II.

VARIABLE UNDERFLOW LEACHING

2. A continuous countercurrent multi-stage system is to be used to leach oil from meal by benzene solvent. The process is to treat
meal containing 2000 kg/hr of inert solid meal, 800 kg oil and 50 kg benzene. The inlet flow per hour of solvent contains 1310
kg benzene and 20 kg oil. The leached solids are to contain 120 kg oil. Calculate the amounts of concentration of the streams
leaving the process and the number of stages required.
𝑘𝑔 𝑜𝑖𝑙
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7
𝑘𝑔 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝑘𝑔 𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑡
2 1.98 1.94 1.89 1.82 1.75 1.68
𝑘𝑔 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

GIVEN: Overflow

Extract, Va Benzene Solvent, Vb

ya 1310 kg
20 kg oil
1 N-1 N
a b

Meal Feed Raffinate, R

2000 kg/hr inert solid meal 120 oil
800 kg oil Lb =solution in R
50 kg C6H6
La =solution in Feed

REQ’D: a) concentrations of extract and raffinate b) N

SOL’N: VARIABLE UNDERFLOW LEACHING

A. PONCHON-SAVARIT METHOD
𝑜𝑖𝑙 𝑖𝑛 𝑉𝑏 20
• Vb (yb,0) 𝑦𝑏 = = = 0.0150
𝑉𝑏 1310+20
Vb (yb, 0) = (0.0150, 0)
𝑜𝑖𝑙 𝑖𝑛 𝑉𝑎
• Va (ya,0) 𝑦𝑎 =
𝑉𝑎

𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑,𝐵 2000

Na = = = 2.3529
𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛,𝐿 800+50

800
xa = solute/solution = = 0.9412
800+50

• La (xa, Na) = (0.9412, 2.3529)

**From the given entrainment data, N, solve for 1/N
x = solute/solution N = kg inert/ kg solution 1/N = kg solution/ kg inert
0.1 2 0.5
0.2 1.98 0.5051
0.3 1.94 0.5155
0.4 1.89 0.5291
0.5 1.32 0.5495
0.6 1.75 0.5714
0.7 1.68 0.5952
SOLUTION BALANCE: La + Vb = Va + Lb
(800+50) + (1310 +20) = Va + Lb
**solution= solvent+solute

1 1
Lb = (𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑) = 𝑘𝑔 𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑡 (𝑘𝑔 𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑) = 𝑘𝑔 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛= eq’n 1
𝑁 𝑁,𝑘𝑔 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

xb = 120 kg oil / Lb eq’n 2

Since there are 3 unknowns but only 2 equations, then proceed with TRIAL AND ERROR
Steps:
1. Assume any value of xb
2. Solve Nb by interpolation using given entrainment data (assume linear regression, STAT-2 in your calculator)
3. Solve Lb using eqn 1
4. Solve xb using eqn 2
5. Check if the value of assumed xb(Step 1) is equal to solved xb (Step 4)
6. If not equal, use solved xb as the new assumed xb. Repeat steps 1 to 5

Assumed: xb 1/N Lb Calculated xb

0.1 ½ 1000 0.12
0.12 0.5010 1002.04 0.1198
0.1198 0.5010 1002.04 0.1198

Xb = 0.1198
120 𝑘𝑔 𝑜𝑖𝑙 𝑖𝑛 𝑅 120
Lb = 𝑘𝑔 𝑜𝑖𝑙 = = 1001.6694 𝑘𝑔 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑅
𝑥𝑏,𝑘𝑔 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 0.1198

2000 𝑘𝑔 𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑

Nb = = 1.9967
1001.6694 𝑘𝑔 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

• Lb (xb, Nb) = (0.1198, 1.9967)

SOLUTION BALANCE AROUND THE SYSTEM: 850 + (1310 +20) = Va + Lb

850 + (1310 +20) = Va + 1001.6694
Va = 1178.3306 kg
OIL BALANCE AROUND THE SYSTEM: La xa + Vb yb = Lb xb + Va ya
800 + 20 = 120 + 1178.3306 (ya)
ya = 0.5941 kg oil/kg solution

