Liquid-liquid extraction unit and multistage liquid-liquid extraction apparatus using the same
A liquid-liquid extraction unit includes a feed compartment for receiving an aqueous phase and an organic phase, mixing feeder such as a pump for mixing the aqueous and organic phases and conveying the mixture under pressure to a reaction compartment where the mixture is subjected to an extractive reaction, and a resting compartment for separating the mixture back into an aqueous phase and an organic phase and from which each phase is recovered.
1 . A liquid-liquid extraction unit configured to contact an aqueous phase with an organic phase, separate the contacted phases and recover a desired extract from the separated aqueous phase and/or the organic phase, comprising
a feed compartment configured to receive the aqueous phase and the organic phase,
a reaction compartment divided from the feed compartment by a partition configured to receive a mixture of the aqueous phase and the organic phase and subject the aqueous phase and the organic phase to an extractive reaction,
a standing compartment in fluid communication with the reaction compartment configured to separate the mixture that flows in from the reaction compartment into the aqueous phase and the organic phase,
a mixing feeder configured to draw the aqueous phase and the organic phase from the feed compartment, mix together the aqueous phase and the organic phase, and convey the mixture under pressure to the reaction compartment,
an aqueous phase suction line having a distal end disposed in a lower portion of the feed compartment and a proximal end connected to the mixing feeder configured to draw the aqueous phase from the lower portion of the feed compartment to the mixing feeder,
an organic phase suction line having a distal end disposed in an upper portion of the feed compartment above the distal end of the aqueous phase suction line and a proximal end connected to the mixing feeder configured to draw the organic phase from the upper portion of the feed compartment to the mixing feeder,
a mixture feeding line having a distal end disposed within the reaction compartment and a proximal end connected to the mixing feeder configured to feed the mixture delivered from the mixing feeder to the reaction compartment; and
wherein the feed compartment and the reaction compartment are separated by the partition, the partition having means disposed below or in a lower portion thereof configured to provide fluid communication between the feed compartment and the reaction compartment, the mixing feeder consists of a single pump configured as an only power source for fluid transport of the aqueous phase, the organic phase and the mixture of the aqueous phase and the organic phase, and there are no other pumps in the unit other than the single pump of the mixing feeder.
2 . The unit of claim 1 , further comprising a spray nozzle or a full cone nozzle attached to the distal end of the mixture feeding line disposed in the reaction compartment for delivering the mixture in a fine droplet state.
3 . The unit of claim 2 , wherein the spray nozzle or full cone nozzle has an orifice diameter of between 30 μm and 10 mm.
4 . The unit of claim 1 , wherein the reaction compartment and the standing compartment are separated by a second partition having means disposed above or in an upper portion thereof and below or in a lower portion thereof configured to provide fluid communication between the reaction compartment and the standing compartment.
5 . The unit of claim 1 , wherein dimensions of the liquid-liquid extraction unit are about 120 mm (W)×200 mm (D)×200 mm (H).