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An apparatus is provided for extracting compounds from mixtures based on their relative solubilities in different solvents. The mixture can be introduced into a cylindrical container in which the mixture is agitated as it flows past a plurality of plates mounted along a shaft. At least one plate is

An apparatus is provided for extracting compounds from mixtures based on their relative solubilities in different solvents. The mixture can be introduced into a cylindrical container in which the mixture is agitated as it flows past a plurality of plates mounted along a shaft. At least one plate is arranged at a nonzero angle with respect to a plane normal to the shaft and features a plurality of perforations. Agitation by the plates breaks the mixture into small, evenly dispersed droplets and a solvent is introduced into the container to extract the desirable compound and thus separate it from the undesirable compounds.

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1. An apparatus for extraction of a liquid from a mixture of multiple liquids, comprising: a cylindrical container;a shaft extending along an axis and disposed in said container;a plurality of substantially planar plates, at least one of the plates of the plurality having a plurality of perforations

1. An apparatus for extraction of a liquid from a mixture of multiple liquids, comprising: a cylindrical container;a shaft extending along an axis and disposed in said container;a plurality of substantially planar plates, at least one of the plates of the plurality having a plurality of perforations through which material can flow, the plates of the plurality being mounted to said shaft and spaced apart along the axis, wherein the plates of the plurality include a first plate arranged at a first non-zero angle with respect to a plane normal to the axis and a second plate arranged at a second angle with respect to the plane normal to the axis, the first angle being different than the second angle, wherein the first and second plates are adjacent to one another along the shaft; anda motor configured to rotate said shaft and said plurality of plates about the axis,whereby, through such rotation, the first and second plates induce compression and decompression forces on opposite sides of the shaft, respectively, on the mixture of multiple liquids between the first and second plates to cause greater interaction among droplets of the multiple liquids. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plates of the plurality that is arranged at a non-zero angle has an elliptical perimeter. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plates of the plurality is arranged at a non-zero angle with respect to the plane normal to the axis. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein at least one of the plates of the plurality has an elliptical perimeter. 5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein alternating plates of the plurality are arranged at substantially equal but opposite angles with respect to the plane normal to the axis such that every other plate of the plurality is substantially parallel to one another. 6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein at least one of the plates of the plurality is arranged at a different non-zero angle with respect to the plane normal to the axis. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each plate of the plurality is spaced apart from an adjacent plate of the plurality along the axis by the same distance. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each plate of the plurality is spaced apart from an adjacent plate of the plurality along the axis by a different distance. 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of plates is configured into at least first and second groups, each group being spaced apart along the axis,each plate in the first group is spaced apart from an adjacent plate in the first group along the axis by a first distance, andeach plate in the second group is spaced apart from an adjacent plate in the second group along the axis by a second distance different from the first distance. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one spacer disposed about the shaft between adjacent plates of the plurality. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least one of the spacers has a cylindrical shape extending along a spacer axis, and at least one of an upper and a lower surface of the spacer is angled with respect to a plane normal to the spacer axis. 12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein each spacer has at least one peg disposed on an upper or a lower surface thereof for engagement with an aperture of an adjacently located plate. 13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of a periphery of one plate of the plurality is attached to a portion of a periphery of an adjacent plate of the plurality at an attachment. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the attachment is a welded connection. 15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the attachment includes a pin extending through both peripheries. 16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the attachment includes a tab of one periphery extending through an aperture in the other periphery. 17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the perforations are formed in one or more shapes selected from the group consisting of: circle, oval, square, triangle, ellipse, teardrop, and segments and combinations thereof. 18. A method for extracting a liquid from a mixture of multiple liquids, comprising: using an apparatus including a cylindrical container, a shaft extending along an axis and disposed in said container, and a plurality of substantially planar plates, at least one of the plates of the plurality having a plurality of perforations through which material can flow, the plates of the plurality being mounted to said shaft and spaced apart along the axis, wherein the plates of the plurality include a first plate arranged at a first non-zero angle with respect to a plane normal to the axis and a second plate arranged at a second angle with respect to the plane normal to the axis, the first angle being different than the second angle, wherein the first and second plates are adjacent to one another along the shaft, wherein the using includes rotating the shaft and plates about the axis such that the first and second plates induce compression and decompression forces on opposite sides of the shaft, respectively, on the mixture of multiple liquids between the first and second plates to cause greater interaction among droplets of the multiple liquids. 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising feeding the mixture of multiple liquids into the cylindrical container. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of rotating includes operating a motor connected with the shaft to cause the rotation of the shaft. 21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first two adjacent plates of the plurality are spaced apart from each other along the axis by a first distance, and a second two adjacent plates of the plurality are spaced apart from each other along the axis by a second distance that is different from the first distance. 22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second plates has a plurality of perforations.