Facts At Your Fingertips
Liquid-Liquid Extraction
Department Editor: Scott Jenkins
L
iquid-liquid extraction is a com-
mon mass-transfer operation
in which a target solute mate-
rial is transferred from a feed phase
into a solvent. The process is used
in a number of applications, includ-
ing: the removal of valuable products
from fermentation broth; the removal
of high-boiling-point organic materi-
als from wastewater; recovery of hy-
drogen-bonded organic compounds
(formic acid, acetic acid and others)
from water; recovery of reaction prod-
ucts from a broth; washing of acids
or bases from an organic stream; and
others. This one-page reference pro-
vides information on how to asses the
performance of a liquid-liquid extrac-
tion column.
Extraction operation
In liquid-liquid extraction, a feed so-
lution is contacted with a liquid sol-
vent that is immiscible with some of
the components of the feed, but that
dissolves another component of the
feed solution. In the course of this
contact, a desired material can be
removed from the feed and trans-
ferred to the solvent phase. The sol-
vent phase refers to the solvent with
the dissolved solute, while the feed
solution without the solute is called
the raffinate phase.
There are a number of extrac-
tor types for liquid-liquid extraction,
including agitated columns, static
columns, rotating disc contactors
and others. In most cases, the two
phases flow countercurrently, by ex-
ploiting the difference in density of
the two fluids.
Column performance
Liquid-liquid equilibrium (LLE) data
describe the steady-state partitioning
behavior of the solute between the
two phases. The concentration of the
solute in the extract phase is plotted
against the concentration of the sol-
ute in the raffinate phase (see figure).
Each point along the curve defines a
local distribution coefficient, m, ac-
cording to the following equation:
m = ya / xa (1)
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM
where a is the sol- Typical LLE Equilibrium Curve
ute, ya is the weight 0.09
Extract composition*, wt. fraction solute
fraction (concen- 0.08
tration) of compo- 0.07
nent a in the extract
0.06
liquid and xa is the
weight fraction of 0.05
component a in 0.04
the raffinate liquid. 0.03
If an LLE data set
0.02
is available, and
the column ma- 0.01
terial balance is 0.00
known, it is pos- 0.000 0.005 0.010 0.015 0.020
Raffinate composition*, wt. fraction solute
sible to determine * On a solute-free basis
the number of the-
oretical stages necessary to achieve the solvent (solute-free basis)
a specific separation. m = distribution coefficient
S/F = mass ratio of solvent rate to
Column evaluation feed rate
To generate LLE data, a “shake test” E = extraction factor [m × (S/F)]
can be used. These tests are con-
ducted in reactor-type laboratory If the shake test results show a
flasks with the capability to allow agi- distribution coefficient that changes
tation and temperature control. Feed significantly with concentration, then
solutions containing varying solute a graphical method, such as the Mc-
concentrations are added to the flask Cabe-Thiele method for determining
along with varying amounts of solvent column efficiency (number of theo-
(corresponding to the solvent-to-feed retical stages), can be used.
ratio being used in the process). For The column performance and the
each case, the two-phase mixture is Kremser equation can help to evalu-
heated to the desired temperature ate the effects of changes to key
and the phases are mixed vigorously process variables. By changing in-
before being allowed to separate. dividual input variables, engineers
The two phases are then analyzed can quickly calculate the effect of the
to determine the solute concentra- changes on column performance.
tion in each. For the pair of samples Glatz and Parker [1] outlined six
in each test, the distribution coeffi- steps to improving a liquid-liquid ex-
cient is calculated. If the calculated traction process:
distribution coefficients are relatively 1. Generate LLE data for the current
constant, the number of theoretical (existing) process
stages can be calculated using the 2. Obtain the material balance for the
Kremser equation. existing column, including flowrates,
and solute concentrations for feed,
extract and raffinate
3. Use the Kremser equation, graphi-
cal solution, or simulation to calculate
the number of theoretical stages
(2) 4. Evaluate how changes in process
Where: variables affect column performance
ns = number of theoretical stages 5. Perform pilot testing based on re-
XF = mass concentration of solute in sults from step 4
the feed (solute-free basis) 6. Modify equipment and process
XN = mass concentration of solute in based on steps 4 and 5 n
the raffinate (solute-free basis) Editor’s note: This column is adapted from the following ar-
ticle: 1. Glatz, D. and Parker, W., “Enriching Liquid-Liquid
YS = mass concentration of solute in Extraction,” Chem. Eng., November 2004, pp. 44–48.
JUNE 2015 33
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