Method and apparatus for removing surface active agents from water

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF REDUCING THE CONCENTRATION OF SURFACE ACTIVE AGENTS DISSOLVED IN WATER COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PASSING A COLUMN OF WATER IN ONE DIRECTION THROUGH A TREATMENT TOWER AS A CONTINUOUS PHASE LIQUID, DISPERSING DISCRETE DROPLETS OF A COLLECTING LIQUID THAT IS COMPLETELY IMMISCIBLE WITH WATER INTO THE CONTINUOUS PHASE COLUMN ADJACENT THE END OF THE TREATMENT TOWER TOWARD WHICH THE WATER IS FLOWING, CAUSING SAID DROPLETS TO FLOW COUNTERCURRENTLY TO THE CONTINUOUS PHASE COLUMN OF WATER FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE THE AGENTS TO CONCENTRATE AT THE INTERFACES BETWEEN SAID DROPLETS AND THE WATER AS A FILM OF ENRICHED WATER SOLUTION OF THE AGENTS, REMOVING SAID DROPLETS AND THEIR ASSOCIATED FILMS OF ENRICHED SOLUTION OF AGENTS FROM THE TREATMENT TOWER WITH THE DROPLETS REMAINING DISCRETE AND INTRODUCING THEM INTO A SEPARATING ZONE OUTSIDE OF THE TOWER, COALESCING THE DROPLETS INTO A HOMOGENOUS BODY OF COLLECTING LIQUID IN SAID SEPARATING ZONE, AND WITHDRAWING THE COALESCED COLLECTING LIQUID AND THE ENRICHED SOLUTION OF AGENTS SEPARATELY FROM SAID SEPARATING ZONE.