according to fig1 the apparatus consists of the particularly cylindrical reaction vessel ( 1 ) with a centrally inserted drive shaft ( 2 ) for effecting horizontal movement of a number of agitator arms ( 5 ) corresponding to the number of treatment stages ( a , b , c , d . . . ). the showing of the drive for the agitator shaft ( 2 ) or the exact indication of the mounting and support thereof etc . in the reaction vessel ( 1 ) has been omitted as such construction elements are self - evident to the man of ordinary skill in the art . this applies also -- and this is said here on principle -- to all other auxiliary means of apparatus construction , such as valves , piping , elements for measuring and control , accessory units , such as heat exchangers , dosing or metering means , charging and discharging elements , cyclones , condensate separators etc . the agitator arms ( 5 ) move over and at a slight distance from the bottoms ( 3 ) of the treatment stages ( compartments ) and , respectively , the lowermost bottom ( 4 ) which serves exclusively for distributing the steam . by the motion of the agitator arms ( 5 ) slightly above the bottoms ( 3 , 4 ), the solvent - wet material ( from the extraction ; ns ), which is brought in through suitable dosing or metering means ( sluice or valve , bucket wheel , worm etc .) by the connecting piece ( 19 ), is kept in mixing motion . by the motion of the agitator arms ( 5 ), the material , e . g . hexane - wet residue of the extraction of soy flakes or of an oil - and fat - containing material of other origin , gets to suitable discharge means ( 7 ), e . g . rotary valves of the type described in &# 34 ; fette - seifen - anstrichmittel &# 34 ; ( loc . cit .) and through the latter into the compartment disposed thereunder , that means , from ( a ) to ( b ), to ( c ), etc ., until leaving the apparatus through the lowest connecting piece ( 8 ) ( ts ). at the same time , superheated steam ( ud ) is introduced into the apparatus through connecting piece ( 6 ), namely , underneath the lowest bottom ( 4 ) into the steam distributing chamber (&# 34 ; e &# 34 ;). instead of pure superheated steam , there may also be used a steam - containing fluid , such as nitrogen , air , inert gas etc ., but , preferably , pure superheated steam is used . the superheated steam having entered the chamber ( e ) gets -- in the direction of the arrows as shown -- through the perforations of the lowermost bottom ( 4 ) into the compartment ( d ) disposed thereover , etc ., streams -- in uniform distribution and with the superheating being maintained -- through the material to be desolventized being moved or agitated on the respective bottom and leaves the plant as vapors ( d + h ) through the connecting piece ( 20 ). the bottoms closing the treatment stages ( a , b , c , d . . . ) are in the form of double bottoms adapted to have steam ( 6 &# 39 ;) admitted thereto , so that it is possible to adjust and control the temperature of the steam or , respectively , the vapors as well as the temperature of the material , as required or desired in the individual treatment stages ( a , b , c , d . . . ). of special importance for the achieving of complete , or practically complete , desolventizing of the solvent - wet material ( ns ) without condensation of steam or without increase in the moisture content in the desolventized material , at considerably improved thermal efficiency and energy efficiency -- as is aimed at and solved by the invention -- is the maintenance of the superheated state of the steam throughout the entire system , but especially in the region of the bottoms closing the stages or compartments , in the region of the steam chamber ( e ), etc ., which is achieved only by absolute insulation of the apparatus , by the provision of steamheated jackets ( 26 ), as for the steam chamber ( e ), but also for the entire apparatus -- not shown -- or other heating facilities ( steam inlet connection 16 ). the perforations or apertures in the double bottoms ( 3 ) are formed by individual bored distance pieces or spacers ( 12 ) the construction of which will be explained in detail in the following . as is shown by fig2 and 3 , the double bottom ( 3 ), and , if necessary , also the lowest bottom ( 4 ) serving to distribute the steam , each consist of two bottom plates ( 10 , 11 ) enclosing a steam space ( 13 ) therebetween . this steam space is supplied with live steam ( 6 &# 39 ; in fig1 ). according