METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CREATING CONTROLLED FLOWS IN TWO MUTUALLY SEPARABLE SOLUTIONS

摘要

The invention relates to a method for settling the dispersion formed in the mixing unit of liquid-liquid extraction, for controlling solution flows and for creating pure solutions in the separation part. According to the method, the flow speed of the organic solution phase is adjusted to be clearly higher than the flow speed of the aqueous solution phase, in which case in order to prevent border flow turbulence caused by the speed difference of the solution phases, the water drop dispersion layer left in between the separating solutions is adjusted to extend as far as the discharge end of the separation part. In order to settle the solution phases, at the front end of the separation part there are arranged at least three spots where the dispersion and the already settled solutions are made to flow through a picket fence forming a restricted transversal surface, in which case the first restricted transversal surface turns the flow fed into the separation part to follow the longitudinal direction of the separation part, and the second picket fence in the flow direction forming a restricted transversal surface allows the settled aqueous solution phase to flow freely in the bottom part of the separation part. The invention also relates to an extraction apparatus according to the method.