Liquid-liquid extractor
AssigneeThe Chem-Pro Group LLC
InventorCharles J. Bambara
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus is provided for extracting compounds from mixtures based on their relative solubilities in different solvents. The mixture can be introduced into a cylindrical container in which the mixture is agitated as it flows past a plurality of plates mounted along a shaft. At least one plate is arranged at a nonzero angle with respect to a plane normal to the shaft and features a plurality of perforations. Agitation by the plates breaks the mixture into small, evenly dispersed droplets and a solvent is introduced into the container to extract the desirable compound and thus separate it from the undesirable compounds.
Claims22
An apparatus for extraction of a liquid from a mixture of multiple liquids, comprising:
- a cylindrical container;
- a shaft extending along an axis and disposed in said container;
- a plurality of substantially planar plates, at least one of the plates of the plurality having a plurality of perforations through which material can flow, the plates of the plurality being mounted to said shaft and spaced apart along the axis, wherein the plates of the plurality include a first plate arranged at a first non-zero angle with respect to a plane normal to the axis and a second plate arranged at a second angle with respect to the plane normal to the axis, the first angle being different than the second angle, wherein the first and second plates are adjacent to one another along the shaft;
- and
- a motor configured to rotate said shaft and said plurality of plates about the axis,
- whereby, through such rotation, the first and second plates induce compression and decompression forces on opposite sides of the shaft, respectively, on the mixture of multiple liquids between the first and second plates to cause greater interaction among droplets of the multiple liquids.
A method for extracting a liquid from a mixture of multiple liquids, comprising:
- using an apparatus including a cylindrical container, a shaft extending along an axis and disposed in said container, and a plurality of substantially planar plates, at least one of the plates of the plurality having a plurality of perforations through which material can flow, the plates of the plurality being mounted to said shaft and spaced apart along the axis, wherein the plates of the plurality include a first plate arranged at a first non-zero angle with respect to a plane normal to the axis and a second plate arranged at a second angle with respect to the plane normal to the axis, the first angle being different than the second angle, wherein the first and second plates are adjacent to one another along the shaft, wherein the using includes rotating the shaft and plates about the axis such that the first and second plates induce compression and decompression forces on opposite sides of the shaft, respectively, on the mixture of multiple liquids between the first and second plates to cause greater interaction among droplets of the multiple liquids.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.