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PILOT SCALE B A T C H SOLVENT

EXTRACTION PLANT

SUMMARY

A batch solvent extraction and recovery plant is described.

The plant has an extraction efficiency of 99% and achieves a solvent
recovery of 95#. It could be used as a pilot plant for defatting of
seeds etc. but would be uneconomical for large scale operation in
its present form.

INTRODUCTION

As solvent extraction is commonly used as an alternative or

in combination with expression for the recovery of oil from beans*
nuts and seeds, the need was felt for a solvent extraction plant with
solvent recovery. A s an initial step a batch extraction plant based
on the 'Dias Extractor* principle (1) was developed. Although quite
a complex series of operations are necessary for solvent recovery
the recovery plant was simplified for easy construction with locally
available materials* Soya beans* ground nuts, cotton seed and rice
bran are among the Materials from which oil can be extracted by
solvent extraction.

DIAS V A P O U R SPRAY EXTRACTOR PRINCIPLE

This consists mainly of a vapouxzing chamber*, extraction

chamber and a condenser (Fig. I). On heating the solvent in the
vapourizing chamber a vapour pressure is built up in it and delivers
rapidly through the central tube to the condenser* where it condenses
and drops to the extraction chamber. The condensed liquid* which
is the extracting medium* extracts soluble constituents in the extraction
chamber and the miscella draws down to the vapourizing chamber. A s
heating continues the solvent is continuously stripped off the miscella
and the extraction of oil from the material is continued until no more
 - 2-

could be extracted*

PILOT P L A N T STUDY

A pilot plant study was undertaken firstly to determine the

efficiency of the 'Dias Extractor' and secondly to determine the
efficiency of solvent recovery* The extractor was set up with
available glass columns as shown in figure I* It consisted of a
reboiler fitted with a steam coil a glass column for the extraction chamber
and a glass condenser* The extraction chamber was loaded with the
requisite amount of material and the reboiler witht the solvent*
The extraction was complete within one hour and the residual oil
content in the exhausted meal was less than 1# thus giving an
extraction efficiency of 99$ As the performance of the extractor
was very encouraging a complete batch plant with solvent recovery
was constructed* (Fig* 2*)

The extractor consisted of a jacketed vessel with a conical

bottom and a detachable head for charging the materials. The
material was supported on a perforated plate above the conical
bottom. The conical section was fitted with coils for indirect
heating and also for live steam entry* The extractor was fitted with
a vertical condenser on its lid to provide the condensed solvent
for extraction and a horizontal condenser* for solvent recovery*

The experimental procedure is as follows:

The material is charged in to the extractor and the lid

is tightly closed* The solvent (petroleum ether) is fed in through
an opening on the lid and the valve is closed* During the extraction
the valve leading the solvent vapour to the vertical condenser is
opened and that on the horizontal dondenser is closed* Heat is
supplied to the jacket by steam and to the steam coil to heat up
 - 3-

the bed and solvent maintaining a temperature around 80C in

the space above the material* After the extraction is complete
cooling water supply to the vertical condenser is shut and directed
to the horizontal condenser* During solvent recovery steam is
paased into the jacket and to the steam coil until the rate of
condensation of solvent vapour becomes very low* Then the oil
nearly free from solvent is removed at the bottom of the extractor*
Live steam is passed through the bed while steam is supplied
to the jacket as well* This removes all the solvent in the bed of
material and condenses in the horizontal condenser and collected
in a receiver* The last traces of solvent in the oil (0.03%) is
recovered in a separate unit* The exhausted meal is discharged
through a manhole in the extractor*

Alternatively solvent was recovered from the bed of material

by passing a current of water through the bed which removed the
solvent which was separated in a separator*

R E S U L T S A N D DISCUSSION

The results of experiments carried out are presented in

Tfble I.

It is clearly seen from experiments No. 1, that the 'Dias

Extractor* principle could be applied on a large scale with a very
high efficiency of extraction (99.2%). However its application is
limited to batch extraction* From the experimental results 2,34
obtained from the large scale plant with solvent recovery (capacity
12 kg per batch), a solid to solvent ratio of 1:2 was found to be the
most suitable* The solvent recovery was found to be around 95# and
extraction efficiency greater than 99%.
0

- 4 -

The investigations reveal that the simple extraction plant

could not function economically due to the 5% loss of solvent. The
main reasons for loss of solvent are, batch operation and the
utilisation of locally available material such as valves which are
unsuited for prevention of vapour leaks. Further improvements to the
plant would be to consider continuous operation and incorporate
more sophistication. The present plant would serve the purpose
of defating soya flour etc. and could serve as a pilot plant for
general use.

REFERENCES

1. 'Dias vapour spray extractor' - by A . P. Dias,

CISIR internal report.

Mrs. C . Udawatte
Technical Assistant

M . R. W . Jayawardana
Technical Assistant

Dr. S. A . Abeysekera
Head, Pilot Plant & Designs

4th August, 1978.


T A B L B I J, '

Expt. Wt. of Moisture Dry wt. Oil content Wt. of oil Oil content Loss of Time of . Solvent .Solvent Time of
Ho. sample content of sample In original extracted in exhausted oil kg. extract used kg. recover recovery
kg. $ sample kg. sample kg. kg. meal kg. ion hrs. ed kg. nr.

5 8 4.6 0.948 0.937 0.8 0.011 1 3.325 -

2 6.6 10 5.9 1.18 1.13 0.0124 0.05 3 20.19 19.22 2*
(20.0196) (0.2190 (96.10)

3 11.4 10 10.26 2.062 2.025 0.0184 0.037 3 20.19 18.94 2*

(20.01$) (0.21%) (94.7*)

4 8.1 5.7 7.64 1.50 1.48 0.0151 0.02 3 17.8 17.0 2B

(19.6*) (O.209&) (95.5%)
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SOLVENT-

HORIZONTAL

ma
* u

Rt COVERED SOLVENT

CENTRE m W i .

S T E W OR WATER

U v e STEAM.

$KNO. U087S-J

PILOT PLANT SCALE DIAS VAPOUR SPRAY

EXTRACTOR - FlG.lt
 CONDENSER.

EXTRACTION CHAMBER-

CENTRE. TUBE.

MATERIAL.

VAP0UR1S\NQ CHAMBER.

- SOLVENT.

I CORES'

SMALL SCALE DIAS VAPOUR SPRAY EXTRACTOR - FIG. I