EXTRACTION METHOD AND APPARATUS

摘要

A method and apparatus for the extraction of a solute from an aqueous feed solution into an aqueous stripping solution are describes, the method comprising the steps of providing a least one stream of each of said feed solutions (42) and said stripping solution (46) passing through a continuous phase of non-polar carrier liquid (28); said carrier liquid (28) having therein a chemical having an affinity for ions of at least one species in said solute in said feed solution; each of said at least one streams of feed (42) and stripping (46) solutions being under the influence of a first and a second electrostatic field, respectively, for at least a part of their passage time through said carrier liquid (28) so as to break up said streams into a multiplicity of droplets (60, 62) of each of said solutions; providing baffle means (26) between said at least one streams of each of the feed and stripping solutions to minimise transfer of feed solution towards said stripping solution stream and transfer of said stripping solution towards said feed solution stream; said baffle means (26) also being positioned between the first and second electrostatic fields to which the feed and stripping solution streams are subjected; and providing mutually separated receiving means (22, 24) to collect the streams of said feed and said stripping solutions after they pass out of said electrostatic fields; said method being characterised in that a third electrostatic field is applied across the region of said baffle (26).