LEACHING (SOLID-LIQUID

EXTRACTION)
Dr. Leonardo C. Medina Jr.

Perrys Chemical
Engineers Handbook
8th Edition

7th Edition

Section 18

Section 18

Pages 18-59 to 18-66

Pages 18-55 to 18-59

Leaching (Lexiviation orSolidLiquid Extraction)

The dissolving, by a liquid solvent, of soluble material
from its mixture with an insoluble solid.
Examples are washing of soluble salt from the surface
of an insoluble precipitate, extraction of sugar from
sugar beet, extraction of tannic acid from bark,
extraction of alginic acids from seaweed

Continuous Counter-current Ideal Stage Leaching &

Washing System

Countercurrent Leaching Cascade

Continuous Counter-current Washing

System Using Thickeners

SELECTION OR DESIGN OF A LEACHING

PROCESS
1. Process and Operating Conditions - The major
parameters that must be fixed or identified are the
solvent to be used, the temperature, the terminal
stream compositions and quantities, leaching cycle
(batch or continuous), contact method, and specific
extractor choice.
2. Temperature - The temperature of the extraction
should be chosen for the best balance of solubility,
solvent-vapor pressure, solute diffusivity, solvent
selectivity, and sensitivity of product.

3. Choice of Solvent - The solvent selected will offer

the best balance of a number of desirable
characteristics: high saturation limit and selectivity
for the solute to be extracted, capability to
produce extracted material of quality unimpaired
by the solvent, chemical stability under process
conditions, low viscosity, low vapor pressure, low
toxicity and flammability, low density, low surface
tension, ease and economy of recovery from the
extract stream, and price.

4. Terminal Stream Compositions and Quantities - These

are basically linked to an arbitrary given: the
production capacity of the leaching plant (rate of
extract production or rate of raw-material
purification by extraction).
5. Leaching Cycle and Contact Method - As is true
generally, the choice between continuous and
intermittent operation is largely a matter of the size
and nature of the process of which the extraction is
a part.

6. Type of Reactor - The specific type of reactor that is

most compatible (or least incompatible) with the
chosen combination of the preceding parameters
seldom is clearly and unequivocally perceived
without difficulty, if at all.
7. Extractor-Sizing Calculations - For any given
throughput rate (which fixes the cross-sectional area
and/or the number of extractors), the size of the
units boils down to the number of stages required,
actual or equivalent.

Composition Diagrams

In its elemental form, a leaching system consists of

three components: inert, insoluble solids; a single
non-adsorbed solute, which may be liquid or solid;
and a single solvent. Thus, it is a ternary system,
albeit an unusual one, as already mentioned, by
virtue of the total mutual insolubility of two of the
phases and the simple nature of equilibrium.

Right Triangle Diagram

Modified Ponchon Savarit Diagram

VARIABLE UNDERFLOW
Here, or the weight of the retained solution varies
from stage to stage. The number of Ideal Stages
may be determined graphically.
1. Using Rectangular Diagram or Coordinates
(McCabe-Smith Method)
Coordinates chosen are: (B = solids; A= solute;
S = solvent)
B , mass ratio of solids to solution
Y
A S
A
, concentration of solute in solution
X
AS

To plot underflow curve, an experimental data of

R vs X must be known where:

mass solution retained

R
mass solids
and
X = concentration of solution
Note that

1
R

2.Triangular Diagram
Procedure:
1. Plot X and Y coordinates of known streams,
usually, V b , V a , L a
2. Determine J point by setting up over-all balance,
Va Lb V b La J
Y J YVb
La

Vb
Y La Y J

3. Determine point Lb along underflow curve by

extending line Va J

4. Determine operating point P from a balance

around stages (1) to (n):
La V n 1 Ln V a
V n 1 Ln V a La

n 1

Vb Lb P
5. Determine Theoretical N following Ponchon-Savarit
method

Constant Underflow
Since is constant, the slope of the operating line is
constant. With a linear operating line and in
leaching, the equilibrium curve is always linear the
number of ideal stages may be determined using
the ABSORPTION FACTOR METHOD or the TILLERTOUR Equation.
where: *
y b y b*
yb xb
log
y a y a*
N
yb ya
log
y b* y a*

*
ya

xa

Since xa is not known i.e, the fresh feed does not

contain any retained solution, to apply the
equation, we omit the first stage and just apply it to
the (N-1) stages, thus

log
N 1
log
where:
ya and
performance of stage 1
' *
ya xa'

y b y b*
y a'

yb
y b*

'
ya

' *
ya
y a'
' *
ya

is determined from the

x1 y 2
log
xN yN 1
N 1
x1 x N
log
y 2 yN 1

Assumptions
- Solid B is insoluble in solvent
- No solid B in overflow
- Steady state operation
- Solid B in feed = Solid B in any underflow
The characteristic of the adhering solution is the same
as that of the strong solution leaving a particular
stage.
X1=Y1
X2=Y2
XN=YN

1. Constant Solvent Retention

solvent
solid

If
ratio is constant, concentrations are
expressed in mass solute
mass solvent
Retention = mass solvent retained/mass solid B
L1 = L2 = L3 == LN = L
V2 = V3 = V4 =..= VN+1 = V
y2 = L/V ( x1 xN ) + yN+1

2. Constant Solution Retention

If solution ratio is constant, concentrations are expressed in
solid

masssolute
masssolution

Retention = mass solution retained/mass solid B

L1 = L2 = L3 == LN = L
V2 = V3 = V4 =..= VN+1 = V

y2 = L/V ( x1 xN ) + yN+1

Kennedy Extractor for Leaching of Oil

from Soybeans

Batch Leaching Machine : Espresso Coffee Maker

Moving Bed Leaching Equipment : Bollman

Extractor

Moving Bed Leaching Equipment: Rotocel Extractor