Suction and stirring enhancing device for liquid-liquid distribution apparatus

Abstract

Provided is a suction and stirring enhancing device for enhancing an effect of sucking a light liquid phase and / or a heavy liquid phase and an effect of mixing both phases by using a liquid-liquid distribution apparatus. A stirring blade is installed inside a cylindrical structure and / or outside the cylindrical structure in the vicinity of the upper or lower end thereof.

Description

Suction and mixing amplifier for liquid-liquid distribution devices

[0001] The present invention relates to a device used in the liquid-liquid distributor filed on the same day, and relates to a suction / agitation amplifier for amplifying the effect of suctioning a light liquid phase or a heavy liquid phase, or both, into the liquid-liquid distributor and the effect of mixing both phases.

[0002] More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus for amplifying the effect of aspirating a light liquid phase, a heavy liquid phase, or both, and the effect of mixing the two phases, by using a mechanism having a structure in which stirring blades are installed inside a cylindrical structure, or on the outside of the cylindrical structure near the upper or lower end thereof, or both. The liquid-liquid distribution apparatus is, in other words, an apparatus (liquid-liquid extraction tower) that performs forward extraction, washing, stripping, or a combination of these functions based on the partition reaction of substances contained in a liquid-liquid system having two immiscible liquid phases (a light liquid phase and a heavy liquid phase).

[0003] Liquid-liquid systems consisting of two immiscible liquid phases are widely used in fields such as chemistry. For example, liquid-liquid partitioning (also known as liquid-liquid extraction or solvent extraction), which utilizes the difference in the partitioning of substances between two liquid phases to separate, purify, recover, or remove substances, is extremely important as a method for separating and refining metals and organic compounds, supporting key industries such as the metallurgical and chemical industries, and as a separation and recovery technology for rare metals, which are essential in the high-tech industry. Liquid-liquid partitioning is also an important technology in the bioindustry.

[0004] To promote the liquid-liquid partitioning reaction, it is preferable to bring the two liquid phases into a fine emulsion state. To achieve a fine emulsion state, mechanical stirring using the rotation of a stirring blade is commonly used. Furthermore, the suction force on the light liquid phase, the heavy liquid phase, or both, obtained by the rotation of the stirring blade can also be used to transport each liquid phase, leading to stabilization of the liquid transport. On the other hand, if the stirring force is weak, the suction force will also be weak. However, if the stirring force is strong, the strong shear force by the blade will create fine droplets, resulting in an emulsion state that is difficult to separate into phases.

[0005] The present invention provides a mechanism for amplifying the effect of aspirating the light liquid phase, the heavy liquid phase, or both, and the effect of mixing the two phases, without increasing the mechanical stirring force due to the rotation of the stirring blades, i.e., without generating fine droplets due to the strong shear force of the blades. Note that the generation of the fine droplets worsens phase separation and causes entrainment (droplet entrainment).

[0006] When mechanical stirring based on the rotation of a stirring blade is used as a method for mixing two liquid phases, there is a dilemma: if the stirring force is weak, the suction force is also weak, but if the stirring force is strong, the blade exerts a strong shear force, generating fine droplets and resulting in an emulsion state that is difficult to separate into phases. The present invention solves this dilemma by providing a mechanism that can obtain a suction force sufficient to stabilize the liquid transfer even with weak stirring force, and can obtain an emulsion mixture state sufficient to reach distribution equilibrium.

[0007] More specifically, the suction / agitation amplifier for a liquid-liquid distributor according to the present invention is typically installed in a liquid-liquid distributor in which a reaction section in which the distribution reaction of substances proceeds through phase mixing based on the rotation of the agitator blades of the light liquid phase and the heavy liquid phase installed in the container coexists with a buffer section in which the phase-separated light liquid phase and the heavy liquid phase are located above and below the container via the reaction section, and is a suction / agitation amplifier that amplifies the effect of sucking in the light liquid phase or the heavy liquid phase, or both, and the effect of mixing the two phases, and is equipped with a cylinder containing a single or multiple agitator blades, a cylinder in which a single or multiple agitator blades are arranged outside the cylinder directly above or directly below the cylinder, or both, or a cylinder containing a single or multiple agitator blades and also having a single or multiple agitator blades arranged outside the cylinder.

