Liquid-liquid extractor, and apparatus equipped with said liquid-liquid extractor

Abstract

To provide a liquid-liquid extractor capable of solving a specific problem with low flow rates that the capillarity forces may make the flows of the liquid phases irregular, with variations of the levels of the phases or of their mixing in the compartments.SOLUTION: These liquid-liquid extractors are adapted to very low fluid flow rates passing through them. In order to reduce impacts of capillarity and air phenomena that may make flow irregular, an outlet ducts comprise, downstream of a settling cell (9) where heavy and light phases separate, overflows (18) of phases an edge of which is irregular in height, for example serrated. Circulation channels of the phases are advantageously open to also reduce risks of blocking by air bubbles.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of chemical engineering, and more particularly to a liquid-liquid extractor and an apparatus comprising such a liquid-liquid extractor.

Background Art

[0002] These extractors are generally intended to effect the transfer of solutes between two immiscible phases, referred to as an aqueous phase and a solvent or organic phase, or a heavy phase and a light phase. They belong to the series of mixer-settlers. The two liquid phases are mixed by forming an emulsion and then separated by precipitation, thereby enabling the solute, which was initially contained in one of the liquids, to be transferred to the second. In order to obtain good extraction in the way the phases pass successively through each of the stages, a multi-stage apparatus is often used, each such extractor being provided with such an extractor. An extractor generally comprises a mixer compartment in which an emulsion is formed by moving a movable body, and a settler compartment in which the liquid phases are separated. The circulation of the phases in these apparatuses is generally countercurrent.

[0003] Liquid-liquid extractors of various sizes have been proposed, from large industrial apparatuses that can include tens of cubic meters per stage to small-volume apparatuses that can each include several hundred millimeters per stage.

[0004] Extractors having a very small capacity and a very low extraction flow rate have been designed for use in the field of nuclear fuels. The very reduced flow rate can be from several tens to several hundreds of millimeters per hour. An example of this type of extractor is described in Patent Document 1. An apparatus for an extractor adapted to such applications and that can be easily attached and modified by remote operation is described in Patent Document 2.

[0005] Other extractors are disclosed particularly by Patent Document 3 and Patent Document 4.

Prior Art Documents

[0006] [Patent Document 1] French Patent Application Publication No. 1580163 [Patent Document 2] French Patent Application Publication No. 2831075 [Patent Document 3] European Patent Application Publication No. 0531213 [Patent Document 4] French Patent Application Publication No. 2459064 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Specific problems associated with low flow rates include the possibility that capillary forces can make the liquid phase flow irregular, resulting in unacceptable fluctuations in phase levels or the mixing within the compartment. Another frequently encountered problem is the difficulty in modifying the extractor apparatus in unfriendly environments, such as nuclei, or the difficulty in disassembling or adjusting individual extractors, which are often small and designed specifically for low flow rates, via remote means or through a glove box. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention first relates to an improved liquid-liquid extractor, which is very compact and can be equipped with various improvements to ensure a variety of equipment items that can be easily mounted on a fixed structure of the extractor, even at very low flow rates, facilitate sedimentation, and, if necessary, remotely operated. Another aspect of the present invention is an apparatus equipped with such an extractor and designed in a way that makes it easily usable in a nuclear environment, i.e., in a glove box or shielded chain, thanks to significantly easier remote mounting and assembly.

[0009] In a general form, the present invention relates to a liquid-liquid extractor comprising a block hollowed by a communicating mixing cell and a sedimentation cell, two liquid-phase inlet ducts leading to the mixing cell, and two liquid-phase outlet ducts connected to the sedimentation cell, wherein the liquid-liquid extractor is characterized in that the outlet ducts have outlets adjacent to the sedimentation cell, each having a liquid-phase outlet edge having an irregular height in the form of a bent line defining a plurality of reliefs.

