A new mixer-settler-mixer three chamber integrated extractor is proposed in this work for liquid-liquid-liquid three phase countercurrent and continuous extraction.Experiments revealed the influences of the structural design of the three-liquid-phase extractor and some key operational parameters on three-phase partition of two phenolic isomers,p-nitrophenol(p-NP) and o-nitrophenol(o-NP).The model three-liquid-phase extraction system used here is nonane(organic top-phase)-polyethylene glycol(PEG 2000)(polymer middle-phase)-(NH4)2SO4 aqueous solution(aqueous bottom-phase).It is indicated that agitating speed and retention time in three-phase mixer are key parameters to extraction fraction of nitrophenol.Dispersion band behavior is related to agitating in-tensity,and its occurrence does not affect the extraction fraction of target compounds.The present work highlights the possibility of a feasible approach of scaling up of the proposed three-phase extraction apparatus for future in-dustrial-aimed applications.
