Method and apparatus for contacting liquids by reciprocal dispersion

Claim 1

IN A RECIPROCAL DISPERSION PROCESS, WHEREIN PAIRS OF CONTINUOUS CONTACTING BODIES OF DIFFERENT LIQUIDS A AND B ARE ESTABLISHED AS LAYERS WITHIN CONFINED CONTACT ZONES ARRANGED AS A SERIES, EACH SAID ZONE BEING SEPARATED FROM THE ADJACENT ZONE BY A PARTITION MEANS PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF RESTRICTED FLOW OPENINGS, AND THE LIQUID A FROM EACH ZONE EXCEPT THE FIRST IN THE SERIES IS DISPERSED REPEATEDLY INTO THE BODY OF THE LIQUID B IN THE ADJOINING ZONE TOWARD THE FIRST END OF THE SERIES BY PASSAGE THROUGH SAID FLOW OPENINGS, IN ALTERNATION WITH REPEATED DISPERSALS OF THE LIQUID B FROM EACH ZONE EXCEPT THE LAST IN THE SERIES INTO THE LIQUID A IN THE ADJOINING ZONE TOWARD THE OTHER END OF THE SERIES BY PASSAGE THROUGH THE SAME FLOW OPENINGS, AND WHEREIN SAID LIQUIDS A AND B ARE FLOWED PROGRESSIVELY THROUGH THE ZONES WITH THE LIQUID B IS FLOWING FROM THE FIRST END TO THE SAID OTHER END AND THE LIQUID A FLOWING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES CORRECTING FOR A DIMINUTION IN THE DEPTH OF THE CONTACTING BODY OF ONE LIQUID AND THE CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN THE DEPTH OF THE CONTACTING BODY OF THE OTHER LIQUID WITHIN THE SAME CONTACTING ZONE BY TRANSPORTING A PART OF THE LATTER LIQUID FROM SAID ZONE THROUGH A FRACTIONAL PORTION OF SAID FLOW OPENINGS ONLY DURING THE DISPERSAL OF SAID ONE LIQUID INTO THE ADJOINING ZONE IN THE DIRECTION TOWARD WHICH THE SAID ONE LIQUID IS DISPERSED.