Patent ID: 8529667
Filing Date: 2013-09-10
Classification: B01D

Abstract:
1. A process for the extraction of an unwanted component from a fluid (liquid or gas) comprising: introducing an extraction liquid into a fluid having an unwanted component therein to form a physical microdispersion comprising a plurality of extraction liquid droplets and the fluid, said unwanted component selected from the group consisting of an acid, a base, and a polar salt; allowing the plurality of extraction liquid droplets to interact with the unwanted component in the fluid to cause the extraction liquid droplets to form into a plurality of aerosolized droplets containing the unwanted component, said plurality of aerosolized droplets including small droplets containing the unwanted component in the range of 0.1 to 1 microns; capturing the aerosolized droplets by movement into a porous medium wherein said porous medium is comprised of fibers with dimensions similar to that of said aerosolized droplets at least one of the dimensions of the fibers in said porous medium being in the 0.5 to 2.0 micron range and said fibers of said porous medium being wet out by said captured droplets to allow said captured droplets to interact with the unwanted component in the fluid to further extract the unwanted component from the fluid into said captured droplets; growing said captured droplets into larger droplets containing the unwanted component; gravitationally separating the larger droplets containing the unwanted component from the fluid by the time the fluid reaches the outside of the porous medium, said extraction and removal of said unwanted component being accomplished in a single stage, and orientating the porous medium horizontally such that the larger droplets and the fluid exits the porous medium in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to a direction in which the volume of extraction liquid was initially introduced.