Process for regenerating a liquid created in the kraft process for

Abstract

An apparatus and process for regenerating a liquid from a spent liquid containing sodium compounds created during kraft processing for pulping wood while simultaneously obtaining energy. Regeneration begins by gasifying said sodium compounds in a gasification reaction chamber at a temperature greater than the melting temperature of the sodium compounds and generating a gasification gas and salt melt. The gasification gas and salt melt are then directly cooled to a temperature greater than the dew point in the quenching chamber by spraying a cooling liquid which, in turn, causes gaseous condensate to form a bath in the quenching chamber which may also include water from kraft processing. The salt melt dissolves in the bath to produce an aqueous solution. This aqueous solution is then cooled and diluted with alkali liquid produced during the kraft process. Then the diluted aqueous solution is subjected to flashing and emerges as a regenerated liquid free of organic components to be used again in the wood pulping process. Simultaneously, the gasification gas from the quenching chamber is indirectly cooled thereby producing energy through at least one of steam and hot water and subsequently desulfurized.