Abstract: Piping for use in liquid collection and distribution, e.g. in liquid-solid contact vessels, has an extruded pipe having on one side a pair of outwardly-projecting spaced arms each having a re-entrant lip forming a support channel with re-entrant sides extending along the channel. Channel-section strainer members are slid endwise into the support channel with the sides of the strainer channel being received between the lip and the outer surface of the pipe and with the bottom of the strainer channel, which is provided with strainer slots or perforations, bridging between the support channel sides. In use, orifices are formed through the side wall of the pipe to communicate with the interior of the support channel to provide for distribution and collection of liquids through the strainer members. The structure provides a screened slot extending continuously along the length of the pipe, and is easily assembled without requiring special tools.

Abstract: In an ion exchange process for recovering valuable components from a weak feed solution containing impurities, an improved loading of the desired component on the resin and a purer and more concentrated eluate can be obtained by subjecting the resin to a conditioning step after the step of exhaustion of the feed solution onto the resin and before the resin elution step. In the conditioning step, a predetermined isolated quantity of the loaded resin is contracted with a conditioning solution capable of preferentially removing the unwanted impurity component.

Abstract: Elution of copper from chelating anion exchange resins wherein the first volumes of eluate obtained have very low copper contents. The elution is conducted in an elution cycle which is applied to successive loaded batches of resin. In each cycle the loaded resin is pre-treated with a low grade copper tertiary solution obtained as a process effluent from a preceding cycle. Copper from a tertiary solution becomes loaded onto the resin. The resin is then contacted with a secondary eluant, also obtained as an effluent from a preceding cycle. The first fraction of effluent is stored for use as the tertiary solution in the next cycle and the second fraction is recovered as concentrated eluate. The resin is then contacted with a primary eluant. The first fraction of effluent is recovered as concentrated eluate and the second fraction is stored for use as secondary eluant in the next cycle.

Abstract: An improved process for continuous counter-current contact between a fluid to be treated and solid particles wherein the fluid flows through a column containing a plurality of contacting chambers each of which contains solid particles and in which intermittent transfer of the particles in a direction opposite to that of the fluid from each chamber to the chamber immediately adjacent is effected while maintaining a continuous flow of the fluid through the column.

Abstract: Loaded solid resin particles obtained as an output slurry from a continuous fluid/solid contactor are stripped by counter-current elution in which discrete measured batches of the loaded resin are isolated, each batch is drained of its carrier liquid, and successive drained batches are then slurried intermittently into the bottom of an elution column using strong eluate from the elution column to slurry the resin into the bottom of the column.