Abstract: A method for removing soluble contaminants, such as acetonitrile, from a non-polar hydrocarbon stream into a polar water stream by countercurrent flow between an electrostatic field generated by a pair of parallel electrodes. The electrostatic field is modulated in strength to produce a dispersing, mixing, coalescing, and settling cycle that is effective to mix and separate the fluids.

Abstract: Zinc is extracted from an aqueous zinc containing brine (3) by contacting the brine with an organic reagent (5) consisting essentially of an extracting agent comprising a quaternary amine salt, a phase modifier, and an organic diluent so as to form a zinc amine complex (7) whereby a substantial portion of the zinc ions in the brine is transferred to the organic phase. The quaternary amine salt is a methyl triakyl ammonium chloride herein the alkyl groups contain from 8 to 10 carbon atoms. The zinc amine complex (7) is then contacted with an aqueous strippant (11) comprising a solution of sodium sulfate in water so as to form a sulfated quaternary amine salt whereby a substantial portion of zinc in the zinc amine complex is stripped therefrom and transferred to the aqueous phase as an aqueous zinc chloride solution (13) from which zinc may be recovered by electrowinning or chemical precipitation.