to the invention , so - called spacers or distance pieces ( 12 ) are inserted into the holes formed in the plates ( 10 , 11 ) by bores , the plates ( 10 , 11 ) being connected with each other and held by said spacers ( 12 ). the connection is made in known manner by welding , so that thereby a steam - tight closure or seal is provided between the steam space ( 13 ) and the holes in the plates . the spacers ( 12 ) themselves also have bores ( 14 ) therethrough ; said bores preferably have the configuration according to fig2 and 3 , that means , they taper conically from the lower end -- at the lower plate ( 11 ) of the double bottom ( 3 )-- to the top end -- at the upper plate ( 10 ) of the double bottom . this preferred configuration is of advantage whenever the process steam coming from the lowermost steam distributing plate ( bottom 4 ) ( 6 &# 34 ;) is to be used also as drying steam for material containing water in a special measure , i . e . material having besides the usual hexane content of approx . 25 to 35 % by weight a higher than normal moisture content . by the form of the spacers according to fig2 and 3 the steam when issuing from the bores ( 14 ) is imparted additional tension , which results in a pronounced bubble action of the steam and consequent optimal whirling motion of the material being desolventized , but without formation of channels . the form of the spacers as shown in fig2 and 3 has proved especially successful also for the formation of the lowermost bottom ( 4 ), which , after all , serves only to distribute the steam . further favorable developments of the spacers ( 12 ) which consider the process conditions given in each case , particularly the material used , are shown by fig4 a , 4b , 4d as well as 5a and 5b . according to fig4 a , the spacers are rounded off at both ends , forming double - cone openings or passages ( 14 ) for the superheated steam . while the effect of the rounding off of the edges , whereby , for example , particles of material that have got into the bore ( 14 ) are thrown out by the steam tension increased in ( 25 ), can be achieved also by a unilateral cone formation ( 24 ) only , the additional rounding off also of the lower edge results in a considerably improved streaming in of the stream into the bore as a possible turbulence at the entry of the steam into the bore is counteracted . in the construction of the spacers ( 12 ) according to fig4 b , the lower cone passes over into a cylindrical or even square or rectangular offset opening ( 27 ), while the radius of the upper cone ( 26 ) is somewhat reduced compared to that of ( 24 ) according to fig4 a . it is understood that the radius of the rounded portion or curvature according to fig4 b may also be equal to , or greater than , that of the rounded portion or curvature according to fig4 a . the bore ( 14 ), according to fig4 c , may also be of a form conically enlarging ( 29 ) from the bottom to the top and then ending also with a rounded - off edge ( 28 ). the formation of the bore ( 14 ) shown in fig4 d is in the manner of a venturi tube with the edges ( 30 ) being rounded off corresponding to fig4 c but the rounding - off of the lower edge ( 31 ) showing a reduced radius that falls into the boundary zone of the plane of the lower plate ( 11 ) of the bottom ( see fig2 ). in the simplest case , according to fig5 a , and 5b , spacers are also possible in the form of tubular pieces the lower cylindrical ends of which extend slightly beyond ( 32 ) the lowermost plate boundary and into the next following treatment stage or compartment ( b , c , d . . . ). according to experience , this extension ( 32 ) may be about 0 . 5 - 2 . 0 times the thickness of the plate ( 11 ). a special formation of such spacers may again include a conical configuration ( 14 &# 39 ;) in the upper plate ( 10 ) of the bottom , whereby the effect of the spacers according to fig2 and 3 , in connection with the extended end ( 32 ), is still further enhanced . it is understood that each of the above - described forms of the spacers or types of bores ( 14 , 14 &# 39 ;) has a quite specific effect which serves to increase or maintain the tension of the steam at the exit from the bores , prevents the formation of channels in the material being desolventized , counteracts steam condensation , favors the stripping effect , prevents congestion of the bores by particles of material and ensures uniform action of the steam on the material being desolventized . thereby , considerable amounts of steam are saved and the consumption of electric energy , e . g . for driving the agitator elements , is reduced . in practice , such double bottoms ( 3 ) or ( 4 ) according to [ hereby fig2 - 5 have proved satisfactory in which -- not excluding ] usual technical deviations or specific dimensions or proportions -- the lower plate ( 11 ) has a thickness d = approx . 