Liquid-liquid contacting tower

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR COUNTERCURRENTLY CONTACTING TWO INCOMPLETELY MISCIBLE LIQUIDS HAVING DIFFERENT DENSITIES WHEREIN ONE OF THE LIQUIDS IS PRESENT AS A CONTINUOUS PHASE AND THE OTHER LIQUID AS A DISCONTINUOUS PHASE WHICH COMPRISES A VERTICALLY DISPOSED TOWER; A FIRST CONDUIT AT THE TOP OF THE TOWER TO INTRODUCE THE HEAVIER LIQUID THEREIN; A SECOND CONDUIT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TOWER TO WITHDRAW THE HEAVIER LIQUID THEREFROM; A THIRD CONDUIT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TOWER TO INTRODUCE THE LIGHTER LIQUID THEREIN; A FOURTH CONDUIT AT THE TOP OF THE TOWER TO WITHDRAW THE LIGHTER LIQUID THEREFROM; A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY SPACED, SUPERPOSED TREATING STAGES IN SAID TOWER; AN ANGULARLY INCLINED, LATERALLY CONFINED MIXING ZONE IN EACH STAGE WITH AN INLET END AND AN OUTLET END; THE MIXING ZONES OF SUCCESSIVE STAGES BEING ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID TOWER; MECHANICAL MEANS IN EACH MIXING ZONE ADAPTED TO MIX SAID LIQUIDS; A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED CONFINED SETTLING ZONE IN EACH STAGE ADAPTED TO SEPARATE MIXTURES OF THE LIQUIDS INTO SEPARATE PHASE LAYERS; THE OUTLET END OF EACH MIXING ZONE DISCHARGING INTO THE ENTRANCE OF ITS RESPECTIVE SETTLING ZONE; THE OUTLET ENDS OF THE TOWER WHERE THE CONTINUOUS PHASE LIQUID TO THE END OF THE TOWER WHERE THE CONTINUOUS PHASE LIQUID ENTERS THE TOWER THAN ARE THE INLET ENDS OF THE MIXING ZONES; A FIFTH CONDUIT IN EACH GIVEN STAGE ARRANGED TO WITHDRAW THE CONTINUOUS PHASE LIQUID FROM THE CONTINUOUS PHASE LAYER IN THE SETTLING ZONE OF A STAGE ON ONE SIDE OF THE GIVEN STAGE AND TO INTRODUCE SAID CONTINUOUS PHASE LIQUID WITHIN THE INLET END OF THE MIXING ZONE OF THE GIVEN STAGE; A SIXTH CONDUIT IN EACH GIVEN STAGE ARRANGED TO WITH DRAW THE DISCONTINUOUS PHASE LIQUID FROM THE DISCONTINUOUS PHASE LAYER IN THE SETTLING ZONE OF A STAGE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE GIVEN STAGE AND TO INTRODUCE SAID DISCONTINUOUS PHASE LIQUID WITHIN THE INLET END OF THE MIXING ZONE OF THE GIVEN STAGE; BAFFLE MEANS IN EACH STAGE WHEREBY THE HEAVIER LIQUID ENTERING THE MIXING ZONE OF THE STAGE IS DIRECTED TOWARD THE UPPER PORTION OF THE INLET END OF THE MIXING ZONE OF THE STAGE AND THE LIGHTER LIQUID IS DIRECTED TOWARD THE LOWER PORTION OF THE INLET END OF THE MIXING ZONE; A LIQUID TRAP IN EACH SAID SIXTH CONDUIT; A WEIR INTERMEDIATE THE OUTLET END OF EACH SAID SIXTH CONDUIT AND THE INLET END OF THE MIXING ZONE IN EACH STAGE ARANGED TO DISTRIBUTE THE DISCONTINUOUS PHASE LIQUID UNFORMLY ACROSS THE WIDTH OF THE MIXING ZONE; AND A SEVENTH CONDUIT IN EACH STAGE ARRANGED TO RECYCLE A PORTION OF THE CONTINUOUS PHASE LIQUID FROM THE SETTLING ZONE OF EACH STAGE TO THE INLET END OF THE MIXING ZONE IN THE STAGE.