Extraction method

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF EXTRACTING SOLUBLE COMPONENTS FROM A SOLID MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF BARK, PHYSICAL FRACTIONS OF BARK, AND COMMINUTED FORMS OF WOOD WITH AN AQUEOUS EXTRACTANT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF WATER AND WATER EXTRACT OF BARK SOLUBLES WHICH COMPRISES ADDING THE SOLID MATERIAL IN COMMINUTED FORM ONLY TO AN EXTRACTION CELL CONTAINING RICH EXTRACTION LIQUID IN A SYSTEM OF COUNTERCURRENT EXTRACTION CELLS SEPARATED BY PHASE SEPARATOS, ADDING EXTRACTION LIQUID TO THE SYSTEM IN COUNTERCURRENT FLOW TO THE SOLID MATERIAL ONLY AT A POINT IN THE SYSTEM WHERE IT IS UTILIZED AS THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF EXTRACTION LIQUID FOR AN EXTRACTION CELL CONTAINING LEAN EXTRACTION LIQUID AND PARTIALLY EXTRACTED SOLID RESDUE AS THE PRIMARY EXTRACTION LIQUID OF THAT CELL, RECYCLING TO THE LEAN EXTRACTION CELL AS ADDITIONAL EXTRACTION LIQUID A PROPORTIONED PART OF THE EXTRACTION LIQUID PHASE-SEPARATED FROM A SLURRY OF THE SOLID MATERIAL AND EXRACTION LIQUID EMANATING FROM THE TEAM CELL, DELIVERING ANOTHER PROPORTIONED PART OF SAID EXTRACTION LIQUID TO ANOTHER PHASE SEPARATOR, UTILIZING THAT PORTION AS WASH EXTRACT LIQUIDFOR THE EXTRACTED SOLID MATERIAL AS THE LATTER ADVANCES ALONG ON THE LASTMENTIONED PHASE SEPARATOR TO A POINT AT WHICH IT IS REMOVED AND DELIVERED TO THE LEAN EXTRACTION CELL, COLLECTING THE WASH EXTRACTION LIQUID FROM THE LAST WASHING AND DELIVERING IT TO THE RICH EXTRACTION CELL AS THE PRIMARY EXTRACTION LIQUID OF THAT CELL, INTIMATELY MIXING THE EXTRACTION LIQUID WITH THE COMMINUTED SOLID IN SAID RICH CELL WHILE STIRRING AND MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE RESULTING SLURRY AT ABOUT THE BOILING POINT, REMOVING THE SLURRY OF SOLID MATERIAL AND EXTRACTION LIQUID FROM THE RICH EXTRACTION CELL AFTER A CONTACT TIME OF FROM 10''-30'', PHASE-SEPARATING THE EXTRACTED SOLID MATERIAL FROM THE RICH EXTRACTION CELL ON THE LAST-MENTIONED PHASE SEPARATOR, COLLECTING THE SEPARATED RICH EXTRACTION LIQUID AS A FINAL EXTRACT PRODUCT, WASHING THE PHASE-SEPARATED EXTRACTED SOLID MATERIAL WHILE ADVANCING IT COUNTERCURRENTLY TO THE FLOW OF WASHING LIQUID, REMOVING THE WASHED SOLID FROM THE PHASE SEPARATOR AND DELIVERING IT TO THE LEAN EXTRACTION CELL WHERE IT IS CONTACTED WITH A GREATER VOLUME OF EXTRACTION LIQUID THAN IN THE RICH EXTRACTION CELL AND IS MAINTAINED IN INTIMATE CONTACT THEREWITH AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT THE BOILING POINT FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME IN THE RANGE OF FROM 30''-120'' WITH CONTINUED STIRRING, REMOVING A SLURRY OF THE EXTRACTED SOLID AND EXTRACTION LIQUID FROM THE LEAN CELL AND DELIVERING IT TO THE FIRST MENTIONED PHASE SEPARATOR.