Heat treating of liquors containing dissolved solids whose solubility decreases at increasing temperature

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS WHEREIN A SOLUTION CONTAINING SOLVENT AND DISOLVED SOLIDS WHOSE SOLUBILITY DECREASES AT INCREASING TEMPERATURE IS SUBJECTED TO HEAT TRREATMENT, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES PRELIMINARILY DILUTING AND PREHEATING SAID SOLUTION BY INTIMATELY DIRECTLY CONTACTING A FIRST LIQUOR CONTAINING SAID SOLVENT THEREIN WITH A HEATED GAS TO VAPORIZE A PORTION OF SAID SOLVENT AND CONCENTRATE SAID FIRST LIQUOR WHILE DEPLETING THE HEAT CONTENT OF THE GAS; REMOVING THE UNVAPORIZED, CONCENTRATED FIRST LIQUOR FROM THE PROCESS; CONVEYING THE HEAT-DEPLETED GAS AND THE SOLVENT VAPORS CONTAINED THEREIN INTO INTIMATE DIRECT CONTACT WITH AN UNDILUTED AND UNHEATED STREAM OF SAID SOLUTION TO CONDENSE INTO SAID UNDILUTED AND UNHEATED STREAM OF SAID SOLUTION A PORTION OF SAID SOLVENT VAPORS, THEREBY PREHEATING AND DILUTING SAID UNDILUTED AND UNHEATED STREAM OF SAID SOLUTION; VENTING AN UNCONDENSED GAS; AND SUBSEQUENTLY HEAT TREATING SAID PREHEATED AND DILUTED STREAM OF SAID SOLUTION, SAID SOLUTION BEING FED DIRECTLY TO SAID DILUTION STEP FROM A SOURCE EXTERNAL TO SAID VAPORIZATION, DILUTION AND SUBSEQUENT HEAT TREATMENT STEPS.