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR COUNTERCURRENTLY CONTACTING TWO INCOMPLETELY MISCIBLE LIQUIDS HAVING DIFFERENT DENSITIES WHEREIN ONE OF THE LIQUIDS IS PRESENT AS A CONTINUOUS PHASE AND THE OTHER LIQUID AS A DISCONTINUOUS PHASE WHICH COMPRISES A VERTICALLY DISPOSED TOWER; A FIRST CONDUIT AT THE TOP OF THE TOWER TO INTRODUCE THE HEAVIER LIQUID THEREIN; A SECOND CONDUIT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TOWER TO WITHDRAW THE HEAVIER LIQUID THEREFROM; A THIRD CONDUIT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TOWER TO INTRODUCE THE LIGHTER LIQUID THEREIN; A FOURTH CONDUIT AT THE TOP OF THE TOWER TO WITHDRAW THE LIGHTER LIQUID THEREFROM; A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY SPACED, SUPERPOSED TREATING STAGES IN SAID TOWER; AN ANGULARLY INCLINED, LATERALLY CONFINED MIXING ZONE IN EACH STAGE WITH AN INLET END AND AN OUTLET END; THE MIXING ZONES OF SUCCESSIVE STAGES BEING ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID TOWER; MECHANICAL MEANS IN EACH MIXING ZONE ADAPTED TO MIX SAID LIQUIDS; A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED CONFINED SETTLING ZONE IN EACH STAGE ADAPTED TO SEPARATE MIXTURES OF THE LIQUIDS INTO SEPARATE PHASE LAYERS; THE OUTLET END OF EACH MIXING ZONE DISCHARGING INTO THE ENTRANCE OF ITS RESPECTIVE SETTLING ZONE; THE OUTLET ENDS OF THE TOWER WHERE THE CONTINUOUS PHASE LIQUID TO THE END OF THE TOWER WHERE THE CONTINUOUS PHASE LIQUID ENTERS THE TOWER THAN ARE THE INLET ENDS OF THE MIXING ZONES; A FIFTH CONDUIT IN EACH GIVEN STAGE ARRANGED TO WITHDRAW THE CONTINUOUS PHASE LIQUID FROM THE CONTINUOUS PHASE LAYER IN THE SETTLING ZONE OF A STAGE ON ONE SIDE OF THE GIVEN STAGE AND TO INTRODUCE SAID CONTINUOUS PHASE LIQUID WITHIN THE INLET END OF THE MIXING ZONE OF THE GIVEN STAGE; A SIXTH CONDUIT IN EACH GIVEN STAGE ARRANGED TO WITH DRAW THE DISCONTINUOUS PHASE LIQUID FROM THE DISCONTINUOUS PHASE LAYER IN THE SETTLING ZONE OF A STAGE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE GIVEN STAGE AND TO INTRODUCE SAID DISCONTINUOUS PHASE LIQUID WITHIN THE INLET END OF THE MIXING ZONE OF THE GIVEN STAGE; BAFFLE MEANS IN EACH STAGE WHEREBY THE HEAVIER LIQUID ENTERING THE MIXING ZONE OF THE STAGE IS DIRECTED TOWARD THE UPPER PORTION OF THE INLET END OF THE MIXING ZONE OF THE STAGE AND THE LIGHTER LIQUID IS DIRECTED TOWARD THE LOWER PORTION OF THE INLET END OF THE MIXING ZONE; A LIQUID TRAP IN EACH SAID SIXTH CONDUIT; A WEIR INTERMEDIATE THE OUTLET END OF EACH SAID SIXTH CONDUIT AND THE INLET END OF THE MIXING ZONE IN EACH STAGE ARANGED TO DISTRIBUTE THE DISCONTINUOUS PHASE LIQUID UNFORMLY ACROSS THE WIDTH OF THE MIXING ZONE; AND A SEVENTH CONDUIT IN EACH STAGE ARRANGED TO RECYCLE A PORTION OF THE CONTINUOUS PHASE LIQUID FROM THE SETTLING ZONE OF EACH STAGE TO THE INLET END OF THE MIXING ZONE IN THE STAGE.