Process for intermixing immiscible liquids

Claim 1

IN A SOLVENT EXTRACTION PROCESS WHEREIN A LIQUID ORGANIC SOLVENT IS INTERMIXED WITH AN AQUEOUS LIQUID CONTAINING A SUBSTANCE EXTRACTABLE BY THE ORGANIC SOLVENT, THE ORGANIC SOLVENT BEING IMMISCIBLE IN THE AQUEOUS LIQUID, THE AQUEOUS LIQUID NORMALLY BEING THE CONTINUOUS PHASE OF THE RESULTING MIXTURE AND THE RESULTANT MIXTURE ALLOWED TO SEPARATE INTO AN ORGANIC SOLVENT PHASE AND AN AQUEOUS PHASE AND THE PHASES SEPARATED, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING PASSING THE LIQUID ORGANIC SOLVENT AND THE AQUEOUS LIQUID INTO A MIXTURE ZONE, THE MIXING ZONE HAVING PRESENT THEREIN A SOLID MATERIAL HAVING A SURFACE WHICE IS PREFERENTIALLY WETTED BY THE LIQUID ORGANIC SOLVENT, THE SAID SOLID MATERIAL HAVING AN EXTENDED SURFACE AREA AND BEING INERT WITH RESPECT TO THE LIQUID ORGANIC SOLVENT AND THE AQUEOUS LIQUID, THE SAID SOLID MATERIAL HAVING A PARTICLE SIZE BETWEEN ABOUT MINUS 10 MESH AND PLUS 400 MESH, INTERMIXING THE LIQUID ORGANIC SOLVENT AND THE AQUEOUS LIQUID IN THE MIXING ZONE TO PRODUCE A MIXTURE HAVING A CONTINUOUS LIQUID ORGANIC SOLVENT PHASE AND A SUSPENDED LIQUID AQUEOUS PHASE, THE LIQUID ORGANIC SOLVENT AND THE AQUEOUS LIQUID BEING INTERMIXED IN THE MIXING ZONE BY VIGOROUS AGITATION, THE ORGANIC SOLVENT AND AQUEOUS LIQUIDS BEING VIGOROUSLY INTERMIXED WITH THE SAID SOLID MATERIAL BEING SUSPENDED IN THE SAID MIXING ZONE AND WITHIN THE RESULTANT MIXTURE IN THE FORM OF FREELY MOVING PARTICLES TO THEREBY PROMOTE THE CONTINUITY OF THE LIQUID ORGANIC SOLVENT PHASE AND CAUSE THE LIQUID ORGANIC SOLVENT PHASE TO BE THE CONTINUOUS PHASE OF THE MIXTURE.