[0008] The effects of the present invention are: 1) amplification of the suction force on the light liquid phase, the heavy liquid phase, or both, generated by the rotation of the impeller, and 2) amplification of the mixing efficiency of both phases. Specifically, when the suction / mixing amplifier of the present invention is installed in a liquid-liquid distributor, the suction force on the light liquid phase, the heavy liquid phase, or both is amplified, stabilizing the flow of both phases. Furthermore, a fine two-phase mixture can be obtained without increasing the rotation speed of the impeller. In other words, the efficiency of mixing both phases is improved. Furthermore, if the rotation speed of the impeller is not high, the shear force acting there is not too strong, so fine droplets are not generated, and a highly dense droplet group is obtained, improving phase separation between the light liquid phase and the heavy liquid phase and suppressing entrainment.

[0009] 3(a) 。 FIG. 3(a) is a block diagram showing an example of a suction / agitation amplifier of the present invention applied to a multi-stage liquid-liquid distributor. FIG. 3(b) is a block diagram showing an example of a suction / agitation amplifier of the present invention applied to a single-stage liquid-liquid distributor. FIG. 3(c) is a block diagram showing the relationship between the cylinder of the suction / agitation amplifier and the Ω-shaped partition plate. FIG. 3(a) is a block diagram showing the relationship between the cylinder of the suction / agitation amplifier and the rectangular Ω-shaped partition plate. FIG. 3(c) is a block diagram showing the relationship between the cylinder of the suction / agitation amplifier and the rectangular Ω-shaped partition plate. FIG. 3(b) is a block diagram showing the arrangement of the cylinder and one stirring blade. FIG. 3(c) is a block diagram showing the arrangement of the cylinder and two stirring blades. FIG. 3(c) is a block diagram showing the arrangement of the cylinder and one stirring blade installed outside the cylinder. FIG. 3(c) is a block diagram showing the arrangement of the stirring blades installed inside and outside the cylinder. FIG. 3(c) is another arrangement of the stirring blades installed inside and outside the cylinder. FIG. 3(c) is another arrangement of the stirring blades installed inside and outside the cylinder. FIG. 3(c) is another arrangement of the stirring blades installed in a cylinder separated into two ... 1(b) is a diagram showing an example of a cylindrical protrusion installed below a suction / agitation amplifier. FIG. 1(c) is a diagram showing an example of a cylindrical protrusion installed below a suction / agitation amplifier. FIG. 1(d) is a diagram showing an example of a rim-like edge installed on a suction / agitation amplifier. FIG. 1(e) is a diagram showing an example of a rim-like edge installed on both a suction / agitation amplifier and a cylindrical protrusion. FIG. 1(a) is a diagram showing the formation of a reaction section and a buffer section, and the state of these areas, in a multi-stage liquid-liquid distributor equipped with a suction / agitation amplifier shown in FIG. 1(a). FIG. 1(b) is a diagram showing the formation of a reaction section and a buffer section, and the state of these areas, in a single-stage liquid-liquid distributor equipped with a suction / agitation amplifier shown in FIG. 1(b). Structural diagram of a single-stage liquid-liquid distributor not equipped with a suction / agitation amplifier. Structural diagram of a single-stage liquid-liquid distributor equipped with a suction / agitation amplifier.

[0010] The present invention relates to a mechanically stirred liquid-liquid distributor system that includes a reaction zone (where the partition reaction proceeds) where a partition reaction of a substance proceeds through the phase mixing of a light liquid phase and a heavy liquid phase, and a buffer zone (where the partition reaction does not occur and acts as a buffer between the reaction zones) where the phase-separated phases are located above and below the reaction zone. The system includes a cylinder 11 containing one or more impellers 12, a cylinder 11 in which one or more impellers 12 are located directly above or below the cylinder 11, or both, or a cylinder containing one or more impellers and also having one or more impellers located outside the cylinder 11. Note that "directly above" refers to a distance from the top of the cylinder 11 up to approximately twice the height of the impellers. Also, "directly below" refers to a distance from the bottom of the cylinder up to approximately twice the height of the impellers.

[0011] 1(a) shows an example in which the suction / agitation amplifier 1 of the present invention is applied to a multistage liquid-liquid distributor structure having zigzag flow paths 15, 16 (flow paths formed by stacking two or more plates horizontally or at an angle from the horizontal) that are excellent for phase separation. In this figure, two agitating blades 12 are installed per stage, one of which is contained within the cylinder 11 and the other is shown as a suction / agitation amplifier 1 located near the bottom end of the cylinder 11, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the multistage liquid-liquid distributor to which the suction / agitation amplifier 1 of the present invention is applied is not limited to one having a zigzag flow path.

