A sample purification system includes a container assembly bounding a sample purification compartment and having an upper end and an opposing lower end, the sample purification compartment comprising mixing zones and settling zones. A plurality of shielding elements are positioned within the sample purification compartment so as to at least partially separate adjacent mixing zones and settling zones or separate adjacent mixing zones, the mixing zones being in fluid communication with the settling zones. A mixing element is disposed within each mixing zone. An acoustic wave settler is aligned with a portion of the container assembly, the acoustic wave settler being configured to emit an acoustic wave through the portion of the container assembly and a mixture disposed therein, the acoustic wave coalescing fluid phase droplets disposed in the mixture to increase the buoyancy or density of the fluid phase droplets.

Containment and removal system for drag and sludge that constitutes a barrier to contain drag from aqueous to organic and from organic to aqueous, which can be used in a settler (settler) for solvent extraction processes, being designed to filter sludge, generate the sedimentation of aqueous droplets in organic and/or organic droplets in aqueous, and/or favor the coalescence of aqueous droplets from the organic phase, avoiding contamination due to the presence of drag and sludge.

A fiber bundle contactor may include: a flow path defined by a conduit; a catalytic carbon fiber bundle disposed in the conduit; and an inlet allowing fluid flow into the flow path. A method may include: introducing into vessel a hydrocarbon comprising mercaptan sulfur, an aqueous caustic solution, and an oxidizer; reacting at least a portion of the mercaptan sulfur and the aqueous caustic solution to produce a mercaptide; and reacting the mercaptide and the oxidizer in the presence of a catalytic carbon fiber bundle to produce a disulfide oil.

A washing and desalting device includes a first shell and a plurality of filaments. The first shell has a first receiving cavity and is provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet that communicate with the first receiving cavity. The plurality of the filaments is provided in the first receiving cavity, and the length direction of each of the filaments is consistent with that of the first receiving cavity. The device can be incorporated in a washing and dehydrating system.

Provide is a phase separator having a phase separation function and a function of promoting mutual contact between the first liquid and the second liquid in a compact structure. The phase separator includes a main body container, a partition member, and a mixed-liquid introduction part. The body container defines a storage space for the mixed liquid. The partition member partitions the storage space into a plurality of horizontally arranged spaces including a mutual contact space allowing the first and second liquids to flow vertically while being in contact with each other, and a phase separation space for separating the mixed liquid into a first liquid phase and a second liquid phase. The mixed-liquid introduction part allows introduction of the mixed liquid through the mixed-liquid introduction part to make the mixed liquid flow from the introduction end toward the discharge end of the partition member through the mutual contact space.

Disclosed in the present invention is a polyether polyol refining method, comprising (1) neutralising or diluting crude polyether polyol to obtain a mixed solution; (2) flowing the mixed solution through a hydrophilic medium to aggregate same into a first density phase liquid and a second density phase liquid, the first density phase liquid being an aqueous solution containing alkaline metal ions and/or alkaline earth metal ions, and the second density phase liquid being polyether polyol; and (3) allowing the first density phase liquid to settle and separating same from the second density phase liquid to obtain refined polyether polyol. In the present refining method, using the hydrophilic medium for one-step removal of the alkaline ions and water in the polyether polyol simplifies the treatment steps, increases treatment efficiency, and can prevent polyether polyol loss; the obtained polyether polyol has low alkaline ion content and little odour. Also disclosed in the present invention is a polyether polyol refining apparatus, comprising a mixing unit and a separating unit, and being capable of refining polyether polyol with low alkaline ion content and little odour.

A method may include: introducing a fluid comprising a first immiscible phase and a second immiscible phase into a contacting vessel comprising multiple contact stages: flowing the fluid through a first fiber bundle disposed in the contacting vessel; separating at least a portion of the first immiscible phase from the second immiscible phase; and flowing the separated portion of the first immiscible phase through a second fiber bundle disposed in the contacting vessel.

A method for producing a carotenoid enriched fatty acid composition includes: reacting an oil including free fatty acids and carotenoids with a basic solution; withdrawing, separately from the oil, an extraction solution including at least a portion of the free fatty acids, at least a portion of the carotenoids, and the basic solution; acidifying the extraction solution to produce an aqueous phase and a fatty acid phase, the fatty acid phase including the free fatty acids and the carotenoids of the extraction solution; and separating the fatty acid phase from the aqueous phase.

A fiber bundle contactor may include a vessel including a first inlet; a second inlet; a mixing zone arranged in the vessel to receive a first fluid from the first inlet and a including fluid from the second inlet, wherein the mixing zone comprises a perforated plate assembly comprising a plate, a plurality of openings in the plate, and a plurality of riser pipes that extend from the plate and arranged to allow fluid flow through additional openings in the plate; and an extraction zone including a fiber bundle arranged in the vessel to receive the first fluid and the second fluid from the mixing zone.

A conduit contactor for conducting chemical reactions or chemical extractions between immiscible liquids includes a conduit having a hollow interior, a first open end, and a second open end opposite the first open end; a separator in fluid communication with and proximate the second open end; and a plurality of fibers disposed within the conduit. A total surface area of the fibers per volume of the hollow interior of the conduit is from 100 cm.sup.2/cm.sup.3 to 490 cm.sup.2/cm.sup.3.