Patent ID: 7328809

Claim:
An apparatus for liquid-liquid extraction configured to accommodate at least a first, organic, liquid phase and a second, aqueous, phase, the apparatus comprising: a container having a bottom container wall, a container end, with the second container end having a rear container end wall, wherein the container is adapted for material flow generally in a main flow direction from the first container end toward the second container end; a settler compartment provided as part of the container and adjacent the container end of the container; a first, organic phase, weir for organic phase material provided as part of the settler compartment; and a second, aqueous phase, weir for aqueous phase material provided as part of the settler compartment, wherein the second, aqueous, weir is defined at one end thereof by the rear container end wall, and the second, aqueous, weir comprises: a first partition having a lower first partition end connected to the bottom container wall, and the first partition projecting upwardly from the bottom container wall and spaced apart from the rear container end wall by a first distance; a second partition having a lower second partition end spaced above the bottom container wall, and the second partition projecting upwardly and spaced apart from the rear container end wall by second distance greater than the first distance; and a third partition having a lower third partition end connected to the bottom container wall, and the third partition projecting upwardly from the bottom container wall and spaced apart from the rear container end wall by a third distance, wherein the first partition has a height that is less than a height of the second partition, and wherein the third partition has a height that is less than the height of the first and second partitions, respectively, and wherein the second, aqueous, weir including the partitions, define a flow path for the aqueous phase material; and wherein the first, organic phase, weir comprises: a first organic weir wall having a bottom end spaced above the bottom container wall and extending upwardly, with the first organic weir wall being spaced from the rear container end wall by a fourth distance greater than third distance, and wherein the first organic weir wall has a height greater than the heights of each of the first, second and third partitions; a first organic weir bottom wall connected at a point of connection to the bottom end of the first organic weir wall, and angling upward therefrom in the direction opposite to the main flow direction; and a second organic weir wall projecting upwardly from the angled first organic weir bottom wall, wherein the second organic weir wall is spaced from the rear container end wall by a fifth distance greater than the fourth distance, and wherein the second organic weir wall has a height less than the height of the first organic weir wall.