[0012] 1(b) shows an example in which the suction / agitation amplifier 1 of the present invention is applied to the structure of a single-stage liquid-liquid distributor having zigzag flow paths 15, 16. In this figure, a suction / agitation amplifier is shown in which a single agitating blade 12 is enclosed in a cylinder 11, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the single-stage liquid-liquid distributor to which the suction / agitation amplifier 1 of the present invention is applied is not limited to one having a zigzag flow path.

[0013] In addition, a partition plate is installed around the suction / agitation amplifier shown in Figures 1(a) and 1(b) to guide the light liquid phase from the adjacent stage into the column and pass through the reaction section. An example of such a partition plate is an Ω (ohm)-shaped partition plate 10 shown in Figures 2(b) and 3(b), but this is not limited to this. The structure of these Ω-shaped partition plates 10 is Ω-shaped, with the head facing left when viewed from directly above. The locations indicated by vertical dashed lines in Figures 1(a) and 1(b) are the positions where the Ω-shaped partition plates 10 are fixed to the front and rear walls of the vessel. At this position, the light liquid phase can pass through the center of the vessel (the center when viewed from above) but cannot migrate beyond the Ω-shaped head located beyond it. Therefore, the partition plate 10 acts to guide the light liquid phase from the adjacent stage into the column and pass through the reaction section. The cylinder 11 having the stirring blades 12 either inside or near the outside or both is fitted snugly into the head of the Ω-shaped partition plate 10 .

[0014] Some variations of the combination of the cylinder and the stirring blade that constitute the suction / stirring amplifier of the present invention are shown in Figs. 4(a) to 7(c), but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0015] In a suction / agitation amplifier 1 equipped with two or more agitating blades 12, if an agitating blade 12 of a type that sucks in the light liquid phase and discharges it downward is installed at the top of the container and an agitating blade 12 of a type that sucks in the heavy liquid phase and discharges it upward is installed at the bottom of the container when the shaft rotates in the same direction, it will be possible to obtain a driving force that can simultaneously suck in the light liquid phase and the heavy liquid phase into the device. For example, this can be achieved by using paddle blades with blades inclined in opposite directions. Of the two agitating blades 12 shown in Figure 1(a), the agitating blade enclosed in the upper cylinder 11 is a type that sucks in the light liquid phase and discharges it downward, and the agitating blade located near the bottom end of the lower cylinder 11 is a type that sucks in the heavy liquid phase and discharges it upward.

[0016] In addition, as a mechanism for more efficiently guiding the heavy liquid phase from the adjacent stage into the tube 11 and passing through the reaction section 14, there is a method of narrowing the area where the suction force is strong by enclosing it with a cylindrical structure. Specifically, several experiments have shown that the heavy liquid phase can be more efficiently guided into the tube by providing a cylindrical protrusion 20 below the stirring blade 12. Examples of cylindrical protrusion mechanisms for guiding the heavy liquid phase from the adjacent stage into the tube 11 and passing through the reaction section 14 are shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), but are not limited to these. Note that the structure shown at the bottom of Figures 8(a) and 8(b) is a hollow cylindrical protrusion 20 installed above the zigzag flow path for the heavy liquid phase (e.g., above the top flat plate forming the zigzag flow path in Figure 1).

[0017] By combining an Ω-shaped partition plate such as that shown in Figures 2(a), 2(b), 3(a) and 3(b) with a cylindrical protrusion 20 such as that shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), it is possible to introduce both the light liquid phase and the heavy liquid phase into the cylinder and pass them both through the reaction section.

[0018] Several experiments have shown that the suction force can be further increased by providing a flange-like edge 21 of a certain width at the upper or lower end, or both, of the cylinder combined with the impeller, as shown in Figures 4(a) to 7(c), or at the upper end of the cylindrical protrusion 20 for guiding the heavy liquid phase from the adjacent stage into the cylinder 11, as shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b). The role of such a flange-like edge is to concentrate suction from the vicinity of the cylinder 11 or the inside of the cylindrical protrusion 20, thereby eliminating suction from the surrounding area. Figures 9(a) and 9(b) show examples of flange-like edges 21, but this is not limiting. Furthermore, the diameter of the flange-like edge 21 is preferably approximately 1 to 5 times the diameter of the impeller 12, but is not limited to this.

