Patent ID: 6872240

Claim:
A method of filtering super and sub-micron contaminants from a contaminated air stream, comprising the steps: passing said contaminated air stream into a contained aqueous solution; diffusing and passing said contaminated air stream through said contained aqueous solution; generating and continuously maintaining an aqueous-froth having wet surfaces above said contained aqueous solution and thereby forming a scrubbing chamber; passing said contaminated air stream through said aqueous-froth in said scrubbing chamber; introducing a plurality of solution droplet sizes into said contaminated air stream to urge contact between the contaminants suspended in the air stream and the wet surfaces of the aqueous froth; separating said contaminants from said air stream onto the surfaces of said aqueous-froth by bringing said contaminants into contact with the liquid surfaces of said aqueous-froth in said scrubbing chamber; transferring said contaminants from the surfaces of said aqueous-froth in said scrubbing chamber to said aqueous solution; and discharging the decontaminated air stream.