[0010] A drain or spillway is an obstruction to the flow of a liquid phase that defines the height beyond which the flow begins. The drains discussed herein are positioned at different heights at the outlet of a sedimentation cell in such a way as to adjust the height of each phase at this location. The broken lines herein refer to lines that define multiple reliefs that alternately protrude and recede, usually having an inclination, and their innovation lies in the irregularity having multiple opposite directions along the line. At very low flow rates, the flow survives through the bottom of the recede reliefs due to their narrowness, thereby avoiding considerable influence of capillary forces and liquid stagnation upstream of the outlet. Such an effect does not exist on straight outlets, horizontal flow surfaces, or surfaces with a low inclination, nor even at the bottom of a groove with a circular cross-section whose radius of curvature is much larger than the reliefs considered herein.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, at least one drain rim of the drain outlet is narrowed downwards to zero width and is composed of a plurality of recesses formed by two inclined rims.

[0012] In another form, to ensure compatibility with the preceding, at least one drain rim of the drain is serrated and composed of alternating, identical, and uniformly distributed reliefs.

[0013] In a particular embodiment of the present invention, one of the outlets is located at the junction between the sedimentation cell and one of the outlet ducts for the liquid phase, known as the light phase, and it defines the overall height of the phase in the sedimentation cell.

[0014] According to yet another embodiment compatible with the preceding, another outlet can be placed in the inlet well of an outlet duct for another liquid phase known as the heavy phase, at a height that can be adjusted in the inlet well to adjust the relative residence time of the two liquid phases in the extractor.

[0015] Although optional, according to an important improvement, the outlet duct consists mainly, or basically, of an open channel on the upper surface of the block forming the structure of the extractor. However, the effect of this configuration of an open output channel is similar to that of a relief outlet, and capillary action, flow stagnation at low flow rates, and bubble trapping are also reduced, thus further improving the regularity of the flow.

[0016] These open channels, which serve as seats for the gravity flow of the liquid phase, can be advantageous because they extend in a straight line, for example, parallel to the side of the block where the outlet duct is open. They can be quite long without issue, and can extend over at least half the length of the block when measured parallel to the side. The flow remains stable and regular, and the extractor block remains compact. This configuration is useful for obtaining an extractor in which each inlet and outlet opening of the liquid phase is aligned according to two lines perpendicular to the side. Its benefits are evident in an apparatus with multiple stages assembled by the side, in which case the extractors all have the same orientation when similar apparatuses are aligned according to parallel lines, which facilitates operation of the apparatus, improves its appearance, and allows for a glance at the entire precipitate for all stages of the apparatus if the precipitate cells are all oriented towards the observer and exposed so that they can be seen, for example, through a small window or another transparent wall.

[0017] The outlet channels are also advantageous to be fairly wide, and to allow for further regulation of gravity flow at these locations, each is optionally provided with a width equal to at least one-third of the width of the sedimentation cell when measured perpendicular to the side.

[0018] The extractor may be provided with a third outlet located between the mixing cell and the sedimentation cell, and having a liquid phase outlet rim having irregular heights in the form of broken lines defining multiple reliefs, having the same effect as the preceding outlet.

[0019] According to other possible optional improvements, - The extractor includes a drawdown plate that protrudes into the sedimentation cell and extends continuously to a protective distance from the bottom of the sedimentation cell. - It comprises a precipitation device that can be inserted into the precipitation cell by translation and has a coalescence grid of the emulsion that was previously formed, which protrudes into the precipitation cell and promotes the coalescence of one of the liquid phases. - This precipitation apparatus includes a second flocculation grid that promotes the flocculation of the other liquid phase. - The block includes a console on which a recirculation pump can be mounted, the recirculation pump having vertical suction and discharge pipes, each protruding into one outlet duct of the liquid phase and into a suction chamber recessed into the block and communicating with a mixing cell.

[0020] Another aspect of the present invention is a liquid-liquid extraction apparatus comprising at least one extractor as described above, wherein one or more extractors and end modules are aligned and clamped on rails, and the end modules are provided with connections to opposite liquid phase circuits in the apparatus, with the inlets and outlets of each phase extending between the extractors.

[0021] The apparatus may further benefit from comprising a divided plate that is clamped to the extractor and carries seals surrounding the liquid phase inlet and outlet openings, in order to facilitate the installation of the device.

[0022] The liquid-liquid extractor, the end module, and the optional dividing plate can also be fixed to each other on the rails by being slidable along them to facilitate installation.

[0023] Another possible improvement is to provide a device with heating means. These means can be established inside or under the rails and are, for example, composed of a heater mat by means of electric resistance. Another device can be provided with a device for circulating a coolant through each block of the extractor of the device.

