(a) introducing into an absorber having an absorber interior and an absorption zone located in the absorber interior a mixture of process gas and acid gas;

(b) counter-currently contacting in the absorption zone the mixture of process gas and acid gas referred to in step “a” with an absorbent chemical, and water, the absorbent chemical and water are in solution prior to contact and

(c) removing the process gas overhead from the absorption zone;

(d) removing the absorbent chemical and water solution with the acid gas absorbed therein from the bottom of the absorption zone;

(e) introducing the solution from step “d” into a regenerator having a regeneration interior and a regeneration zone located in the regeneration interior;

(f) separating a mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water from the solution referred to in step “e”, the separated absorbent chemical and water portion being in the form of vapor, and removing the separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water overhead from the regeneration zone;

(g) introducing the separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water referred to in step “f” to a static mixing zone not located in the regeneration interior, wherein the static mixing zone includes a static mixing device having a tubular casing with a longitudinal axis and at least one mixing element, wherein supplemental washing water is added and intimately mixed with the separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water referred to in step “f”, thereby creating a water washed separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water solution, and wherein the separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water solution and the supplemental washing water have co-current flows;

(h) passing the water washed separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water solution of step “g” into a cooling zone wherein the temperature of the water washed separated mixture is reduced;

(i) removing the balance of the solution referred to in step “f” from the bottom of the regeneration zone;

(j) passing the solution from step “i” into a cooling zone wherein the temperature of the solution is reduced; and

(k) recycling the solution of step “j” to the absorption zone, wherein in step “g” the at least one mixing element includes crossed webs disposed at an angle with the longitudinal axis, the webs being disposed in at least two groups, the webs of any one group of elements extending substantially parallel to one another and the webs of one group crossing the webs of the other group.