METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MIXING PULP WITH GASES
The process of creating contact between a wood pulp having a consistency of 8-15% and a pH in the range of 8-14, and treating the pulp with the oxygen. Oxygen and pulp are intimately mixed in a mixing zone in which a number of rotating members pass through the pulp in a direction transverse to the direction of travel of the pulp. The members have a major axis extending in the direction of rotation and provide a swept area through the pulp of 10,000-1,000,000 square metres per metric ton of oven dry pulp. The members have leading and trailing edges, the leading edge having a radius of curvature in the range of 0.5-15 mm. The pulp is transported to a storage tank and stored. The process for contacting wood pulp and oxygen is part of an overall treatment process which eliminates both the need for heavy capital expenditures, which can be several million dollars, and reduces the lengthy time to carry out oxygen treatment. This is largely achieved by reaction partly occurring during the contact process, as opposed to large and costly reaction vessels as used in prior art.