Extraction and separation method

An extraction and separation method for extracting and separating a specific component from a raw material fluid, comprising:

• feeding the raw material fluid and an extracting agent having a specific gravity difference relative to the raw material fluid to a first stage of an extraction device including a plurality of stages of extraction sections sequentially connected to one another;
• extracting the specific component from the raw material fluid and extracting the specific component to the extracting agent in each respective stage of the extraction device, while the raw material fluid and the extracting agent are allowed to flow while being in contact with each other;
• discharging a mixture of raw material fluid and extracting agent from each respective stage of the extraction device;
• feeding at least a part of the mixture discharged from said each respective stage into the subsequent sequentially connected stage of the extraction device;
• discharging a mixture of raw material fluid and extracting agent from a final stage of the extraction device;
• and
• a final separation step of separating the mixture discharged from the final stage into the raw material fluid from which the specific component has been extracted, and the extracting agent that has extracted the specific component,
• wherein each said stage of the extraction device includes an extraction flow passage through which the raw material fluid and extracting agent flows, and each said stage other than the final stage includes a discharge portion connected to an outlet port of the extraction flow passage,
• at each said stage of the extraction device other than the final stage, a mixture of raw material fluid and extracting agent from the extraction flow passage of the respective stage is separated into a first fluid and a second fluid due to a specific gravity difference of the raw material fluid and extracting agent, wherein the first fluid contains the raw material fluid and the extracting agent,
• at each stage of the extraction device other than the final stage, feeding the first fluid separated in the discharge portion in the respective stage into the extraction flow passage of the subsequent stage of the extraction device, wherein, in said each stage, a predetermined volume of the extracting agent out of the fluid discharged to the discharge portion is separated as the second fluid in each extraction section, and
• an extracting agent supply step of supplying the second fluid separated in the discharge portion in said each stage to the extraction flow passage of the subsequent extraction sections,
• wherein the extraction section at each stage includes a plurality of layers that are stacked one upon another and wherein a plurality of microchannels each forming the extraction flow passage are arranged in each layer, and the specific component is extracted from the raw material fluid to the extracting agent through each microchannel included in the extraction section at each stage.