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF EXTRACTING SOLUBLE COMPONENTS FROM A SOLID MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF BARK, PHYSICAL FRACTIONS OF BARK, AND COMMINUTED FORMS OF WOOD WITH AN AQUEOUS EXTRACTANT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF WATER AND WATER EXTRACT OF BARK SOLUBLES WHICH COMPRISES ADDING THE SOLID MATERIAL IN COMMINUTED FORM ONLY TO AN EXTRACTION CELL CONTAINING RICH EXTRACTION LIQUID IN A SYSTEM OF COUNTERCURRENT EXTRACTION CELLS SEPARATED BY PHASE SEPARATOS, ADDING EXTRACTION LIQUID TO THE SYSTEM IN COUNTERCURRENT FLOW TO THE SOLID MATERIAL ONLY AT A POINT IN THE SYSTEM WHERE IT IS UTILIZED AS THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF EXTRACTION LIQUID FOR AN EXTRACTION CELL CONTAINING LEAN EXTRACTION LIQUID AND PARTIALLY EXTRACTED SOLID RESDUE AS THE PRIMARY EXTRACTION LIQUID OF THAT CELL, RECYCLING TO THE LEAN EXTRACTION CELL AS ADDITIONAL EXTRACTION LIQUID A PROPORTIONED PART OF THE EXTRACTION LIQUID PHASE-SEPARATED FROM A SLURRY OF THE SOLID MATERIAL AND EXRACTION LIQUID EMANATING FROM THE TEAM CELL, DELIVERING ANOTHER PROPORTIONED PART OF SAID EXTRACTION LIQUID TO ANOTHER PHASE SEPARATOR, UTILIZING THAT PORTION AS WASH EXTRACT LIQUIDFOR THE EXTRACTED SOLID MATERIAL AS THE LATTER ADVANCES ALONG ON THE LASTMENTIONED PHASE SEPARATOR TO A POINT AT WHICH IT IS REMOVED AND DELIVERED TO THE LEAN EXTRACTION CELL, COLLECTING THE WASH EXTRACTION LIQUID FROM THE LAST WASHING AND DELIVERING IT TO THE RICH EXTRACTION CELL AS THE PRIMARY EXTRACTION LIQUID OF THAT CELL, INTIMATELY MIXING THE EXTRACTION LIQUID WITH THE COMMINUTED SOLID IN SAID RICH CELL WHILE STIRRING AND MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE RESULTING SLURRY AT ABOUT THE BOILING POINT, REMOVING THE SLURRY OF SOLID MATERIAL AND EXTRACTION LIQUID FROM THE RICH EXTRACTION CELL AFTER A CONTACT TIME OF FROM 10''-30'', PHASE-SEPARATING THE EXTRACTED SOLID MATERIAL FROM THE RICH EXTRACTION CELL ON THE LAST-MENTIONED PHASE SEPARATOR, COLLECTING THE SEPARATED RICH EXTRACTION LIQUID AS A FINAL EXTRACT PRODUCT, WASHING THE PHASE-SEPARATED EXTRACTED SOLID MATERIAL WHILE ADVANCING IT COUNTERCURRENTLY TO THE FLOW OF WASHING LIQUID, REMOVING THE WASHED SOLID FROM THE PHASE SEPARATOR AND DELIVERING IT TO THE LEAN EXTRACTION CELL WHERE IT IS CONTACTED WITH A GREATER VOLUME OF EXTRACTION LIQUID THAN IN THE RICH EXTRACTION CELL AND IS MAINTAINED IN INTIMATE CONTACT THEREWITH AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT THE BOILING POINT FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME IN THE RANGE OF FROM 30''-120'' WITH CONTINUED STIRRING, REMOVING A SLURRY OF THE EXTRACTED SOLID AND EXTRACTION LIQUID FROM THE LEAN CELL AND DELIVERING IT TO THE FIRST MENTIONED PHASE SEPARATOR.