US 4,303,505 A · Selective separation of hydrophilic component from mixtures using pastes

Abstract

A process for selectively removing hydrophilic constituents from flowable hydrophobic mixtures and suspensions which comprises forming a tenacious paste by mixing water with finely divided material which is insoluble or substantially insoluble in water and in the organic liquid in the hydrophobic mixture or suspension, which is inert to the organic liquid and the hydrophobic materials in the hydrophobic mixture or suspension and which is capable of selectively adsorbing said hydrophilic constituents. The paste is formed in a mixing-type liquid-liquid contactor so that a layer of the paste forms on and clings to the impellers and other internal surfaces of the contactor. The hydrophilic mixture or suspension is placed in the contactor and the impellers are rotated at a relatively low speed so that the paste is subjected to gentle agitation by shearing and folding effects caused by rotation of the impellers and contact with the flowable hydrophobic mixture or suspension so that the hydrophilic constituents are adsorbed by the paste and are separated from the remainder of the hydrophobic mixture or suspension.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A process for removing hydrophilic constituents from a mixture of said hydrophilic constituents with a hydrophobic organic oil wherein said hydrophilic constituents are present in finely divided form, which comprises the steps of:

contacting said mixture with a fluent tenacious layer of paste prepared by mixing water with fine particles of hydrophilic adsorbent which adsorbent is insoluble or substantially insoluble in water, insoluble in and inert to said organic oil and any hydrophobic materials contained in said mixture and which preferentially adsorbs said hydrophilic constituents, and moving said mixture across the surface and said layer of paste to gently agitate said layer of paste, without destroying the structural integrity of said layer, to continually expose different portions of said paste on the surface of the layer and contact same with said mixture so that the hydrophilic constituents of said mixture become preferentially wetted by the water in the paste and are adsorbed by said hydrophilic adsorbent;
and then separating the remainder of said mixture from said paste.

A process for removing hydrophilic inorganic, ash-forming constituents from a flowable slurry of coal particles in a hydrophobic organic oil, which comprises the steps of:

contacting said slurry with a fluent tenacious layer of a paste prepared by mixing water with fine particles of inorganic hydrophilic adsorbent which adsorbent is insoluble or substantially insoluble in water, insoluble in said organic oil, inert to said organic oil and the carbonaceous combustible constituents of said coal and which preferentially adsorbs the hydrophilic, inorganic, ash-forming constituents of said coal, without adsorbing substantial amounts of carbonaceous combustible constituents of the coal, and moving said slurry across the surface of said layer of paste to gently agitate said layer of paste, without destroying the structural integrity of the layer, to continually expose different portions of said paste on the surface of the layer and contact same with said slurry so that said hydrophilic, inorganic, ash-forming constituents become preferentially wetted by the water in said paste and are adsorbed by said hydrophilic adsorbent, and then separating the remainder of said slurry from said paste.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Selective separation of hydrophilic component from mixtures using pastes

Life of this patent

Selective separation of hydrophilic component from mixtures using pastes

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20