[0024] The various aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention are then described in great detail by the accompanying drawings, whereby certain purely illustrative embodiments are explained.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] [Figure 1] Top view of the extractor. [Figure 2] Longitudinal sectional view through the outlet duct of the heavy phase. [Figure 3] View of the adjustable outlet of the heavy phase. [Figure 4] View of the chamber for mixing the phases. [Figure 5] View of the equipment for emulsifying the mixture. [Figure 6] View of the equipment for facilitating precipitation. [Figure 7] View of the recirculation equipment. [Figure 8] View of the light phase outlet. [Figure 9] View of the device with a plurality of extractor stages. [Figure 10] View of the rails for mounting and supporting the device. [Figure 11] View of the sealing plate between the extractors. [Figure 12] View of an embodiment of the coolant extractor. [Figure 13] This is a diagram of an embodiment of a rail for supporting a device, which includes an integrated heating means. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0026] First, the individual liquid-liquid extractor 60 shown in Figure 1 is described. It consists of a block 1 which is generally an almost regular parallelepiped, and is defined by two long vertical surfaces which are a first side 2 and a second side 3 parallel to the aforementioned, two short vertical surfaces which are a front 4 and a rear 5 perpendicular to the aforementioned, and a bottom 6 and a top 7 perpendicular to all of the aforementioned. Block 1 is hollowed out by cells which are a mixing cell 8 and a sedimentation cell 9, as well as a heavy phase inlet duct 10, a light phase inlet duct 11, a heavy phase outlet duct 12, and a light phase outlet duct 13. The heavy phase inlet duct 10 and the light phase inlet duct 11 end in the mixing cell 8 from the second side 3 and the first side 2, respectively, while the heavy phase outlet duct 12 and the light phase outlet duct 13 begin in the sedimentation cell 9 and end in the first side 2 and the second side 3, respectively. The openings of the heavy phase inlet duct 10 and outlet duct 12 on sides 2 and 3 are aligned perpendicular to these sides 2 and 3, and similarly, the openings of the light phase inlet duct 11 and outlet duct 13 are aligned in the same direction.

[0027] Therefore, it is possible to obtain an apparatus consisting of multiple sequentially coupled stages, each comprising one of these extractors 60, which forms a single heavy-phase duct and light-phase duct that passes sequentially through all of the mixing cell 8 and precipitation cell 9, following a path in the opposite direction through the extractor 60. Such an apparatus shall be described further. Passages through multiple extractors 60 are applied to produce a more improved extraction of the solute.

[0028] The heavy phase outlet duct 12 and the light phase outlet duct 13 mainly consist of portions parallel to sides 2 and 3, called heavy phase outlet channels 14 and light phase outlet channels 15, respectively. The heavy phase outlet channel 14 is adjacent to the first side 2 and extends from the inlet well 16 to the outlet well 17, the first of which is adjacent to the sedimentation cell 9 and the front 4, and slightly exceeds half the length of the extractor between the front 4 and the rear 5. The light phase outlet channel 15 communicates with the sedimentation cell 9 by a light phase outlet 18 and extends to the outlet well 19, adjacent to the second side 3, over approximately half the length of the extractor 60. The mixing cell 8, the sedimentation cell 9, and the largest portions of the outlet ducts 12 and 13, particularly their outlet channels 14 and 15, open to the outside of the extractor 60 by continuing to their top surface 7. This configuration reduces the effects of capillary action and bubble trapping, allowing for leakage prevention even at very low flow rates.

[0029] The front panel 4 is partially transparent and features a small window 20 (shown in Figures 2, 6, and 9), which allows observation of the phase precipitation and discharge sequence for each extractor 60 of the apparatus. In practice, the small window 20 partially defines the precipitation cell 9 and the inlet of the light phase outlet duct 13. Alternatively, the entire block 1 could be made transparent.

[0030] The heavy phase outlet channel 14 and the light phase outlet channel 15 are equipped with intermediate wells 21 and 22 that can accept spectrophotometric probes for online analysis of the phase composition. The flow motion of the light phase is indicated by arrow 53.

