Vacuum distillation apparatus for removal of volatile impurities from liquids

Claim 1

A vacuum distillation apparatus for purifying a raw liquid, said raw liquid having an impurity of higher vapor pressure than that of a desired distillate component entrained therein, comprising: (a) evaporation apparatus including a boiling chamber, means for supplying raw liquid to the boiling chamber, and means for conveying vapor or gas from the boiling chamber; and (b) condensation apparatus including: (i) a closed condensation chamber generally higher than the boiling chamber and communicating with the conveying means to receive, cool, and condense the vapor or gas to a liquid; (ii) a first closed collection chamber generally below the condensation chamber; (iii) at least one bubble tube sealingly interconnecting a lower portion of the condensation chamber and an upper portion of the first collection chamber and extending downward into the first collection chamber; (iv) a second closed collection chamber disposed at a height above a height of said first closed collection chamber; (v) first transfer means, sealingly engaged and extending, at one end thereof, into the first collection chamber, and connected, at an opposite end thereof, to said second collection chamber, for conveying a mixture of vapor or gas and distillate component from the first collection chamber to the second collection chamber; (vi) means for creating a partial vacuum above a liquid level in said second closed collection chamber sufficient to cause the impurity to become or remain in a gaseous state, yet insufficient to cause the distillate component to change to a gaseous state; and (vii) means for releasing and venting the impurity.