Patent ID: 7722832

Claim:
A method of separating at least one process stream into one or more component process streams having desired compositions in a component separation unit, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a stochastic three dimensional cellular solid material having a solid component and one or more cells in the unit; (b) positioning the cellular solid material within at least one zone of the unit; (c) introducing two or more phases of the at least one process stream into the zone containing the cellular solid material; (d) contacting the two or more phases at a surface of the cellular solid material to facilitate mass transfer; and (e) recovering at least a portion of one or more of the phases from the unit as at least one component process stream, wherein the at least one component process stream has a desired composition and wherein the cellular solid material has a pore size in the range of about 100 microns to about 6,000 microns.