The University of Waterloo

Turbotak Inc.

Jerry Y Stein

Donald R Spink

J Stuart Burgess

Gas reacting apparatus and method are described for wet mass transfer of solute gases from a gas stream with a liquid or slurry reacting medium capable of chemisorption of solute gases in the gas stream. The apparatus comprises an elongated conduit defining a primary reaction zone in fluid-flow communication with a fan defining both a secondary reaction zone and a spray coalescence zone, and plurality of dual fluid sprays coaxially spaced in series within the conduit and countercurrently or cocurrently directed to the gas stream for spraying the liquid or slurry reacting medium into said conduit to form a plurality of spray contact zones of uniformly-distributed fine droplets wherein intimate contact of high interfacial surface area between the sprayed liquid or slurry and the gas stream is effected to remove solute gases from the gas stream. The fan is operated at a relatively low speed to promote coalescence of droplets through droplet-droplet collisions followed by collection on the fan blades with liquid or slurry layers which, under the action of centrifugal forces, are separated in the form of an attendant annular spray zone of relatively large droplets to trap more of the solute gases. The droplets upon impingement on the fan casing are collected and removed by gravity.

Method for removing sulfur oxides

Gas reacting apparatus and method are described for wet mass transfer of solute gases from a gas stream with a liquid or slurry reacting medium capable of chemisorption of solute gases in the gas stream. The apparatus comprises an elongated conduit means defining a primary reaction zone in fluid-flow communication with a fan means defining both a secondary reaction zone and a spray coalescence zone, and plurality of dual fluid spray means coaxially spaced in series within the conduit means and countercurrently or cocurrently directed to the gas stream for spraying the liquid or slurry reacting medium into said conduit means to form a plurality of spray contact zones of uniformly-distributed fine droplets wherein intimate contact of high interfacial surface area between the sprayed liquid or slurry and the gas stream is effected to remove solute gases from the gas stream. The fan is operated at a relatively low speed to promote coalescence of droplets through droplet-droplet collisions followed by collection on the fan blades with liquid or slurry layers which, under the action of centrifugal forces, are separated in the form of an attendant annular spray zone of relatively large droplets to trap more of the solute gases. The droplets upon impingement on the fan casing are collected and removed by gravity, while the clean gas stream is exhausted from the fan casing. The apparatus may also include quenching means for saturating and cooling the gas stream prior to the removal of solute gases as well as an entrainment separator for further removing entrained droplets not separated by the fan means from the clean gas stream.

Method for removing sulfur oxide

Gas reacting apparatus and method are described for wet mass transfer of solute gases from a gas stream with a liquid or slurry reacting medium capable of chemisorption of solute gases in the gas stream. The apparatus comprises an elongated conduit defining a primary reaction zone in fluid-flow communication with a fan defining both a secondary reaction zone and a spray coalescence zone, and a plurality of dual-fluid spray nozzles coaxially spaced in series within the conduit and countercurrently or cocurrently directed to the gas stream for spraying the liquid or slurry reacting medium into said conduit to form a plurality of spray contact zones of uniformly-distributed fine droplets wherein intimate contact of high interfacial surface area between the sprayed liquid or slurry and the gas stream is effected to remove solute gases from the gas stream. The fan is operated at a relatively low speed to promote coalescence of droplets through droplet-droplet collisions followed by collection on the fan blades with liquid or slurry layers which, under the action of centrifugal forces, are separated in the form of an attendant annular spray zone of relatively large droplets to trap more of the solute gases. The droplets upon impingement on the fan casing are collected and removed by gravity, while the clean gas stream is exhausted from the fan casing. The apparatus may also include a quenching structure for saturating and cooling the gas stream prior to the removal of solute gases as well as an entrainment separator for further removing entrained droplets not separated by the fan from the clean gas stream.

Gas reacting apparatus and method

Iron-containing zinc sulfide concentrate is processed to recover zinc values therefrom. The concentrate is roasted to convert zinc sulfide and iron sulfide to their oxides while adequate sulfide-sulfur is retained to maintain the iron values in the ferrous state and thereby avoid ferrite formation. Zinc oxide and iron oxide values are recovered from the roast, simultaneously or sequentially, and residual zinc sulfide may be recycled to the roasting step.

Recovery of zinc values from zinc and iron-bearing sulfide materials

Gas reacting apparatus and method are described for wet mass transfer of solute gases from a gas stream with a liquid or slurry reacting medium capable of chemisorption of solute gases in the gas stream. The apparatus comprises an elongated conduit means defining a primary reaction zone in fluid-flow communication with a fan means defining both a secondary reaction zone and a spray coalescence zone, and plurality of dual fluid spray means coaxially spaced in series within the conduit means and countercurrently or cocurrently directed to the gas stream for spraying the liquid or slurry reacting medium into said conduit means to form a plurality of spray contact zones of uniformly-distributed fine droplets wherein intimate contact of high interfacial surface area between the sprayed liquid or slurry and the gas stream is effected to remove solute gases from the gas stream. The fan is operated at a relatively low speed to promote coalesence of droplets through droplet-droplet collisions followed by collection on the fan blades with liquid or slurry layers which, under the action of centrifugal forces, are separated in the form of an attendant annular spray zone of relatively large droplets to trap more of the solute gases. The droplets upon impingement on the fan casing are collected and removed by gravity, while the clean gas stream is exhausted from the fan casing. The apparatus may also include quenching means for saturating and cooling the gas stream prior to the removal of solute gases as well as an entrainment separator for further removing entrained droplets not separated by the fan means from the clean gas stream.

Gas reacting apparatus

A process comprises leaching zinc oxide either separately or in conjunction with iron oxides from a partially desulfurized zinc bearing sulfide ore of concentrate. The ore is pretreated to eliminate in a controlled manner sulfur-sulfur-sulfide in the ore yet leaving sufficient residual sulfur-sulfide in the material such that iron values are maintained substantially wholly in the ferrous state, while converting zinc sulfide to zinc oxide without formation of FeO-ZnO complexes. The partially desulfurized material may be selectively leached with a sulfuric acid containing solution under neutral leach conditions to dissolve thereby preferentially the zinc oxide over the iron oxide. Alternatively the material may be leached with a higher concentration of sulfuric acid containing solution to dissolve preferentially zinc oxide and iron oxide simultaneously. The leach liquor may be subsequently treated to electrolytically remove zinc.

Growing community of inventors

Thornhill, Canada

Jerry Y Stein