[0031] Figures 2 and 3 further illustrate the heavy phase outlet duct 12. The inlet well 16 includes a lower opening 23 that communicates with the bottom of the sedimentation cell 9, and the heavy phase accumulates in the inlet well 16 during the process and terminates by reaching a heavy phase outlet 24, which is a separate section shown in detail in Figure 3. The heavy phase outlet 24 is substantially cylindrical and comprises a gripping handle 25, threads 26, and a socket 27 from top to bottom. The handle 25 protrudes above the top surface 7 on the extractor, the threads 26 engage with tapping corresponding to the top of the inlet well 16, and the socket 27 extends into the latter with clearance, except for its lower portion, which is above the lower opening 23 and below the connection to the heavy phase outlet channel 14, and comprises an O-ring seal 28 that rubs against the inlet well 16.

[0032] The upper portion of the socket 27 above the seal 28 is provided with triangular cutouts 29 distributed around its periphery, which are defined by a lower serrated edge 30 such that each triangular cutout 29 has a lower tip 31 forming an acute angle. The lower tips 31 extend in front of the connection to the heavy phase outlet channel 14, and the heavy phase is discharged into this channel after reaching the level of the triangular cutouts 29. It can then flow into the heavy phase output channel 14, and subsequently reach the outlet well 17 and leave the extractor 60. The movement of the heavy phase flow is indicated by arrows 32.

[0033] The fact that the extractor 60 is constructed from a single, hollow block 1 makes it possible to add a wide variety of equipment by mounting it via the top surface 7, by screwing it in using the heavy phase outlet 24, or by simply inserting the equipment described below by vertical translation. The adjustment and operation of the extractor 60, as well as its assembly in the apparatus, become considerably easier and can be achieved by remote control devices or glove boxes.

[0034] Figure 4 shows a mixing chamber 33 submerged in the mixing cell 8 with a narrow clearance. It is a hollow, nearly cylindrical component, open on the top, and on one side, it has an upper notch 34 whose lower edge is a mixing outlet 35, a lower opening 36 at the bottom, and a vertical pin 37 rising vertically from its upper surface. When the mixing chamber 33 is installed, the upper notch 34 and the mixing outlet 35 extend in front of the upper portion of the settling cell 9, defining the level through which the mixture present in the chamber 33 can flow into the settling cell 9. The mixing outlet 35 has a serrated or notched shape, and its upper edge through which the mixture flows toward the settling cell is a bent shape that alternately protrudes and recesses, forming a relief. Thus, the height of this upper edge is indeterminate. In addition, the recessed relief is advantageously narrower downwards, which is verified when the relief is separated by an oblique surface. In extreme cases, the slanted surfaces may be joined together vertically to give zero width to the bottom of the recessed relief. These configurations have the effect of regulating the flow even at very low flow rates, regardless of capillary forces that can cause liquid stagnation by temporarily accumulating as droplets or slightly protruding above the outlet, and flow scattering. The configurations of the mixing outlet defined by bends forming multiple reliefs proposed herein ensure that a low or minimum flow width is provided to the liquid in the low flow, even if it is barely above the outlet, which reduces the effect of capillary forces and results in maintaining a permanent flow.

[0035] The heavy phase outlet 24 is characterized by a bent outlet edge, and a similar configuration serving the same purpose also characterizes the light phase outlet 18, which will be described in more detail. In addition, the open configurations of the outlet channels 14 and 15 also serve the same purpose of reducing the effects of capillary forces and regulating the flow.

[0036] Figure 5 shows a support block 38 that supports a stirring device 39 with vertical blades, which can be positioned on the upper edge 40 of the mixing chamber 33 at a fixed angular position thanks to a vertical pin 37, and a motor 41 that can be positioned on the upper edge of the support block 38 so as to rotate the stirring device 39 when switched on, the motor 41 through which the stirring device 39 penetrates into the mixing chamber 33, at which point it mixes the liquid phase to produce an emulsion.

