초록 ▼

There is disclosed a system for separating oil and other immiscible organic materials from a liquid body or from a mixture with an aqueous medium. The system includes the use of a plurality of microporous hollow fibers which may be arranged in any number of arrangements such as bundles, intersecting

There is disclosed a system for separating oil and other immiscible organic materials from a liquid body or from a mixture with an aqueous medium. The system includes the use of a plurality of microporous hollow fibers which may be arranged in any number of arrangements such as bundles, intersecting arrangements, divergent patters or in a mat-like arrangement or a combination of the foregoing. The hollow fibers are in communication with a pressure source in order to draw or force the contaminant into contact by the shell side of the fibers and through the micropores thereof. Discrete phase separation from a mixture in substantially pure form, i.e. no free phase contamination is achievable. This system provides a substantial advantage over existing arrangements in that extraction efficiency is greatly enhanced in any number of environments.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.] A method of separating a free organic phase comprising at least one liquid organic compound from an aqueous mixture having a free aqueous phase and said free organic phase, comprising the steps ofproviding a plurality of hollow hydrophobic mircoporous fibers, each of said fibers hav

[ I claim:] [1.] A method of separating a free organic phase comprising at least one liquid organic compound from an aqueous mixture having a free aqueous phase and said free organic phase, comprising the steps ofproviding a plurality of hollow hydrophobic mircoporous fibers, each of said fibers having a longitudinal bore and micropores extending through each of said fibers to the interior of each fiber;said micropores having a shape an/or orientation relative to flow of the mixture and a cross-sectional size sufficiently small to exclude entry into said fibers of said aqueous phase due to surface tension of said aqueous phase but permitting entry into said fibers of said at least one organic compound;maintaining a reduced pressure in said fibers at a level sufficient to induce a reduced sufficient to draw the at least one organic compound into the fibers, but insufficient to overcome the surface tension of said aqueous phase;contacting said mixture with said fibers; andseparating said organic phase from said mixture as a separate organic phase devoid of said aqueous phase.