8 to 15 mm , the upper plate ( 10 ) a thickness the external diameter ( a ) of the spacers ( 12 ) generally is in the range between 25 and 75 mm . the distance ( e ) between the individual spacers ( 12 )-- see fig3 -- may be equal , smaller or greater than the external cylindrical diameter ( a ) of the spacers themselves . generally , however , the distance ( e ) is equal to or greater than the external cylindrical diameter of the spacers . especially satisfactory has been found a distance in case of spacers ( 12 ) that are not circular cylindrical or oval , but square , rectangular or polygonal the conditions in regard to dimensions and sizes are similar . in case of conical bores ( 14 ) according to fig2 and 3 with an upwardly tapering cone , the inclination of the inner surfaces of the cone is such that the ratio of the two taper bore areas ( f ):( g ) is at about 2 . 0 - 1 . 5 . this aperture ratio has proved to be favorable e . g . in the desolventizing of hexane - wet soya meal with superheated steam especially when the diameter of the bore in the region of the lower bottom plate ( 11 ) does not exceed the value of approx . 25 mm . with a large apparatus of the construction defined above by reference to fig1 with three treatment stages ( a , b , c ) each closed downwardly by a steam - heated double bottom ( 3 ), wherein the overall useful height of the apparatus is approx . 5 , 500 mm and the internal diameter is approx . 3 , 000 mm , the double bottoms ( 3 ) have between 60 and 140 spacers ( 12 ) per m 2 of bottom area , so that the bores ( 14 ) constitute a cross - sectional proportion of approx . 3 - 30 % of the total bottom area . in such a plant it is possible to desolventize in continuous operation approx . 480 metric tons ( 480 × 10 3 kg .) per 24 hrs . of hexane - wet soya meal having a hexane content of up to 33 % by weight . the desolventized meal has a residual hexane content of & lt ;& lt ; 0 . 01 % by weight in case of the use of superheated steam of 205 ° c . ( 401 ° f .) and a residual hexane content of & lt ; 0 . 01 % by weight in case of the use of superheated steam of 125 ° c . ( 257 ° f .). such values cannot be realized when using steam other than superheated steam , not even with the specially designed double bottoms ( special bores ) according to the above - described apparatus . if the desolventizing steam used is not superheated , the hexane content in the meal in case of the use of steam of 130 ° c . ( 266 ° f .) is still in the region of 0 . 06 % and in case of the use of steam of 160 ° c . ( 320 ° f .) in the region of 0 . 03 %. conversely , in case of the use of a simply perforated bottom system , i . e . a system not having the specific bores of the present invention and thus having only circular or similarly formed steam outlet openings , it is not possible to achieve the surprisingly low residual hexane contents in spite of the use of superheated steam . the reason is to be seen in the fact that only the combination of the bottom construction with superheated , absolutely dry steam that is introduced into the desolventizing apparatus at as high a temperature as possible will result in a practically solvent - free meal . the desolventizing apparatus shown quite generally in fig1 can -- without leaving the scope of the invention -- still be technically refined in many respects . thus , to complete the plant , there may be provided below the double bottoms ( 3 ) connections for the introduction of additional live steam , i . e . connections directly leading into the respective steam space of one of the treatment stages ( a , b , c , d . . . ); that additional steam is of course also superheated . this steam serves to assist the superheated steam ( ud ) introduced into the steam chamber ( e ) at ( 6 ) according to fig1 e . g . in case of solvent - wet material having a high water content , in case of meal difficult to desolventize or also in case of relativley low temperatures of the superheated steam , e . g . in the absence of suitable means for intensive superheating . to the same effect such additional steam may also be introduced by way of the agitator shaft ( 2 ) or by way of the agitator elements ( 5 ), although such a measure is only of minor importance in the scope of the present invention . of special importance for the process according to the invention is also the adjusting of a relatively narrow range of temperature of the vapors consisting of steam and solvent above the topmost process stage , i . e . above the freshly introduced solvent - wet material . in this connection , the temperature gradient , in all , from the steam inlet at ( 6 ) into the distributing chamber ( e ) up to the vapor outlet at ( 20 ), is also a factor of decisive importance . first of all , the requirement has to be fulfilled that -- independent of the number of the treatment stages ( a , b , c , d . . . ) -- the steam below the lowermost bottom plate ( 4 ) should itself have an optimal temperature . on priniciple , no temperature limits are give for the superheated steam , so that steam temperatures of over 120 ° c . ( 248 ° f .) are already quite useful . however , for reasons of economy , for optimal utilization especially oflarge - scale plants , it is advisable , as far as possible , to use temperatures not lower than 130 ° c . ( 266 ° f . ), so that a certain distance from the condensation temperature ( 100 ° c ./ 1 bar ) is given already at the steam inlet . preferably , one works with steam inlet temperatures of over 150 ° c . ( 302 ° f .) or , better , over 180 ° c . ( 356 ° f .) and sometimes also up to 220 ° c . ( 428 ° f .). these temperature gradients are just as much a function of the remaining process conditions and qualities of material as is the amount of steam used -- which , generally , must be adjusted for each material -- or the amount of steam introduced below the lowest bottom . generally , all of the superheated steam , i . e . up to 100 % of the amount of superheated steam required -- no matter [ form whether such steam is in the form of pure steam or in the of a mixture of steam with a suitable fluid -- is introduced directly into the steam chamber ( e ). this is always the case if the number of stage or compartments ( a , b , c , d . . . ) is of the order according to fig1 or less . in case of more than four stages , however , it is advisable to introduce the bulk of the steam again into the steam chamber , that means , into the lowermoster chamber or compartment below the steam distributing bottom ( 4 ), and a partial amount , i . e . the quantitive balance to make up 100 %, into the spaces in the higher compartments below the respective stage closure bottoms ( 3 ) where the escaping vapors collect . the utmost limit for the distribution of the steam among the lowest stage or steam chamber on the one hand and the vapor spaces on the other hand is at about 45 %, that means , irrespective of the number of stages or compartments , at least 45 % of the total amount of live steam in superheated form that is required must be introduced below the steam distributing bottom ( 4 ). the superheated steam generally is supplied by the steam boiler of the mill and is available at an average pressure of 10 bar . on entering the steam chamber ( e ) the steam expands to 1 bar , as it is only in rare cases that desolventizing is performed under overpressure conditions . if no superheated steam is available from the steam boiler of the mill , the necessary degree of superheating can be adjusted also by interposition of a superheater before the entry of the steam into the steam chamber ( e ). suitable superheaters are well - known so that they need not be described here . the stripping effect repeatedly referred to hereinbefore can be realized only with superheated steam being absolutely free of condensate , and only thus can the desired azeotrope steam / solvent be maintained in its ideal composition with a narrow temperature range of the vapors without substantial alteration of the water content in the desolventized material . in continuous operation of a multistage or multi - compartment system according to fig1 there will result throughout the height of the plant temperature diagrams which are specific for the process according to the invention and which reflect the ideal desolventizing conditions aimed at . this will be shown on the basis of table i by reference to fig6 . in this connection , table i shows the effective temperatures established in continuous operation of a large - scale technical plant which appear in a plant comprising four treatment stages or compartments ( a , b , c , d according to fig1 and 6 ) in the desolventizing of hexane - wet soy meal as well as of hexane - wet rape material . table i______________________________________ temperature in ° c . at the measuring point soy meal rape meal 33 % hexane 30 - 32 % hexanemeasuring point approx . 