Annular centrifugal extractor with solid separation part to separate solid particles present in solvent extraction fluid and a process for the same

A method to separate solid particles present in solvent extraction fluid, the method comprising the following steps:

• i). allowing a heavy phase of material with or without solid particles and a light phase of material with or without solid particles to enter through an annular centrifugal extractor (ACE) via a heavy phase feed pipe (1) and a light phase feed pipe (2) in between a stationary bowl (3) and rotating bowls (4A, 4B);
• ii). mixing of both the heavy phase and the light phase vigorously in an annular region by shear force/skin friction due to high-speed rotation of a first of the rotating bowls (4A) when turbulent liquid-liquid dispersion promotes mass transfer between the two phases, wherein the mixing of both the heavy phase and the light phase produces a mixed phase dispersion with solid particles;
• iii). flowing down of the mixed phase dispersion with solid particles by gravity in the annular region and to enter inside the first of the rotating bowls (4A) through an orifice (6A) via a bottom baffle (5);
• iv). allowing the mixed phase dispersion with solid particles entering inside the first of the rotating bowls (4A) to deflect towards a wall of the first of the rotating bowls (4A) by a deflecting baffle (7A) enhancing centrifugal sedimentation of solid particles;
• V) allowing the mixed phase dispersion with solid particles to flow from bottom to top inside the first of the rotating bowls (4A) to confine inside chambers of the first of the rotating bowls (4A) by vertical baffles (8A);
• vi). allowing the first of the rotating bowls (4A) to impart a rigid body rotation to the mixed phase dispersion with solid particles to create vertically cylindrical free surface of liquid/mixed phase dispersion to become co-axial with an axis of rotation because of high centrifugal acceleration ‘a’;
• vii). allowing the solid particles to enter at the bottom and to get separated as it moves upwards, thereby producing a dispersion being free from solid particles;
• viii). allowing the dispersion being free from solid particles to enter inside a second of the rotating bowls (4B) through an orifice (6B);
• ix). enhancing centrifugal separation of heavy and light phases by deflecting the dispersion being free from solid particles towards a wall of the second of the rotating bowls (4B) by a deflecting baffle (7B);
• x). allowing a mixed phase dispersion to flow from bottom to top inside the second of the rotating bowls (4B) and to be confined inside chambers of the second of the rotating bowls (4B) by vertical baffles (8B);
• xi). allowing the second of the rotating bowls (4B) to impart a rigid body rotation to the liquid/mixed phase dispersion creating vertically cylindrical free surface of the liquid/mixed phase dispersion to become co-axial with the axis of rotation because of the high centrifugal acceleration ‘a’;
• allowing the dispersion being free from solid particles to enter at the bottom and to get separated as it moves upwards, thereby producing a separated lighter phase and a separated heavy phase;
• xiii). allowing the separated lighter phase to flow over a light phase weir (9) for being thrown out into a lighter phase collector (12) located at the stationary bowl (3);
• xiv). allowing the separated heavy phase to flow over a heavy phase weir (11) via under flow (10) for being thrown out into heavy phase collector (13) located above the lighter phase collector (12) in the stationary bowl (3);
• xv). allowing both the separated heavy phase and the separated light phase to come out and flow in to adjacent stages through a heavy phase outlet (15) and a light phase outlet (14), respectively;
• and
• xvi). decoupling the first of the rotating bowls (4A) from the second of the rotating bowls (4B) and arranging the solid particle to be collected and dispersed for further processing or solid waste management facility.