[0037] Two other items of the apparatus can also be attached to the extractor by inserting them from the top surface 7. The first is engaged with the precipitate cell 9 and is shown overall in reference 42 (Figure 6), and may comprise a drawdown plate 43 and two agglutination grids 44 and 45, all connected to the upper plate 46. In the shown configuration, the drawdown plate 43 is vertical and adjacent to the mixing cell 8, and its function is to allow the mixture to enter the precipitate cell 9 through the central part. The agglutination grids 44 and 45, as their names suggest, are intended to promote the agglutination of phases that are in an emulsion state in the other, thereby providing the heavy and light phases to be clearly separated and overlapping in the precipitate cell 9. One of the agglutination grids 44 may be hydrophobic and the other hydrophilic, to promote the agglutination of the organic phase (generally the light phase) and the aqueous phase (generally the heavy phase), according to the category of emulsion. Alternatively, for phases in emulsions that are difficult to reconstitute, two similar agglomeration grids may be used. The agglomeration grids 44 and 45 are further parallel to the drawdown plate 43, perpendicular to it, and extend toward the center of the precipitate cell 9 to any extent. A pull tab 47, rising upward and attached to the upper plate 46, is added to allow operation of the instrument.

[0038] Another removable item of the apparatus, shown in Figure 7, consists of a recirculation pump 48, which is useful in a certain way, and is used to generate a partial return of one of the phases, which is here the heavy phase, toward the mixing cell 8. The recirculation pump 48 is mounted on a horizontal console 49 attached to the rear surface 5 of block 1 and extends backward (however, for clarity, in this specification the recirculation pump 48 is shown raised away from the console 49). It comprises a vertical suction pipe 50 and a vertical discharge pipe 51 that can penetrate into the heavy phase outlet well 17 to draw the flow into, and into a vertical recirculation well 52 recessed into block 1 near the mixing cell 8, respectively. The recirculation well 52, as well as the heavy phase inlet duct 10 and the light phase inlet duct 11, leads into the mixing cell 8, and the following liquid then enters the mixing chamber 33 through a lower opening 36.

[0039] Figure 8 shows that the light phase outlet channel 15 is at a different level from the light phase outlet 18. The light phase outlet here is also embodied by an outlet rim that is traversed by the liquid flow and formed by a bend, where a horizontal bottom portion and a beveled portion are formed, and thus protruding reliefs with flat tops are alternately arranged, each having a tapered triangular recess at the bottom.

[0040] Another aspect of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 9 to 13, which are the last figures in this description. The extractor assembly 60 described so far forms an extraction device.

[0041] Such a device is shown in Figure 9. The extractors 60 are arranged in a row on a flat support rail 61, and their ends are mounted on supports 62. Note that the small windows 20 are aligned on the same plane of the device to provide a quick overall view of the method achieved in the device. This configuration, in particular, is achieved by the layout of the mixing cells 8 aligned with each other, and the layout of the settling cells 9 aligned with each other parallel to the support rails, and by the heavy phase channels 14 and light phase channels 15 that are fairly long and parallel to the sides 2 and 3, thereby assembling the extractor 60 such that the inlet and outlet ducts of each phase leave the block 1 in a position aligned perpendicular to the sides 2 and 3 and parallel to the support rails 61. On the other hand, the conventional layout of the extractor of the apparatus has the disadvantage that, thoroughly (top-to-tail), the mixing cells and settling cells are alternated along two parallel lines, which allows for short, almost perpendicular liquid phase outlet ducts to the sides (which are also inlet ducts 10 and 11 in this specification), but thus it is no longer possible to perform an overall investigation of the settling of the stage.

[0042] Figure 10 shows that the support rail 61 can be composed of any number of individual plates 63 assembled together by screwing and fixing the shapes of its joints 64 to each other. Both ends of the support rail carry opposing stoppers 65 and 66, at least one of which (66) is equipped with a capstan for tightening the device, preventing separation of its elements and ensuring sealing of channels 10 to 13. Away from the extractor 60, the device comprises two end modules 67 and 68 at both ends, which are similarly parallelepiped and have phase inlet and outlet connections, referred to collectively as 69, that are in contact with the stoppers 65 and 66 and continue to the rest of its circulation circuit. The end modules 67 and 68 communicate with the inlet and outlet ducts of adjacent extractors 60. The coupling of the device is also ensured by parts of slides and projections 70 (shown in Figure 2) to allow the extractor 60 to slide on the support rail 61 without causing them to rise. Similar systems are provided in end modules 67 and 68. In addition, the apparatus is completed by a dividing plate 71 between the extractors 60, which has two holes 72 and 73 for supporting seals 74 and 75 (Figure 11). The dividing plate 71 has a lower groove 76 that allows it to be adjusted on the support rail 61 and held in place on the rail. When tightened, the inlet and outlet ducts 10 to 13 of the extractors 60 extend toward each other using the holes 72 and 73 between them, and the seals 74 and 75 around them, ensuring sealing of the liquid circuit.