15 % h . sub . 2 o approx . 9 - 10 % h . sub . 2 o______________________________________t . sub . 1 ( steam 180 180chamber e ) t . sub . 2 ( in the material 115 - 116 120 - 122of stage d ) t . sub . 3 ( vapor space 115 - 116 120 - 121of d ) t . sub . 4 ( in the material 112 - 114 118 - 120of c ) t . sub . 5 ( vapor space 112 - 115 118 - 119of c ) t . sub . 6 ( in the material 112 - 114 115 - 116of b ) t . sub . 7 ( in the material 64 - 66 67 - 68of a ) t . sub . 8 ( vapor outlet ) 66 - 68 66 - 68hexane content : & lt ;& lt ; 0 . 01 % & lt ; 0 . 01 % ______________________________________ as is shown by table i , there are maintained temperatures in the individual process stages up to and including stage ( b )-- measuring point t 6 in the material of stage ( b )-- which , at 112 ° c . ( 233 . 6 ° f .) and 115 ° c . ( 221 ° f .) respectively , are considerably above the temperature of condensation of steam . as late as in the region of the freshly introduced hexane - wet material , i . e . in the material of stage ( a )-- measuring point t 7 -- does there appear a marked drop in temperature , which , however , is not caused by condensed steam but results from the formation of the azeotrope steam / hexane . a comparative experiment showed that in case of the use of wet steam , under identical technical conditions , i . e . even with the use of an apparatus according to the invention , temperatures only slightly over 100 ° c . (= 212 ° f .) ( 103 °- 105 ° c .) (= 217 . 4 °- 221 ° f .) were measured already in the region of measuring point t 2 . the temperature at measuring point t 4 was 98 ° c . ( 208 . 4 ° f .) for soy meal , 99 ° c . ( 210 . 2 ° f .) for rape . the temperature at measuring point t 6 was 80 ° c . ( 176 ° f .) for soya , 81 ° c . ( 177 . 8 ° f .) for rape . on the other hand , the vapors had to be maintained at over 70 ° c . ( 158 ° f .) by considerable additional steam in order to arrive at a desolventized material , which , however , still had a residual hexane content of 0 . 06 % by weight ( soya ) or 0 . 03 % by weight ( rape ) respectively . as has been stated hereinbefore , in case of the use of steam other than superheated steam , the amount of steam required is many times that required in the case of superheated steam as otherwise it is not possible to counter the condensation of steam . this , however , means at the same time an additional load on the driving shaft for the agitator as the material itself remains in a state of increased water content which impedes the rotary motion of the agitator elements . on principle , it is pointed out here that when superheated steam is used in an apparatus not showing a design of the compartment bottoms according to the invention , as is known e . g . from &# 34 ; fette - seifen - anstrichmittel &# 34 ; ( loc . cit . ), the extremely low residual hexane contents according to the invention , the narrow temperature range of the steam - hexane vapors in connection with great economy ( amount of steam , energy for agitator driving shaft , etc .) cannot nearly be achieved . with regard to the saving in steam by the process according to the invention the following reflection should be noted which supplements the heat balance made up hereinbefore . by this reflection , the significance of superheated steam for the desolventizing of solvent - wet material once more comes to the fore . as is well - known , the paraffin hydrocarbons c n h 2n + 2 , by c 4 through c 9 , which alone are of importance in technical extraction processes of the oil and fat industry , form , in connection with steam , more or less distinct azeotropes which are alone responsible for an optimal steam / solvent ratio in the vapors in desolventizing . the commercial hexanes which have boiling points only little higher than 60 ° c . ( 140 ° f .) ( normal pressure ) ( boiling point of n - hexane : 69 ° c . ( 156 . 2 ° f . ); iso - hexane : 60 ° c . ( 140 ° f . ); benzine containing over 50 % n - hexane : 62 °- 64 ° c . ( 143 . 6 °- 147 . 