Provided is a method of inhibiting degradation of an extractant by an anhydrous environment avoiding and metal stripping, the method including the steps of: (a) stopping the addition of soda ash (Na.sub.2CO.sub.3) to an extracting reaction tank; (b) starting solution recirculation and stopping solvent recirculation of a settler; (c) supplying a solvent from a loaded organic tank to a scrubbing reaction tank, in which the scrubbing reaction tank, stripping reaction tank and extracting reaction tank are connected for circulation and operating stirrers of the scrubbing reaction tank, stripping reaction tank and extracting reaction tank; (d) supplying a sulfuric acid solution having a controlled concentration with a diluting solution to the stripping reaction tank; (e) transferring the solvents of the settler, the loaded organic tank and all the pipes to the scrubbing reaction tank; and (f) stopping the step (e) and initiating solvent recirculation.

A supercritical fluid separation apparatus performs feedback control of output of a heater so that a separation part temperature becomes a set temperature, based on both output of a first temperature sensor that measures a heating block temperature and output of a second temperature sensor that measures the separation part temperature. When a difference between the separation part temperature and the set temperature is large (equal to or more than a predetermined value), output of the heater is adjusted based on the heating block temperature. When a difference between the separation part temperature and the set temperature becomes small (less than a predetermined value), the output of the heater is adjusted based on the difference.

A method for extracting resins and oils from a plant includes: 1) tumbling, inside a container at a temperature of at most 50 degrees Fahrenheit with a tumbler, plant fibers having one or more portions that contain resins and/or oils; 2) colliding the tumbler with the plant fibers to release the one or more portions that contain resins and/or oils from the remainder of the plant fibers; and 3) segregating the one or more portions that contain resins and/or oils from the remainder of the plant fibers.

Centrifugal contactors that can be used for mixing or separating materials are described. The contactors include a sensing system including a communications fiber within the shaft of the contactors and access ports providing access from the communications fiber to the mixing/separating zone of the contactor. The sensing system can be utilized during operation of the contactor and can provide for detailed and accurate on-line characterization of a protocol, as well as process control and system modification as necessary during operation.

An apparatus and method for extraction of oils from botanical material using high-pressure hydrocarbons such as propane, or butane, or mixtures thereof are described. A high-pressure propane or butane saturated liquid/vapor mixture formed by pressure reduction through a valve placed before an extraction column, thereby serving as an expansion port was employed. The apparatus is capable of both continuous liquid extraction or batch-style liquid operation through the use of a manifold valve, which directs the solvent liquid/vapor in the system to either a supply tank or an extraction column.

The present invention relates to a method of purifying waste hydrochloric acid, and more particularly, to a method of purifying waste hydrochloric acid which includes preparing an extraction solution by dissolving an extractant in an organic solvent (S1), extracting metallic components with the organic solvent by adding the extraction solution to the waste hydrochloric acid (S2), separating a waste hydrochloric acid layer and the organic solvent containing the metallic components (S3), and obtaining purified hydrochloric acid by recovering the separated (fractionated) waste hydrochloric acid layer (S4), wherein the extractant is used in an amount of 40 moles or more based on 1 mole of iron (Fe) included in the waste hydrochloric acid, and the waste hydrochloric acid and the extraction solution are mixed in a volume ratio of 1:0.1 to 1:1.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a supercritical fluid producing apparatus including a pump configured to send out a processing fluid; a processing container configured to perform a supercritical fluid processing on a substrate with a processing fluid in a supercritical state sent from the supercritical fluid producing apparatus; and a controller configured to control at least the supercritical fluid producing apparatus. When a pressure increase is performed within the processing container by using the processing fluid, the controller determines a first supply rate at which the processing fluid is supplied to the processing container based on a target time during which the pressure increase is performed, an amount of the processing fluid required for the pressure increase and a density of the processing fluid. Further, the supercritical fluid producing apparatus supplies the processing fluid to the processing container based on the first supply rate.

Disclosed is a device for controlling an interface of a liquid-liquid extraction column using pressure equilibrium. The device includes a vertical pipe provided beside an extraction column parallel thereto. The device enables internal pressures of the extraction column and the vertical pipe to be balanced with each other by moving fluid from the extraction column into the vertical pipe. Therefore, the device can maintain the level of an interface between fluids having different specific gravities with a simple control system. The device includes the liquid-liquid extraction column having a column body; and upper and lower tanks having respective inlet pipes and respective outlet pipes, wherein a pipeline is connected to the outlet pipe of the lower tank, and the internal pressures are balanced by controlling a level of the fluid in the pipeline, thereby maintaining the level of the interface.

A method including contacting an organic stream with water and carbon dioxide, whereby sodium is extracted from the organic stream, and separating an aqueous sodium salt-containing phase from an organic phase comprising a reduced sodium content. The organic stream can be a heavy residue formed in the co-production of propylene oxide and styrene. Contacting can include combining the carbon dioxide with the water to form a CO.sub.2-saturated water stream and contacting the CO.sub.2-saturated water stream with the organic stream, and/or combining the organic stream and the water to form a mixture and injecting the carbon dioxide as a gas thereinto. The method can further include repeating the contacting and the separating one or more times on the organic phase, subjecting the organic phase to ion exchange, or both, to obtain an organic phase having a further reduced sodium content. A system for carrying out the method is also provided.

Methods and systems to monitor and control crude oil processing with regards to crude oil specifications for bottom sediment & water (BS&W) and salt are provided. Crude oil processing may be monitored and controlled using key performance indicators (KPIs) that include the desalter voltage and dehydrator voltage as indicators of the BS&W and salt. In response to monitoring of the desalter voltage and dehydrator voltage, a high pressure production trap (HPPT) efficiency and a dehydrator separation efficiency may be controlled via adjustment of a wash water percentage, a demulsifier dosage, a dehydrator interface level, a desalter interface level, and a differential pressure across a mixing valve.