Patent ID: 8020710

Claim:
A liquid-liquid extraction settler for controlled separation of a dispersion of aqueous solution and organic solution formed during metal recovery into separated aqueous and organic solution phases, comprising: a mixing section; and a separation section, comprising: a feed end; a rear end; two sidewalls; wherein said separation section has a longitudinal axis extending from the feed end to the rear end between the two sidewalls; a bottom; a headbox for each of the separated aqueous and organic solutions; a solid partition wall extending from the front end toward the rear end between the two sidewalls of the separation section and dividing the separation section into two sections, comprising an outward flow field and a return flow field; a reversing element which is disposed in the outward flow field near the rear end of the separation section and extends transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of the separation section from one of the two sidewalls to an end of the solid partition wall and comprising at least a first reverser plate and a second reverser plate situated at different heights and having a reversing channel between them; and a picket fence located at a front end of the return flow field in the rear end of the separation section, which is fastened at a first end at an end of the solid partition wall, and having a second end which is fastened to a sidewall near the rear end of the separation section, or to a corner formed by the sidewall and the rear end of the separation section.