Process for curing bicarbonates

A process for reducing the amount of residual carbonate on alkali metal bicarbonates which comprises: (a) feeding a dry bicarbonate into a reaction zone, (b) admixing the bicarbonate with carbon dioxide gas saturated with water vapor at a temperature T1, (c) controlling the temperature T1 so that it exceeds temperature T2 of the carbon dioxide gas exiting the reaction zone by just enough to condense a controlled amount of water vapor sufficient to accomplish the reaction, (d) and reacting the bicarbonate, carbon dioxide, and condensed water vapor, for a sufficient time to produce dry cured bicarbonate product with less carbonate content.