[0019] Figure 10 shows the formation of the reaction section 14 and buffer section 13 and the state of these regions in the steady state of the multi-stage liquid-liquid distributor shown in Figure 1(a). Figure 11 shows the formation of the reaction section 14 and buffer section 13 and the state of these regions in the steady state of the single-stage liquid-liquid distributor shown in Figure 1(b). A suction force sufficient to achieve stable liquid transfer was generated without increasing the stirring force, and a sufficient emulsion-mixed state was obtained to reach distribution equilibrium. Furthermore, because no strong shear force was applied, a dense group of droplets was obtained without generating fine droplets, improving phase separation between the light and heavy liquid phases and suppressing entrainment.

[0020] 12(a) and 12(b), extraction experiments on various metal ions were carried out, and comparisons were made between cases where the suction / agitation amplifier 1 of the present invention was installed and cases where it was not installed. As a result of multiple types of experiments, it was found that when the suction / agitation amplifier 1 of the present invention was installed, an equivalent extraction rate could be obtained at a stirring impeller rotation speed that was 2 / 3 to 1 / 2 of that when it was not installed.

[0021] By applying the suction / agitation amplifier of the present invention to multi-stage and single-stage liquid-liquid distributors in which phase mixing and phase separation occur simultaneously, it is possible to achieve sufficient emulsion phase mixing to reach distribution equilibrium even with weak agitation force. This solves the dilemma that if the agitation force is increased to achieve a finer emulsion state and stronger suction force for each liquid phase, the strong shear force from the agitator blades 12 will generate fine droplets, resulting in an emulsion state that is difficult to separate into phases.

[0022] The present invention significantly improves the efficiency of liquid-liquid distribution and the stability of liquid transport, and is therefore expected to bring about innovation in a wide variety of industrial fields that utilize two-liquid phase systems, such as metallurgy, chemistry, biology, and semiconductors.

[0023] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 ... Suction / agitation amplifier 10 ... Ω-shaped partition plate 11 ... Cylinder 12 ... Agitator blade 13 ... Buffer section 14 ... Reaction section 15 ... Zigzag flow path on the light liquid phase side 16 ... Zigzag flow path on the heavy liquid phase side 17 ... Overflow plate 18 ... Vertical plate 19 ... Step partition plate 20 ... Cylindrical protrusion

Claims

1. A suction / agitation amplifier for a liquid-liquid distributor that is installed in a reaction section where a distribution reaction of substances progresses through phase mixing based on the rotation of the agitator blades of the light liquid phase and the heavy liquid phase installed in the container, and buffer sections where the phase-separated light liquid phase and heavy liquid phase are located above and below the container via the reaction section, coexist, and that amplifies the effect of sucking in the light liquid phase or the heavy liquid phase, or both, and the effect of mixing the two phases, and is characterized by having a tube containing a single or multiple agitator blades, a tube in which a single or multiple agitator blades are arranged outside the tube directly above or below the tube, or both, or a tube in which a single or multiple agitator blades are inside and also arranged outside the tube.

2. A suction / agitation amplifier for a liquid-liquid distribution device as described in claim 1, characterized in that it is equipped with both an agitator blade that sucks in the light liquid phase located in the upper part of the container and discharges it downward, and an agitator blade that sucks in the heavy liquid phase located in the lower part of the container and discharges it upward, and the agitator blades are attached to a rotating shaft that rotates in the same direction.

3. A suction and stirring amplifier for a liquid-liquid distribution device as described in claim 1, characterized in that it has a partition plate arranged around the periphery of the cylinder so as to guide the light liquid phase from the adjacent stage into the cylinder and pass it through the reaction section.

4. A suction / agitation amplifier for a liquid-liquid distribution device as described in claim 1, characterized in that it has cylindrical protrusions arranged around the periphery of the cylinder so as to guide the heavy liquid phase from the adjacent stage into the cylinder and pass it through the reaction section.

5. A suction and stirring amplifier for a liquid-liquid distribution device as described in claim 3, further characterized in that the periphery of the cylinder further has a cylindrical protrusion arranged to guide the heavy liquid phase from the adjacent stage into the cylinder and pass it through the reaction section.

6. A suction and stirring amplifier for a liquid-liquid dispensing device, characterized in that the cylinder shown in claim 1 or the cylindrical protrusion shown in claim 4, or both, have flange-like edges at their upper end, lower end, or both ends.

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