[0043] Finally, attention should be paid to the possibility of regulating the temperature of the liquid phase. This can be achieved by circulating the coolant through the extractor 60. One embodiment shown in Figure 12, in a block 77 that is somewhat larger than the block 1 described so far, may be provided with a coolant duct, which comprises a coolant inlet duct 78 located near the rear surface 5, a coolant outlet duct 79 also located near the rear surface 5, and an internal duct connecting the inlet duct 78 and the outlet duct 79, which comprises a first descending portion 80, a longitudinal portion 81 located near the bottom surface 6 and oriented toward the front surface 4, a second longitudinal portion 82 that returns the fluid toward the rear surface 5, is parallel to the first longitudinal portion 81 and in the opposite direction, and an ascending portion 83 in a continuous manner. The longitudinal portions 81 and 82 are separated by compartments 84, which allow the coolant to pass beneath the mixing cell 8 and the settling cell 9.

[0044] Another possibility is described with respect to Figure 13. Temperature regulation can be performed by each plate 63 of the support rail 61, and the support rail 61 has, for example, a cavity 85 that opens on its underside, and is filled with a flat electric heater mat 86 that is powered by an external connection 87. A cover 88 is screwed in to close the cavity 85 and hold the heater mat 86 inside. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0045] 1 block 2. First Aspect 3. Second Aspect 4 Front 5 Rear 6 Bottom surface, lower surface 7 Top side 8 mixed cells 9. Precipitation cell 10. Double-phase inlet duct 11 Light phase inlet duct 12 Double-phase outlet duct 13 Light phase outlet duct 14. Double-phase exit channel 15 Light phase exit channel 16 Entrance Well 17 Exit Well 18 Light phase outlet 19 Exit Well 20 small windows 21 Intermediate well 22 Intermediate wells 23 Lower opening 24 Heavy phase outlet 25 Gripping handle 26 threads 27 Sockets 28 O-ring seals 29 clippings 30 Lower serrated edge 31 Lower tip 32 Arrows 33 Mixing Chamber 34 Upper notch 35 Mixing outlet 36 Lower opening 37 Vertical pins 38 Support Blocks 39. Stirring devices 40 Upper edge 41 Motor See reference 42. 43 Drawdown Plate 44 Aggregated Grid 45 Aggregation Grid 46 Upper plate 47 Pull tabs 48 Recirculation pump 49 Console 50 Suction pipe 51 Release tube 52 Recirculation Wells 53 Arrow 60 Liquid-Liquid Extractor 61 Support rail 62 Support 63 Plates 64 Joint 65 Stop part 66 Stop part 67 End Module 68 End Modules 69 Phase inlet and outlet connections 70 Projection piece 71-part plate 72 holes 73 holes 74 stickers 75 stickers 76 Lower side ditch section 78 Coolant inlet duct 79 Coolant outlet duct 80 First descending section 81 First longitudinal portion 82 Second longitudinal portion 83. Upward section 84 plots 85 Cavity 86 Electric Heater Mat 87 Connection part 88 Cover

Claims

1. In a liquid-liquid extractor (60) comprising a block (1) that is hollow due to a connected mixing cell (8) and a sedimentation cell (9), two liquid phase inlet ducts (10, 11) leading to the mixing cell, and two liquid phase outlet ducts (12, 13) leading to the sedimentation cell, Liquid-liquid extractor (60) characterized in that the outlet duct is provided with outlets (18, 24) adjacent to the sedimentation cell (9), each of the outlet ducts is provided with an outlet rim for the liquid phase, and the outlet rim has a bent, irregular height that forms the boundary of a plurality of reliefs.

2. The liquid-liquid extractor according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the outlet edges (30) of the outlet (24) is composed of a plurality of recesses, which are formed by two inclined edges and narrow downward until the width becomes zero.

3. The liquid-liquid extractor according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the outlet edges of the outlet is serrated and composed of uniformly distributed identical reliefs.

4. The liquid-liquid extractor according to claim 1, characterized in that one of the outlets (18) is located at the joint between the sedimentation cell and the outlet duct of one of the two liquid phases, i.e., the light phase.

