Liquid contacting method and apparatus using coalescers

Claim 1

METHOD OF INTIMATELY CONTACTING FIRST AND SECOND AT LEAST PARTIALLY IMMISCIBLE LIQUIDS HAVING RELATIVELY DIFFERENT DENSITIES WHEREIN SAID LIQUIDS ARE FLOWED PROGRESSIVELY IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS THROUGH A SERIES OF DISPERSING AND SETTLING ZONES WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF ESTABLISHING A SERIES OF BODIES ALTERNATELY CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF THE FIRST AND SECOND LIQUIDS, EACH BODY OF SECOND LIQUID BEING CONTAINED IN A DISPERSING ZONE; DISPERSING LIQUID FROM EACH OF SAID BODIES OF A FIRST OF SAID LIQUIDS INTO THE BODY OF THE SECOND LIQUID ADJOINING IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF THE FIRST LIQUID TO PRODUCE A FINE DISPERSION IN THE DISPERSING ZONE CONTAINING THE RESPECTIVE BODY OF SECOND LIQUID; FLOWING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL COMPONENTS OF THE SAID FINE DISPERSION FROM THE EACH DISPERSING ZONE CONCURRENTLY THROUGH A COALESCING ZONE OF SUBSTANTIAL THICKNESS PROVIDING A MULTITUDE OF SMALL FLOW CHANNELS AND THEREBY CONVERTING THE EACH FINE DISPERSION INTO A COARSE DISPERSION; DISCHARGING THE RESULTING COARSE DISPERSION FROM EACH COALESCING ZONE INTO A SETTLING ZONE AND THEREIN SETTLING THE TWO LIQUIDS; COMMINGLING THE FIRST LIQUID SETTLED IN EACH SETTLING ZONE WITH THE BODY OF AND TRANSFERING THE SECOND LIQUID SETTLED IN EACH SETTLING ZONE TO THE DISPERSING ZONE NEXT BEYOND THE DISPERSING ZONE FROM WHICH IT WAS DERIVED IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF THE SECOND LIQUID.