摘要 |
<p>A method and an apparatus for the extraction of a solute from an aqueous feed solution into an aqueous stripping solution are described. The apparatus comprises vessel means for containing a continuous non-polar carrier liquid, the carrier liquid having therein a chemical having an affinity for ions of at least one species in said solute in said feed solution; means for providing at least one stream of each of said feed (42) and stripping solutions (46) through said carrier liquid in said vessel means; electrode means (30, 32, 34, 36) for applying a first and a second high voltage electrostatic field to each of said feed and stripping solution streams respectively, so as to cause said streams to break up into a multiplicity of small droplets; baffle means (26) positioned between the electrode means for establishing said first and second high voltage electrostatic fields, said baffle means allowing the movement of said carrier liquid but minimising transfer across the baffle of feed and stripping solutions; mutually separate receiving means for collecting said feed and stripping solutions after they have passed through said first and second high voltage electrostatic fields, respectively; the apparatus being characterised by further including means for providing and controlling the first (100) and second high voltage electrostatic fields (102) such that the first and second voltages are different and controllable.</p> |