# US 4,397,100 A · Organic solid substrate dewatering process based on plug flow contact by an extractive fluid > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 4,397,100 A - Document ID: US4397100A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 06/327,610 - Filed: 1981-12-04 - Granted: 1983-08-09 - Earliest claimed: 1981-12-04 - Assignees: InterNorth, Inc. - Inventors: Leland C. Dickey; Maya Tayter - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4397100A ## CPC - C02F 11/002: {Sludge treatment using liquids immiscible with water} - B01D 11/0219: {Fixed bed of solid material} - B01D 12/00: Displacing liquid, e.g. from wet solids or from dispersions of liquids or from solids in liquids, by means of another liquid - C10F 5/00: Drying or de-watering peat (drying in general F26B) - Y10S 366/01: Micromixers: continuous laminar flow with laminar boundary mixing in the linear direction parallel to the fluid propagation with or without conduit geometry influences from the pathway - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - C10F: DRYING OR WORKING-UP OF PEAT - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A method of removing water from organic solid substrates, such as peat, wherein a primary solvent is used to extract water from the substrate and the primary solvent and the substrate are kept in plug flow during contact, and then a secondary solvent may be used to separate the primary solvent from the water. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of removing water from an organic solid substrate which comprises: (a) contacting the substrate with a solvent such that the substrate and the solvent remain in plug flow during contact to remove at least a large portion of the water therefrom in relatively pure form, and (b) separating the substrate from the mixture of solvent and water. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the solvent is recovered from the mixture of solvent and water and is then recycled. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, ethers, carboxylic acids and esters of carboxylic acids, amines, amides, imines, acetonitrile, azirane, azetidine, and other liquids having infinite water miscibility. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the rate ratio of liquid solvent to water in step (a) is 1:5 to 3:1. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the organic substrate is peat. ### Claim 6 A method of removing water from organic solid substrates which comprises: (a) contacting the substrate with a primary solvent such that both the substrate and the primary solvent are kept in plug flow during contact to remove at least a large portion of the water therefrom in relatively pure form, (b) separating the substrate from the mixture of primary solvent and water, (c) contacting the mixture with a secondary solvent which is miscible with the primary solvent but not with water to separate the primary solvent from the water, (d) separating the water from the mixture of primary solvent and secondary solvent, and (e) separating the primary and secondary solvents. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 wherein the primary solvent is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, ethers, carboxylic acids and esters of carboxylic acids, amines, amides, imines, acetonitrile, azirane, azetidine, and other liquids having infinite water miscibility. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 wherein the weight ratio of primary solvent to water in step (a) is 1:5 to 3:1. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 wherein the ratio of primary solvent to secondary solvent in step (c) is 2:1 to 1:2. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 wherein the secondary solvent is selected from the group consisting of 1-decanol, octanol, linoleic acid and tributyl phosphate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 wherein the organic solid substrate is peat. ### Claim 12 In a method of removing water from organic solid substrates which comrises: (a) contacting the substrate with a primary solvent to remove at least a large portion of the water therefrom, (b) separating the substrate from the mixture of primary solvent and water, (c) contacting the mixture with a secondary solvent which is miscible with the primary solvent but not with water to separate the primary solvent from the water, (d) separating the water from the mixture of primary solvent and secondary solvent, and (e) separating the primary and secondary solvents, the improvement which comprises keeping the substrate and the primary solvent in plug flow during contact in step (a) so that the water removed from the substrate is in relatively pure form. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the primary solvent is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, ethers, carboxylic acids and esters of carboxylic acids, amines, amides, imines, acetonitrile, azirane, azetidine, and other liquids having infinite water miscibility. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the weight ratio of primary solvent to water in step (a) is 1:5 to 3:1. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the ratio of primary solvent to secondary solvent in step (c) is 2:1 to 1:2. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the secondary solvent is selected from the group consisting of 1-decanol, octanol, linoleic acid, and tributyl phosphate. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the organic solid substrate is peat.