5. The liquid-liquid extractor according to claim 4, characterized in that the other outlet (24) of the outlets is located inside the inlet well (16) of the outlet duct (14) of the other liquid phase, i.e., the polyparticle phase, at an adjustable height of the inlet well.

6. The liquid-liquid extractor according to claim 1, characterized in that the outlet duct is composed of channels (14, 15) that open on the upper surface of the block (1).

7. The liquid-liquid extractor according to claim 6, characterized in that the channels (14, 15) extend parallel to the side surfaces (2, 3) of the block (1) over at least half the length of the block measured parallel to the side surfaces (2, 3) of the block (1), the outlet ducts being open, the inlet duct and outlet duct of one of the two liquid phases, i.e., the light phase, extend from the block at positions aligned with a second line perpendicular to the side surface, and the inlet duct and outlet duct of the other of the two liquid phases, i.e., the heavy phase, extend from the block (1) at positions aligned with a first line perpendicular to the side surface.

8. The liquid-liquid extractor according to claim 7, characterized in that each of the channels (14, 15) has a width of at least one-third of the width of the sedimentation cell (9) measured perpendicular to the side surfaces (2, 3).

9. The liquid-liquid extractor is provided with a third outlet (38) between the mixing cell (8) and the sedimentation cell (9), The liquid-liquid extractor according to claim 1, characterized in that the third outlet (38) has an outlet edge for the liquid phase having a bent, irregular height that forms the boundary of a plurality of reliefs.

10. The liquid-liquid extractor is equipped with a sedimentation device (42), The sedimentation device (42) is made insertable into the sedimentation cell by translation, The liquid-liquid extractor according to claim 1, characterized in that the sedimentation device (42) is equipped with a drawdown plate (43) that continuously enters the sedimentation cell until it reaches a protective distance from the bottom of the sedimentation cell.

11. The liquid-liquid extractor according to claim 10, characterized in that the sedimentation device (42) is provided with agglomeration grids (44, 45) that enter the sedimentation cell (9).

12. The liquid-liquid extractor according to claim 11, wherein the sedimentation device comprises a second coagulation grid (45), and the coagulation grid has opposite wetting characteristics with respect to one of the liquid phases.

13. The liquid-liquid extractor according to claim 1, characterized in that the block includes a console (49), a recirculation pump (48) is mounted on the upper surface of the console (49), the recirculation pump comprises vertical suction and discharge pipes (50, 51), and each of the suction and discharge pipes (50, 51) enters the outlet duct (12) of one of the liquid phases and enters a recirculation well (52) which is hollowly formed in the block (1) and communicates with the mixing cell (8).

14. A liquid-liquid extraction apparatus comprising at least one liquid-liquid extractor according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein at least one liquid-liquid extractor (60) and end modules (67, 68) are aligned and tightened by a support, the end modules are provided with connection portions to circuits of liquid phases flowing in opposite directions in the liquid-liquid extraction apparatus, and the inlet ducts and outlet ducts of each of the liquid phases extend between the liquid-liquid extractors.

15. The liquid-liquid extraction apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that the liquid-liquid extraction apparatus comprises a divided plate (71) that is tightened to the liquid-liquid extractor, and support seals (74, 75) that surround the inlet opening and outlet opening of the liquid phase.

16. The liquid-liquid extraction apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that the liquid-liquid extractor and the end module are mutually fixed to rails constituting the support and are slidable along the rails.

17. The liquid-liquid extraction apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that the liquid-liquid extractor, the end module, and the dividing plate are mutually fixed on rails constituting the support and are slidable along the rails.

18. The liquid-liquid extraction apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that the support includes a heater mat.

19. The liquid-liquid extraction apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that the liquid-liquid extraction apparatus includes a device for circulating a cooling liquid that passes through the block of at least one of the liquid-liquid extractors.

20. The liquid-liquid extraction apparatus according to claim 16, characterized in that all of the liquid-liquid extractors are arranged together with corresponding components of the liquid-liquid extractors that are aligned according to lines parallel to the rails.

21. The liquid-liquid extractor according to claim 20, characterized in that the liquid-liquid extractor (60) is transparent in at least one portion (20) that is open toward the sedimentation cell (9).

Images