• Va (ya, 0) = (0.5941, 0)
Determine the number of stages:
1. Plot underflow (blue curve) and overflow curve (x-axis).
2. Plot La, Lb, Va, Vb
3. Connect La – Va (red line) and Lb – Vb (green line), then extend until intersection
4. Draw the stages as shown below. (orange lines)
5. Count the number of triangles or equilibrium stages
 From Original Data, x vs N shows this curve 2.5

x N 2
0.1 2

N, solid/solution
0.2 1.98 1.5

0.3 1.94
1
0.4 1.89
0.5 1.32 0.5
0.6 1.75
0
0.7 1.68 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7
**remove offshoot data that doesn’t follow linear x
regression

x N 2.1
0.1 2 2
0.2 1.98
N, solid/solution

0.3 1.94 1.9

0.4 1.89 1.8

0.6 1.75
1.7
0.7 1.68
1.6

1.5
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.6 0.7
x

Plot these 4 points on the underflow and overflow curves

Vb (yb, 0) = (0.0150, 0)

La (xa, Na) = (0.9412, 2.3529)

Lb (xb, Nb) = (0.1198, 1.9967)

Va (ya, 0) = (0.5941, 0)
 N =4 stages

4 3 2 1

A. Using MCCABE-THIELE METHOD

Va V Vb
ya y yb

1 n N
La L Lb
xa x xb

In Mccabe – Thiele Method, at least 4 pts, including (x a, ya) and (xb, yb) , are needed to draw the operating line. For the 2 additional
pts, balance around the dashed line will be done.
Steps:
1. Assume any value of x between xa and xb
2. Solve for y using balance around dashed line

B. (x1, y1)
Assume x1= 0.3

Around dashed line

Solution balance:
𝐿𝑎 + 𝑉1 = 𝐿1 + 𝑉𝑎
850 + 𝑉1 = 𝐿1 + 1178.3306 𝑒𝑞𝑛1

From given, at x1=0.30, 1/N1=0.5155

1
𝐿1 = 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑 ( ) = 2000 (0.5155)
𝑁1
𝐿1 = 1031 𝑘𝑔

Using eqn 1 𝑉1 = 1359.3306 𝑘𝑔

Oil balance:
𝐿𝑎 𝑥𝑎 + 𝑉1 𝑦1 = 𝐿1 𝑥1 + 𝑉𝑎 𝑦𝑎
850(0.9412) + 1359.3306𝑦1 = 1031(0.3) + 1178.3306 (0.5941)
𝑦1 = 0.1540
C. (x2,y2)
Assume x2=0.6

Around dashed line

Solution balance:
𝐿𝑎 + 𝑉2 = 𝐿2 + 𝑉𝑎
850 + 𝑉2 = 𝐿2 + 1178.3306 𝑒𝑞𝑛2

From given, at x2=0.60, 1/N2=0.5714

1
𝐿2 = 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑 ( ) = 2000(0.5714)
𝑁2
𝐿2 = 1142.8 𝑘𝑔

Using eqn 2 𝑉2 = 1471.1306 𝑘𝑔

Oil balance:
𝐿𝑎 𝑥𝑎 + 𝑉2 𝑦2 = 𝐿2 𝑥2 + 𝑉𝑎 𝑦𝑎
850(0.9412) + 1471.1306𝑦2 = 1142.8(0.6) + 1178.3306(0.5941)
𝑦2 = 0.3981

Thus, pts for operating line are:

(𝑥𝑎 , 𝑦𝑎 ) = (0.9412,0.5941) (𝑥𝑏 , 𝑦𝑏 ) = (0.1198,0.0150)
(𝑥1 , 𝑦1 ) = (0.3,0.1540) (𝑥2 , 𝑦2 ) = (0.6,0.3981)
 MCCABE-THIELE METHOD

1.2

0.8

0.6
y

0.4

0.2

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
x

N = 4 stages