Importance

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Abstract

Garments contaminated with radioactive, toxin, biological and/or chemical contaminants are deposited in a cleaning drum and the drum is agitated during a wash cycle. A dry cleaning solvent is added to the drum during the initial wash cycle and then drained to a distillation means. Within the distillation means, there is a neutralizing agent which deactivates the biological and toxin contaminants and chemically breaks down the chemical contaminants removed with the dry cleaning solvent from the cleaning drum. Dry cleaning solvent is then continuously added to the drum during the secondary wash cycle and continuously removed from the drum. After the dry cleaning solvent is removed from the drum, and before it is pumped back to the drum, the dry cleaning solvent is filtered to remove remaining trace particulate contaminants. The dry cleaning solvent is also passed through an absorber where remaining trace chemical contaminants dissolves in the dry cleaning solvent are removed. The garments are then rinsed by circulating contaminant free dry cleaning solvent through the drum. After rinsing, the garments are dried by circulating hot, unsaturated dry cleaning solvent vapor through the drum.

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First Claim