2 ° f .) will , for reasons of azeotrope formation , carry corresponding proportions of steam , as entrainer , out of the desolventizing system . as the content of steam in the vapors of desolventization present in azeotrope form is a function of the temperature of the vapors , the maintaining of a particular temperature of the vapors is of decisive importance for optimal utilization of the steam with a view to the formation of the azeotrope . table ii , in connection with fig7 shows the quantity of steam absorbed , or entrained as azeotrope , by one kilogram of hexane , plotted against the temperature of the vapors . table ii______________________________________temperature of vapors ° c . kilograms of steam per ( t . sub . 8 in fig6 ; d + h ) one kg . of hexane______________________________________60 0 . 50065 0 . 07566 0 . 08067 0 . 08568 0 . 09070 0 . 10075 0 . 13580 0 . 20085 over 0 . 300______________________________________ it follows from the values of table ii that in any case the temperature of the vapors ( d + h in fig6 ) must be kept as low as possible . at a temperature of the vapors of not more than 70 ° c . ( 158 ° f . ), the solvent , i . e . in this particular case hexane , already entrains 0 . 1 kg . steam per kg . of hexane , this amount of steam being carried out of the plant unused . at a temperature of the vapors of 80 ° c . ( 176 ° f . ), the amount of steam leaving the plant unused already is 0 . 2 kg per kg . hexane , and at 85 ° c . ( 185 ° f .) 0 . 3 kg . when using superheated steam of as high a temperature as possible ( see table i ; 180 ° c ., superheated ), it will not be difficult to adjust a temperature of the vapors ( t 8 or d + h ) of 66 °- 68 ° c . ( 150 . 8 °- 154 . 4 ° f .) even in case of large - scale operation involving a throughput of material of more than 2500 metric tons per 24 hrs . the steam entrained by the expelled hexane unused is reduced to a minimum of approx . 90 g / kg . hexane ( temperature of vapors 68 ° c . ( 154 . 4 ° f .)). conversely , when using steam that is not superheated , it will be necessary to provide for temperatures of the vapors of over 70 ° c . ( 158 ° f .) or , due to the considerable additional amounts of steam , even over 80 ° c . ( 176 ° f . ), to achieve as high a degree of desolventization as possible . however , a result of such high temperatures of the vapors is that , according to table ii , the amount of steam leaving the plant unused will be 100 g . steam per kg hexane in case of vapors at 70 ° c . ( 158 ° f .) and as much as 200 g . steam per kg . hexane in case of vapors at 80 ° c . ( 176 ° f . ), that means , the additional steam input required merely due to &# 34 ; loss &# 34 ; is , in case of vapors at 80 ° c . ( 176 ° f . ), already more than twice the steam input required for vapors of 66 °- 68 ° c . ( 150 . 8 °- 154 . 4 ° f .). the latter , however , can be achieved only with superheated steam . finally , on principle , it is pointed out that in fig1 - 5 , particularly in fig1 the apparatus according to the invention is shown only schematically . the auxiliary elements well - known to anyone skilled in the art such as temperature measuring points , steam inlet and outlet means , insulations , walkways etc . are not shown . sight glasses ( 23 ) have been included in the drawing as representative of the accessories . the short feed pipe ( 6 &# 34 ;) serves to feed in heating steam for the bottom ( 4 ) above the steam chamber ( e ).
the desolventizing of solvent - wet extraction residue which is obtained in the extraction of vegetable material such as soybean , rape , nut and other kernel or seed material etc . with organic solvents , such as hexane , benzine etc ., is effected in a continuously operating multistage or multi - compartment system of specific construction by means of superheated steam or a fluid containing superheated steam . in this , at least 45 %, but particularly 100 %, of the superheated steam is introduced below the lowermost bottom plate , which serves exclusively to distribute the steam , and the steam is conducted in opposition to the solvent - wet material . the temperature of the escaping vapors is maintained at about 66 °- 68 ° c . . the apparatus is equipped with double bottoms which are steam heated and the bores of which are formed by a plurality of individual distance pieces or spacers interconnecting the upper and lower plates of the bottoms . the lowermost bottom as well as the steam inlet chamber are also capable of being heated by steam .