INTRODUCTION

Liquid liquid extraction or solvent extraction is a separation process which is based

on the different distribution of the components to be separated between two liquid phases. It
depends on the mass transfer of the component to be extracted from a first liquid phase to a
second one. The phases form definite contact areas and cannot or can only to a limited extent
mix with one another because their properties. The phases are composed of individual
substances, so-called components, and flow as liquid streams through the extractor.[1]

Generally, more than three components are involved in an extraction. To make the
description of the problem simpler, key components are defined. The feed to a liquid liquid
extraction is the solution that contains the components to be separated. The key component of
this liquid phase (the phase from which the solute is extracted) is called A, the transferred
substance (the solute) C. The (extraction) solvent is the liquid added to the process to extract
the substance C from the feed. The solvent can be the pure component, B, but usually
contains small quantities of C and A, because the solvent is usually recycled from a recovery
system. The solvent phase leaving the extractor is the extract. The extract contains mainly B
and the extracted component C but also small quantities of A. The raffinate is the liquid phase
left from the feed after being contacted by the extraction solvent; it is composed mainly of A,
but generally small quantities of the extracted component C and solvent B.[1]

A general extraction column has two input stream and two output streams. The input
streams consist of a solution feed at the top containing the solute to be extracted and a solvent
feed at the bottom which extracts the solute from the solution. The solvent containing the
extracted solute leaves the top of the column and is referred to as the extract stream. The
solution exits the bottom of the column containing only small amounts of solute and is known
as the raffinate. Further separation of the output streams may be required through other
separation processes. [2]

Liquid-liquid extraction is widely used in many industries. In general, this process

will be aided by distillation as the extracted product still contain some amount of solvent.
Besides, liquid-liquid extraction is highly preferred for temperature sensitive products,
components with close boiling point but high solubility differences, separation based on
species type and azeotrope forming mixtures. There are several types of units for this
separation process such as tray column, packed column, pulsating and agitation. In addition,
some of the application of liquid-liquid extraction process in industries are uranium recovery
in nuclear industry, extraction of bitumen from water in effluent treatment, extraction of
essential oils in pharmaceutical industry and copper/iron separation in mining. [3]

THEORY

In liquid-liquid extraction, two phases must be brought into contact to permit transfer
of material and then be separated. Extraction equipment may be operated batch wise or
continuous. The extract is the layer of solvent plus extracted solute and the raffinate is the
layer from which solute has been removed. The extract may be lighter or heavier than the
raffinate, and so the extract may be shown coming from top of the equipment in some cases
and from the bottom in others. The operation may of course be repeated if more than one
contact is required, but when the quantities involved are large and several contacts are
needed, continuous flow becomes economical. [4]

In dilute solutions at equilibrium, the concentration of the solute in the two phases is called
the distribution coefficient or distribution constant K.

K=Y/X

Where the Y and X are the concentrations of the solute in the extract and the raffinate phases
respectively. The distribution coefficient can also be given as the weight fraction of the
solute in the two phases in equilibrium contact:

K=y*/x

Where y* is the weight fraction of the solute in the extract and x is the weight fraction of the
solute in the raffinate.

The rate at which a soluble component is transferred from one solvent to another will be
dependent, among other things, on the area of the interface between the two immiscible
liquids. Therefore, it is very advantageous for this interface to be formed by droplets and
films, the situation being analogous to that existing in packed distillation columns.
The theory for the system Trichloroethylene-Propionic acid-Water is as follows:

Let Vw : Water flow rate, lt/s

Vo : Trichloroethylene flow rate, lt/s

X : Propionic acid concentration in the organic phase, kg/lt

Y : Propionic acid concentration in the aqueous phase, kg/lt

Subscripts: 1 : Top of column

2 : Bottom of column

Mass Balance:

Propionic acid extracted from the organic phase (raffinate).

= Vo (X1-X2) (8.1.1)

Propionic acid extracted by the aqueous phase (extract)

= Vw (Y1 -0) (8.1.2)

Therefore theoretically,

Vo (X1-X2) = Vw (Y1 -0) (8.1.3)

Mass transfer coefficient:

MTC=Rate of acid transfer/volume of packing mean driving force (8.1.4)

Where Log mean driving force: (X1-X2) / ln (X1/X2)

X1: Driving force at the top of the column = (X2-0)

 X2: Driving force at the bottom of the column = (X1-X1*)

Where X1* is the concentration in the organic phase which would be in equilibrium with
concentration Y1 in the aqueous phase. The equilibrium values can be found using the
distribution coefficient found in the first experiment. [4]

REFERENCES

[1] Eckart Mller1, Rosemarie Berger2,Eckhart Blass3, Domien Sluyts4, Andreas

Pfennig5, LiquidLiquid Extraction. Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial
Chemistry, Published Online: 15 JAN 2008 , available at :
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14356007.b03_06.pub2/abstract

[2] Liquid-liquid extraction, P. Joseph-Nathan, J. Chem. Educ., 1967, 44 (3), p 176,

Publication Date: March 1967
[3] Geankoplis, C.J. (2003). Transport Processes and Separation Process Principles.
(4th edition). Pearson Prentice Hall.
[4] Kevin Dunn (2013), Separation Process: Liquid-liquid extraction. [ONLINE]
Available at
http://courses.chem.psu.edu/chem36/Experiments/PDFs_for_techniques/Liquid_
Liquid.pdf.