ABSTRACT

Regarding to the experiment objectives, which are to determine the distribution coefficient for the
system (organic solvent-Propionic Acid-Water) and the mass transfer coefficient with the aqueous phase
as the continuous medium. This experiment is based on concentration. For the experiment A, we used
water as the solvent and propionic acid as organic solvent and mixed it together. Then this solution
which has different solubility and densities were separated using separators funnel and then titrate with
0.1M of NaOH concentration. The values for distribution coefficient,K by titration are 3.25 in 1.0 ml of
propionic acid, 1.77 in 3ml of propionic acid and 1.50 in 5ml of propionic acid.
For experiment B, to get the feed,raffinate and extract sample, the liquid-liquid extraction column was
used in this experiment. Then the sample was titrated with 0.1M of NaOH concentration. The value of
mass transfer coefficient from liquid-liquid extraction is. The experiment was completely and
successfully done.

THEORY
The fundamental principle of the liquid-liquid extraction is to transfer one or more components
from one liquid phase to the other to a desired extent. Extraction process is a process that using

physical properties rather than chemical properties to separates components in a mixture.

The basic principle of this process is involves the

contacting of a solution with another solvent

which are immiscible or partially miscible most of the time. Two phases are formed after the
addition of the solvent, due to the differences in densities. The solvent is chosen so that the

solute in the solution has more affinity toward the added solvent. Therefore mass transfer of
the solute from the solution to the solvent occurs.

Extraction usually takes places as a

counter-current flow regime. The feed diluent becomes raffinate and the solvent becomes
extract. The term diluent is also used to represent the component of the feed in which the
solutes are dissolved.

The extract phase will be the water and propionic acid and the
raffinate,organic solvent with a trace of propionic acid. At a condition where the solubility of a
solute, in both phases, y and x, will be in equilibrium, the ratio of y to x, represented by K, is
called distribution ratio.

The constant K, is essentially the ratio of the concentrations of the solute in the two different
Solvents once the system reaches equilibrium. At equilibrium the molecules naturally distribute
themselves in the solvent where they are more soluble. Inorganic and water soluble materials
will stay in the water layer and more organic molecules will remain in the organic layer. By
using the correct solvent system, a molecule can be specifically selected and extracted from
another solvent. Needless to say, the greater the concentration of sample in the extracting
solvent, the greater the distribution coefficient, and the more efficient the extraction.

1. Fijal.Z., Loukeris.C.,and Naghibzadeh.Z (n.d). Liquid- liquid extraction report. Retrieved
from http://www.uic.edu/labs/lppd/teaching/files/che396/sepProj/SNRTEM~1.pdf
2. Laboratory manual. (2010). Partially-miscible liquid-liquid extraction. Retrieved from
http://www.engr.usask.ca/classes/CHE/414/experiments/Labmanual-2010.pdf
3. Liquid/Liquid Extraction. (n.d). Retrieved from
http://courses.chem.psu.edu/chem36/Experiments/PDF's_for_techniques/Liquid_Liquid
.pdf
4. Lab Manual.