Method and apparatus for contacting liquids by reciprocal dispersion

Claim 1

METHOD OF CONTACTING AT LEAST PARTIALLY IMMISCIBLE LIQUIDS HAVING RELATIVELY DIFFERENT DENSITIES THE FIRST OF WHICH LIQUIDS INCREASES IN VOLUME RELATIVELY TO THE SECOND LIQUID UPON BEING CONTACTED THEREWITH, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF ESTABLISHING A CONTINUOUS BODY OF SUBSTANTIAL DEPTH OF EACH OF SAID LIQUIDS IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER WITHIN A CONFINED CONTACTING ZONE BOUNDED IN PART BY THE FIRST DISPERSING MEMBER HAVING RESTRICTED FLOW OPENINGS IN CONTACT WITH THE BODY OF LIGHTER LIQUID AND IN PART BY A SECOND DISPERSING MEMBER HAVING RESTRICTED FLOW OPENINGS IN CONTACT WITH THE BODY OF HEAVIER LIQUID; ESTABLISHING A CONTINUOUS BODY OF HEAVIER LIQUID OUTSIDE OF SAID CONTACTING ZONE IN CONTACT WITH THE FIRST DISPERSING MEMBER; ESTABLISHING A CONTINUOUS BODY OF LIGHTER LIQUID OUTSIDE OF SAID CONTACTING ZONE IN CONTACT WITH THE SECOND DISPERSING MEMBER; ALTERNATELY (A) DISPERSING LIGHTER LIQUID FROM EACH OF SAID BODIES OF LIGHTER LIQUID THROUGH THE OPENINGS OF THE RESPECTIVE DISPERSING MEMBERS IN CONTACT THEREWITH INTO THE CONTINUOUS BODIES OF HEAVIER LIQUID THAT ARE IN CONTACT WITH THE RESPECTIVE DISPERSING MEMBERS AND (B) DISPERSING HEAVIER LIQUID FROM EACH OF SAID BODIES OF HEAVIER LIQUID THROUGH THE OPENINGS OF THE RESPECTIVE DISPERSING MEMBERS IN CONTACT THEREWITH INTO THE BODIES DISPERSING MEMBERS; AND MAINTAINING EACH OF SAID BODIES WITHIN SAID CONTACTING ZONE AT A SUBSTANTIALLY DEPTH DURING AN EXTENDED SEQUENCE OF ALTERNATE DISPERSIONS BY DECREASING THE EFFECTIVE VOLUME OF SAID CONTACTING ZONE DURING THE DEPERSION OF THE SAID FIRST LIQUID AND INCREASING THE EFFECTIVE VOLUME OF SAID CONTACTING ZONE DURING THE DISPERSION OF SAID SECOND LIQUID.