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 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.

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.

The problem addressed by the present invention is providing a fluid processing method including extraction that can extract material to be extracted continuously with high efficiency. In a thin film fluid formed between at least two processing surfaces (1, 2) disposed facing each other so as to be able to approach to and separate from each other such that at least one rotates relative to the other, a fluid processing that extracts at least one kind of material to be extracted in at least one kind of the extraction solvent that can extract that material to be extracted is carried out. In addition, the fluid containing at least one kind of material to be extracted and a fluid for extraction that contains the at least one kind of extraction solvent are mixed in the thin film fluid formed between the at least two processing surfaces (1, 2) disposed facing each other so as to be able to approach to and separate from each other such that at least one rotates relative to the other, and a fluid processing process that extracts the at least one kind of material to be extracted into the at least one kind of extraction solvent is carried out.

The present invention relates to a method of extracting a pigment from microalgae.

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.

Process for producing a salt comprising NaCl and/or KCl from the aqueous effluents from one or more organic peroxide production processes, said process comprising the following steps (a) ensuring the pH of the aqueous effluents to be in the range from about 1-5, (b) separating the effluents in a liquid organic layer and an aqueous layer, (c) removing the organic layer, (d) raising the pH of the aqueous layer to a value in the range from about 6-14, and (e) crystallizing the salt from the aqueous layer having a pH in the range from about 6-14.

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 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.

Disclosed herein are methods for recovering phosphorus-containing ligand from mixtures comprising organic mononitriles and organic dinitriles, using liquid-liquid extraction. Also disclosed are treatments to enhance extractability of the phosphorus-containing ligand.