A solution of extracted psychoactive alkaloids is obtained from psychoactive organisms or an existing extract using a neutral or acidic solvent. Acid extraction of psychoactive compounds from psychoactive organisms results in the dephosphorylated form of psychoactive alkaloids. The solution is basified to deprotonate the alkaloids. It is then subjected to a liquid-liquid extraction with a water-immiscible solvent. The resulting psychoactive organic layer is then subjected to a second liquid-liquid extraction with weakly acidic water. The resulting psychoactive aqueous layer is then dried to form a powder with the psychoactive alkaloid in a conjugate salt form. The powder may be standardized to a desired concentration of psychoactive alkaloid by the addition of an excipient. Alternatively, the standardization may be carried out on the psychoactive aqueous phase. Obtaining the psychoactive alkaloid in the conjugate salt form reduces the amount of non-psychoactive components included in the final extract.

A facility (50) for mixing/separating two immiscible liquids (22, 24) having different densities, said facility including a mixer (52) combined with a settler (14), the mixer including a tank (16) provided with two liquid inlets (18, 20); an agitator (28) located in the tank, the agitator being mounted on a shaft (30) rotating around a vertical axis (32); and a lift pump (54) located above the agitator. The pump includes a moving body (56) rotatable along the vertical axis (32), the moving body defining a first frustoconical inner surface (60) positioned along the vertical axis and upwardly flared, and a body (66) that is stationary relative to the tank, the stationary body defining a second frustoconical inner surface (68) positioned along the vertical axis and upwardly flared, the second frustoconical inner surface being situated substantially in an extension of, and above, the first frustoconical inner surface.

A solution of extracted psychoactive alkaloids is obtained from psychoactive organisms or an existing extract using a neutral or acidic solvent. Acid extraction of psychoactive compounds from psychoactive organisms results in the dephosphorylated form of psychoactive alkaloids. The solution is basified to deprotonate the alkaloids. It is then subjected to a liquid-liquid extraction with a water-immiscible solvent. The resulting psychoactive organic layer is then subjected to a second liquid-liquid extraction with weakly acidic water. The resulting psychoactive aqueous layer is then dried to form a powder with the psychoactive alkaloid in a conjugate salt form. The powder may be standardized to a desired concentration of psychoactive alkaloid by the addition of an excipient. Alternatively, the standardization may be carried out on the psychoactive aqueous phase. Obtaining the psychoactive alkaloid in the conjugate salt form reduces the amount of non-psychoactive components included in the final extract.

A liquid-liquid extraction system (1) adapted for the flow of two or more liquids therein is disclosed. The system comprises a mixer settler sub-system (100) and a counter-current liquid-liquid extraction column (200). The sub-system (100) comprises one or more mixer settlers (110) connected in series, and the column (200) comprises either a mixing section (260) comprising an agitation means (261) and/or a static section (280) comprising an internal (281). The first outlet (131) of the mixer settler sub-system (100) is in fluid communication with the first inlet (221) of the column (200) and the second inlet (112) of the mixer settler sub-system (100) is in fluid communication with the second inlet (222) of the counter-current liquid-liquid extraction column (200). The invention further relates to a counter-current liquid-liquid extraction process for using said system 1. The present invention further relates also to the use of the system (5) or process in removing aromatic compounds from organic streams, in treating an oil stream of a refinery, or in a liquid-liquid extraction process having at least two feed streams of different viscosity, similar density, or low interfacial tension.

An apparatus for the recovery of gold from a gold-bearing aqueous filtrate, the process comprising the steps of: (A) Contacting the aqueous filtrate with dibutyl carbitol (DBC) in a two-stage solvent extraction process to remove the gold from the aqueous filtrate into the DBC to form a gold-loaded DBC; and (D) Contacting the gold-loaded DBC with an aqueous acid scrub of hydrochloric acid in a four-stage countercurrent scrub process to remove impurities, e.g., non-gold metal, from the DBC into the aqueous scrub solution to form an impurity-loaded aqueous scrub.

