The contacting device for countercurrent contacting of fluid streams and having a first pair of intersecting grids of spaced-apart and parallel deflector blades and a second pair of intersecting grids of spaced-apart and parallel deflector blades. The deflector blades in each one of the grids are interleaved with the deflector blades in the paired intersecting grid and may have uncut side portions that join them together along a transverse strip where the deflector blades cross each other or adjacent opposed ends of the deflector blades and cut side portions that extend from the uncut side portions to the ends of the deflector blades. At least some of the deflector blades have directional tabs and associated openings to allow portions of the fluid streams to pass through the deflector blades to facilitate mixing of the fluid streams.

A device and related method for producing a ready-to-use solution from a concentrate and a diluent includes an inlet for the diluent; an inlet for the concentrate; an outlet for the solution; a line extending from the inlet for the diluent via a confluence where diluent and concentrate meet, to the outlet; a mixing container arranged in the line between the confluence and the outlet and having a larger cross-section than parts of the line, which are arranged upstream and downstream of the mixing container; and a metering pump for the concentrate, which is connected on the suction side to the inlet for the concentrate and on the pressure side to the confluence and which operates in a pulsed manner. The metering pump works with a clock frequency, in which a plurality of pump surges are attributable to the dwell time of the liquid in the mixing container.

A gas-liquid contact apparatus has a gas-liquid contact unit, a liquid supply system, and a gas supply system. The gas-liquid contact unit includes a plurality of stages which are allocated so as to be arranged in the lateral direction. Each of the plurality of stages includes a plurality of vertical flat plates arranged parallel to each other at intervals. The liquid supply system supplies a liquid to the gas-liquid contact unit, and causes the liquid to be circulated along the arrangement of the plurality of stages successively. The gas supply system supplies a gas to the gas-liquid contact unit, and causes the gas to be circulated along the arrangement of the plurality of stages successively. The supplied liquid flows down on the plurality of vertical flat plates in each of the plurality of stages, and comes into contact with the supplied gas.

A method for preparing a dispersion of nanoparticles of a solid organic dye or pigment in a liquid carrier, the method comprising continuously mixing: at least one solution or slurry containing a reactant precursor for the solid organic dye or pigment in an organic or other solvent with the liquid carrier in a counter current mixing reactor whereby to obtain reaction of the reactant precursor and formation of the solid organic dye or pigment as a dispersion of nanoparticles in the liquid carrier and solvent mixture; optionally, removing unreacted reactant precursor and/or by-product from the dispersion when present; and optionally, concentrating the dispersion.

A vortexing chamber, including: a chamber housing having a hollow channel, a first end and a second end; and one or more structural impediment objects having a substantially spherical, cubic, rectangular, cylindrical, polyhedron, tetrahedron, or irregular shape; where the objects are housed within the hollow channel, configured to mix a liquid and gas (for example, oxygen or nitrogen) when a liquid and gas pass through the vortexing chamber. The structural impediment objects can provide turbulence and dispersion when a liquid and gas are passed through the vortexing chamber at a high velocity, resulting in micro-bubbles or nano-bubbles suspended in a liquid and gas mixture.

A process for producing an aqueous polymer solution, including: (a) providing a hydrated polymer that has been prepared by aqueous solution polymerisation of ethylenically unsaturated monomers, which hydrated polymer contains at least 10% by weight active polymer; (b) cutting the hydrated polymer by subjecting the hydrated polymer to at least one cutting stage containing at least one stream of aqueous liquid at a pressure of at least 150 bar to reduce the size of the hydrated polymer; and (c) dissolving the hydrated polymer in an aqueous liquid so as to obtain an aqueous polymer solution. An apparatus for producing an aqueous polymer solution.

One example provides a microfluidic mixing device that includes a main fluidic channel to provide main fluidic channel flow and a number of I-shaped secondary channels extending outwardly from a portion of the main fluidic channel. A number of inertial pumps are located within the I-shaped secondary channels to create serpentine flows in the direction of the main fluidic channel flow or create vorticity-inducing counterflow in the main fluidic channel.

A gas-liquid contact apparatus has a gas-liquid contact unit, a liquid supply system, and a gas supply system. The gas-liquid contact unit includes a plurality of stages which are allocated so as to be arranged in the lateral direction. Each of the plurality of stages includes a plurality of vertical flat plates arranged parallel to each other at intervals. The liquid supply system supplies a liquid to the gas-liquid contact unit, and causes the liquid to be circulated along the arrangement of the plurality of stages successively. The gas supply system supplies a gas to the gas-liquid contact unit, and causes the gas to be circulated along the arrangement of the plurality of stages successively. The supplied liquid flows down on the plurality of vertical flat plates in each of the plurality of stages, and comes into contact with the supplied gas.

A method for preparing a dispersion of nanoparticles of a solid organic dye or pigment in a liquid carrier, the method comprising forming a solution or slurry of the solid organic dye or pigment in an organic or other solvent, and continuously mixing the solution or slurry with the liquid carrier in a counter current or concurrent mixing reactor providing a dispersion of the nanoparticles in the liquid carrier and solvent mixture and, optionally concentrating the dispersion.

Microcapsules and techniques for the formation of microcapsules are generally described. In some embodiments, the microcapsules are formed in an emulsion (e.g., a multiple emulsion). In some embodiments, the microcapsule may be suspended in a carrying fluid containing the microcapsule that, in turn, contain the smaller droplets. In some embodiments, the microcapsules comprise a shell and a droplet at least partially contained within the shell (e.g., encapsulated within the shell), and may be suspended in a carrier fluid. In certain embodiments, the shell is a hydrogel comprising a poly(acid). In some cases, the poly(acid) is a polyanion. In some cases, the shell does not comprise a poly(base) or polycation (e.g., a polycationic poly electrolyte). In some embodiments, the microcapsules comprise a shell comprising a poly(acid) and a poly(anhydride).