Process and apparatus for flow injection extraction

An apparatus for combining two immiscible liquids to form a stream of alternating immiscible liquid segments of suitable size for extraction interaction while moving through a conduit, said apparatus comprising:

• a straight duct including an inlet tube portion defining a first inlet passageway having a rear edge, an outlet tube portion defining an outlet passageway having a front edge, said outlet passageway having a cross-sectional area in the range of from 0.7 to 1.2 times that of said first inlet passageway and having walls with a lower surface tension than said first inlet passageway, said straight duct further including a cavity portion located between said first inlet passageway rear edge and said outlet passageway front edge, said cavity having a cross-sectional area greater than the cross-section area of either of said first inlet passaeway or outlet passageway;
• and
• an inlet tube connected in flow communication to said straight duct at said cavity and substantially perpendicular to said straight duct, said inlet tube defining a second inlet passageway having an inlet opening into said cavity through which one immiscible liquid is passed for combination in said cavity with another immiscible liquid passed into said cavity through said first inlet passageway, said second inlet passageway having a cross-sectional area from 1/2 to 1/8 of the cross-sectional area of said first inlet passageway and said second passageway inlet opening being located along said cavity in front of said outlet passageway front edge a distance of from 1 to 3 times the diameter of said outlet passageway, wherein said immiscible liquids passing through said inlet passageways are combined to form said stream of alternating immiscible liquid segments of suitable size for extraction interaction which flows through said outlet passageway.