Each stage of the solvent extraction circuit and the aqueous acid scrub circuit is equipped with a mixing assembly and a phase separation tank in a head-tail arrangement such that the mixing assembly of one stage is adjacent to the phase separation tank of the adjacent stage.

Deep desulfurization of hydrocarbon feeds containing undesired organosulfur compounds to produce a hydrocarbon product having low levels of sulfur, i.e., 15 ppmw or less of sulfur, is achieved by hydrotreating the feed under mild conditions, and separating the hydrotreated effluent into an aromatic-rich fraction which contains a substantial amount of the aromatic refractory and sterically hindered sulfur-containing compounds, and an aromatic-lean fraction. The aromatic-rich fraction is contacted with isomerization catalyst, and the isomerized aromatic-rich fraction is recycled to the mild hydrotreating process.

The invention relates to a method for automated liquid-liquid extraction. The method comprises the steps of: i) providing an extraction device, ii) providing a vessel with a hydrophilic phase and a hydrophobic phase, wherein at least one component to be extracted is contained in one of the two phases, iii) determining a conductivity difference L.sub.ist between the hydrophilic phase and the hydrophobic phase using a conductivity sensor.

The upper phase is extracted at at least two different speeds v.sub.1 to v.sub.n, wherein the last speed v.sub.n is slower than a previous speed v.sub.n1, preferably slower than v.sub.1 to v.sub.n1.

Deep desulfurization of hydrocarbon feeds containing undesired organosulfur compounds to produce a hydrocarbon product having low levels of sulfur, i.e., 15 ppmw or less of sulfur, is achieved by hydrotreating the feed under mild conditions, and separating the hydrotreated effluent into an aromatic-rich fraction which contains a substantial amount of the aromatic refractory and sterically hindered sulfur-containing compounds, and an aromatic-lean fraction. The aromatic-rich fraction is contacted with isomerization catalyst, and the isomerized aromatic-rich fraction is recycled to the mild hydrotreating process.

A mixer settler system is disclosed. The system comprises a mixer [110] configured for receiving an organic phase and an aqueous phase, the mixer [110] being further configured to maintain the organic phase and the aqueous phase in a single unstable emulsion phase, wherein mass transfer occurs between said organic phase and said aqueous phase; and, a column settler [120] which is configured to receive a single unstable emulsion phase from the mixer [110] via an emulsion inlet [125] and is also configured to separate the single unstable emulsion phase into a stable organic phase and a stable aqueous phase by virtue of coalescence; the column settler further comprising an organic outlet [121] above the emulsion inlet [125] and an aqueous outlet [123] below the emulsion inlet [125]; the column settler [120] further discouraging mass transfers within the unstable emulsion phase and further promoting coalescence of each of said stable organic phase and stable aqueous phase. A method of settling two immiscible liquids is further disclosed. The method comprises providing a mixer [110] configured for receiving an organic phase and an aqueous phase; maintaining the organic phase and the aqueous phase in a single unstable emulsion phase using the mixer [110], wherein mass transfer occurs between said organic phase and said aqueous phase; providing a column settler [120] which is configured to receive a single unstable emulsion phase from the mixer [110]; sending the single unstable emulsion phase to the column settler [120]; and separating the single unstable emulsion phase into a stable organic phase and a stable aqueous phase within the column settler [120] by virtue of coalescence.

A method includes receiving a water stream from a hydrocarbon production facility, the water stream having a first concentration of a kinetic hydrate inhibitor (KHI); flowing the water stream through a heat exchanger to heat the water stream to a target temperature; mixing the heated water stream with a treatment chemical to form a two-phase mixture, the treatment chemical having an affinity for the KHI; flowing the two-phase mixture into a separator; and physically separating the two-phase mixture into a first phase and a second phase, the first phase including water and having a second concentration of the KHI less than the first concentration, and the second phase including the KHI and the treatment chemical, the density of the second phase being less than the density of the first phase.