Patent ID: 8057677

Claim:
A process for extracting a substance from one of at least two immiscible fluid phases comprising the steps of: a) providing at least a first fluid and a second fluid that, after mixing, form at least two immiscible fluid phases, wherein the first fluid contains at least one substance that is extractable by the second fluid; b) mixing the first fluid and second fluid by means of at least one static micromixer; and c) allowing the at least two immiscible fluid layers to separate wherein: said at least one static micromixer comprises at least one component in the form of a disk ( 1 ); said disk ( 1 ) comprises a single mixing zone ( 5 ), at least one inlet opening ( 2 ) disposed in a plane of said disk for introduction of at least one feed stream into a linking channel ( 3 ) and with at least one outlet opening ( 4 ) disposed in the plane of said disk for outflow of the feed stream directly into said single mixing zone ( 5 ), said at least one inlet opening ( 2 ) being connected with said at least one outlet opening ( 4 ) in a communicating manner via said linking channel ( 3 ) which is disposed in the plane of said disk; said linking channel ( 3 ) is divided once into more than two part channels ( 7 ) by microstructure parts ( 6 ) immediately prior to opening into the mixing zone ( 5 ), and each of the part channels ( 7 ) has a respective width in a millimeter to sub-millimeter range and said width is smaller than a width of the mixing zone ( 5 ); and said microstructure parts ( 6 ) are in direct contact with said mixing zone but not in direct contact with said at least one inlet opening ( 2 ).