Liquid-liquid extraction tower containing individual stages

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR CONTACTING A LIUIID WITH ANOTHER LIQUID INCOMPLETELY MISCIBLE THEREWITH WHICH COMPRISES: FLOWING ONE LIQUID DOWNWARDLY AND THE OTHER LIQUID UPWARDLY THROUGH A PLURALITY OF STAGES, EACH OF SAID STAGES HAVEING A MIXING ZONE AND A GAS-LIQUID INTERFACE SETTLING ZONE; EFFECTING INTIMATE COCURRENT CONTACT OF A GAS AND SAID LIQUIDS THROUGH EACH OF SAID STAGES BY MEANS OF SAID GAS IN SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY ALIGNED PORTIONS OF EACH OF SAID MIXING ZONES: FLOWING SAID LIQUIDS AND GAS COCURRENTLY IN A HORIZONTALLY ALIGNED GAS-LIQUID INTERFACE SETTLING ZONE IN EACH STAGE, THEREBY PERMITTING THE FORMATION OF TWO ESSENTIALLY DISTINCT LIQUID PHASES AND A GAS PHASE IN EACH STAGE: SEPARATING SAID LIQUIDS; PASSING SAID DOWNWARDLY FLOWING LIQUID TO A SECOND MIXING ZONE IN A STAGE AT LEAST TWO STAGES BENEATH; PASSING SAID UPWARDLY FLOWING LIQUID TO A THIRD MIXING ZONE IN THE NEXT ABOVE STAGE: PASSING TO SAID THIRD MIXING ZONE DOWNWARDLY FLOWING LIQUID FROM AT LEAST TWO STAGES ABOVE; AND EFFECTING COCURRENT UPWARD FLOW OF SAID LIQUIDS AND GAS THROUGH SAID SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY ALIGNED PORTIONS OF SAID THIRD MIXING ZONE.