The present application is directed to a continuous contacting apparatus for
separating a liquid component from a liquid mixture. The apparatus comprises: (i)
an evaporation chamber (15) having first and second ends, an inlet (50)
and an outlet (55) for a carrier gas, and an inlet (30) and an outlet
(40) for a liquid mixture, wherein the inlet (30) for the liquid
mixture and the outlet (55) of the carrier gas are located on the first
end of the evaporation chamber (15); (ii) a dew-formation chamber (20)
having an inlet (60) and an outlet (65) for a carrier gas and an
outlet for the separable liquid component (80), wherein the inlet for the
carrier gas (60) of the dew-formation chamber (20) is situated in
a countercurrent manner to the inlet for the carrier gas of the evaporation chamber;
(iii) a common heat transfer wall (10) providing thermal communication between
the evaporation chamber (15) and the dew-formation chamber (20);
(iv) a feeding device for providing the liquid mixture onto the evaporation side
of the heat transfer wall; (v) an air mover for controlling a flow of a carrier
gas through the chambers, wherein the gas flow in the evaporation chamber is countercurrent
to the gas flow in the dew-formation chamber; and (vi) a heating apparatus for
heating the carrier gas from the outlet of the evaporation chamber, wherein the
heated carrier gas is directed to flow into the inlet of the dew-formation chamber.
Also described is a process for separating a liquid component from a liquid mixture
in a continuous contacting manner comprising employing such an apparatus for such separation.
