Counter current "emulsion flow" extractor for continuous liquid-liquid extraction from suspended solutions

Yanase, Nobuyuki; Naganawa, Hirochika  ; Nagano, Tetsushi  ; Noro, Junji*

A single current "emulsion flow" liquid-liquid extraction apparatus has a head having a number of holes from which micrometer-sized droplets of an aqueous phase spout into an organic phase to mix the two liquid phases. For practical use, however, it is a fatal problem that particulate components in the aqueous phase plug the holes. In the present study, we have succeeded to solve the problem by applying a counter current type emulsion flow apparatus where micrometer-sized droplets of the organic phase are generated.