THEORY

Extraction is a process of separation of desired substance when it is mixed with others. The
mixture is brought into contact with a solvent in which the substance of interest is soluble, but
the other substances present is insoluble. There are several types of extraction which are liquid-
liquid extraction and solid phase extraction. Liquidliquid extraction (LLE) is process of
transferring one or more solutes contained in a feed solution to another immiscible liquid which
is solvent. The solvent that is enriched in solute is called extract. The feed solution that is
depleted in solute is called raffinate. 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.

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 theory for the system Trichloroethylene-Propionic acid-Water is as follows:
Let Vw : Water flow rate, L/min

Vo : Trichloroethylene flow rate, L/min

X : Propionic acid concentration in the organic phase, mol/L

Y : Propionic acid concentration in the aqueous phase, mol/L
Subscripts: 1 : Top of column
2 : Bottom of column

Mass Balance:
Propionic acid extracted from the organic phase (raffinate).
= Vo (X -X )
1 2

Propionic acid extracted by the aqueous phase (extract)

= Vw (Y1 -0)
Therefore theoretically,
Vo (X1-X2) = Vw (Y1- 0)

Mass transfer coefficient:

MTC=Rate of acid transfer/volume of packing mean driving force
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.