube in order to prevent the reaction product from contacting the end of the tube by providing an envelope comprising the pressurized gas along the predetermined distance about the effluent being discharged and by shielding the gas envelope from the treating material, the pressure of the gas being sufficient to maintain the treating material spaced from the end of the tube to avoid the evolution of undesirable vapors.

Claim 2

A method of treating a liquid effluent which comprises an air reactive material to provide a disposable material, said method comprising the steps of: supplying a suitable amount of a solution comprising a treating material which is capable of reacting with the liquid effluent to provide a disposable reaction product; providing a pressurized gas which is non-reactive with the effluent and the treating material; subjecting the liquid effluent to a pressure which is at least equal to the pressure of the pressurized gas to cause the effluent to be moved through a tube and to be discharged in a direction along a path from an end of the tube to contact the treating material and react therewith to provide the reaction product; and causing the effluent to contact the treating material at a predetermined distance from the end of the tube in order to prevent the reaction product from contacting the end of the tube by providing an envelope comprising the pressurized gas along the predetermined distance about the effluent being discharged and by shielding the gas envelope from the treating material, the pressure of the gas being sufficient to maintain the treating material spaced from the end of the tube to avoid the evolution of undesirable vapors.

Claim 10

An apparatus for treating a liquid effluent which comprises an air reactive material to provide a disposable product, said apparatus including: means for supplying a suitable amount of a solution comprising a treating material which is capable of reacting with the liquid effluent to provide a disposable reaction product; a tube through which the effluent is capable of being moved; means for providing a pressurized gas which is non-reactive with the effluent and with the treating material; means for subjecting the liquid effluent to a pressure which is at least equal to the pressure of the pressurized gas to cause the effluent to be moved through the tube and to be discharged along a path from an end of the tube to contact the treating material and react therewith to provide the disposable reaction product; and means for causing the effluent to contact the treating material at a predetermined distance from the end of said tube to prevent the reaction product from contacting the end of said tube, said causing means including means for causing the gas to envelop the effluent being discharged along the path for the predetermined distance and for shielding the gas envelope from the treating material, the pressure of the gas being sufficient to maintain the treating material spaced from the end of the tube to avoid the evolution of undesirable vapors.

Claim 11

An apparatus for treating a liquid effluent which comprises an air reactive material to provide a disposable product, said apparatus including: means for supplying a suitable amount of a solution comprising a treating material which is capable of reacting with the liquid effluent to provide a disposable reaction product; a tube through which the effluent is capable of being moved; means for providing a pressurized gas which is non-reactive with the effluent and with the treating material; means for subjecting the liquid effluent to a pressure which is at least equal to the pressure of the pressurized gas to cause the effluent to be moved through the tube and to be discharged along a path from an end of the tube to contact the treating material and react therewith to provide the disposable reaction product; and means for causing the effluent to contact the treating material at a predetermined distance from the end of said tube to prevent the reaction product from contacting the end of said tube, said causing means including means for causing the gas to envelop the effluent being discharged along the path for the predetermined distance and for shielding the gas envelope from the treating material, the pressure of the gas being sufficient to maintain the treating material spaced from the end of the tube to avoid the evolution of undesirable vapors.

Claim 12

An apparatus for providing a disposable material from a liquid effluent which comprises an air reactive material, said apparatus comprising: a tank for holding a suitable amount of a neutralizing solution which is capable of reacting with the liquid effluent to provide a disposable reaction product; delivery means including a discharge tube for directing the liquid effluent comprising an air reactive material along a path into said tank and into contact with the neutralizing solution at a location below a free surface thereof; means for providing a pressurized gas which is nonreactive with the effluent and with the neutralizing solution; means for subjecting the effluent to a pressure which is equal at least to the pressure of the pressurized gas to cause the effluent to be flowed through and out of the discharge tube along the path into contact with the neutralizing solution; and means for causing the gas to provide an envelope about the effluent for a predetermined distance along the path along which the effluent is discharged to cause the effluent to react with the solution below the free surface thereof and spaced from an end of the discharge tube to provide the disposable reaction product, the pressure of the gas being sufficient to maintain the neturalizing solution spaced from the end of the tube to avoid the evolution of undesirable vapors, said causing means including; a shroud which is disposed about said tube and which extends the predetermined distance beyond said tube to prevent contact of the neutralizing solution with the gas and with the effluent within the predetermined distance along the path.

Claim 13

An apparatus for providing a disposable material from a liquid effluent which comprises an air reactive material, said apparatus comprising: a tank for holding a suitable amount of a neutralizing solution which is capable of reacting with the liquid effluent to provide a disposable reaction product; delivery means including a discharge tube for directing the liquid effluent comprising an air reactive material along a path into said tank and into contact with the neutralizing solution at a location below a free surface thereof; means for providing a pressurized gas which is nonreactive with the effluent and with the neutralizing solution; means for subjecting the effluent to a pressure which is equal at least to the pressure of the pressurized gas to cause the effluent to be flowed through and out of the discharge tube along the path into contact with the neutralizing solution; and means for causing the gas to provide an envelope about the effluent for a predetermined distance along the path along which the effluent is discharged to cause the effluent to react with the solution below the free surface thereof and spaced from an end of the discharge tube to provide the disposable reaction product, the pressure of the gas being sufficient to maintain the neturalizing solution spaced from the end of the tube to avoid the evolution of undesirable vapors, said causing means including; a shroud which is disposed about said tube and which extends the predetermined distance beyond said tube to prevent contact of the neutralizing solution with the gas and with the effluent within the predetermined distance along the path.

Claim 14

An apparatus for disposing of a liquid effluent comprising an air reactive material, said apparatus comprising: a chamber; conduit means for discharging the liquid effluent and directing it into said chamber; means for providing a solution comprising a treating material; means for providing a pressurized gas which is non-reactive with the effluent and with the treating material; means for causing a zone of the pressurized gas to be disposed about the location at which the effluent is discharged; means for subjecting the effluent to a pressure at least equal to that of the pressurized gas to cause the effluent to flow through said conduit means into engagement with and through the zone of gas; spray means for directing the liquid treating material into contact with the effluent as the effluent emerges from the zone of gas to cause the treating material to react with the effluent and provide a disposable reaction product; and means for shielding the effluent and the gas from the treating material for a predetermined distance from an end of said conduit means, said shielding means and the zone of gas being effective to prevent the reaction product from contacting said conduit means, the pressure of the gas being sufficient to maintain the treating material spaced from the end of the tube to avoid the evolution of undesirable vapors.

Claim 15

An apparatus for disposing of a liquid effluent comprising an air reactive material, said apparatus comprising: a chamber; conduit means for discharging the liquid effluent and directing it into said chamber; means for providing a solution comprising a treating material; means for providing a pressurized gas which is non-reactive with the effluent and with the treating material; means for causing a zone of the pressurized gas to be disposed about the location at which the effluent is discharged; means for subjecting the effluent to a pressure at least equal to that of the pressurized gas to cause the effluent to flow through said conduit means into engagement with and through the zone of gas; spray means for directing the liquid treating material into contact with the effluent as the effluent emerges from the zone of gas to cause the treating material to react with the effluent and provide a disposable reaction product; and means for shielding the effluent and the gas from the treating material for a predetermined distance from an end of said conduit means, said shielding means and the zone of gas being effective to prevent the reaction product from contacting said conduit means, the pressure of the gas being sufficient to maintain the treating material spaced from the end of the tube to avoid the evolution of undesirable vapors.