A continuous Liquid-Solids Circulating Fluidized Bed (LSCFB) preferably for use
as an ion exchanger consists of two fluidized bed columns, a fluidized bed adsorber
(downer) operating in conventional fluidized bed mode for adsorption of ions of
interest and a fluidized bed riser for desorption of ions (operating as a riser
fluidized bed) to provide regenerated particles. Ion exchange particles circulate
continuously between the riser and the downer i.e. the particles that have adsorbed
ions in the absorber pass from the adsorber (downer) to the desorber where they
are regenerated and the so regenerated particles are return to the adsorber near
the top of the adsorber column. The LSCFB can be used in processes for continuous
recovery of the ions of interest.
