LIQUID-LIQUID

EXTRACTION

Separation Process Engineering

Chemical Engineering
Universitas Pertamina
2018
Recommended Youtube channel for Chemical Engineering students!
 OUTLINE OBJECTIVES
▪ Introduction ▪ To explain the basic principles of
▪ Solvent Selection absorption & stripping
▪ Equipments ▪ To calculate minimum absorbent
flow rate
▪ LLE with Ternary System: Hunter-
Nash Method ▪ To calculate the number of
equilibrium stages (N)
▪ Equipment Sizing
▪ To calculate stage efficiency

• Chapter 13: Wankat, "Separation Process Engineering Includes Mass

MAIN Transfer Analysis", 3rd Ed., Prentice Hall, 2011
REFERENCES • Chapter 8: Seader, Henley and Roper, “Separation Process Principles”,
3rd Edition, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2011
INTRODUCTION Definition:
• Separation of one or more component of a liquid phase
Basic Principles (feed) by contacting it with a second liquid phase (solvent)
which is miscible or partially miscible with at least one
feed component.

Extraction schematic Extraction process with solvent recovery

INTRODUCTION
Other reasons:
LLE vs Distillation

LLE is often preferred

over distillation due of
economic reason for
purifying mixture with
starting concentration less
than 50%.
INTRODUCTION
Industrial Examples
SOLVENT High selectivity for the solute
SELECTION
Ideal Solvent High capacity for dissolving solute
Characteristics
Minimal solubility in the carrier liquid

Sufficient volatility or density difference between

solute & solvent for easier separation

Low cost

Inert (noncorrosive), nontoxic, nonflammable

SOLVENT SELECTION Example: to extract acetone (Group 3),
we can use solvent from Group 1 and 6
EQUIPMENT
SELECTION FOR LLE

Spray Column
Mixer-settlers

Column with Mechanical Agitator

Centrifugal Extractors
EQUIPMENT
SELECTION FOR LLE
EQUIPMENT
SELECTION FOR LLE
Algorithm
LLE WITH TERNARY
SYSTEM
Ternary Equilibrium
Data
LLE WITH TERNARY
SYSTEM
Ternary Equilibrium
Data: How to Draw
LLE WITH TERNARY Draw a ternary diagram (including tie lines)
SYSTEM for these equilibrium data of Water (D)-
Ternary Equilibrium Chloroform(S)-Acetone(A) system!
Data
 Solute (A)
LLE WITH TERNARY
SYSTEM
Ternary Equilibrium
Data

Solvent (S) Carrier (S)

LLE WITH TERNARY Plait point:
SYSTEM Conjugate Line composition of
raffinate &
Interpolating Tie Line extract are equal

Step:
1. Draw lines parallel to the adjacent side
of the triangle from each ends of tie
line (DH-EH, AJ-BJ, and so on)
2. Connect the dots where the lines
intersect to make a conjugate line.
3. Interpolate new tie lines using
conjugate line.

method of International Critical

Tables, Vol. III, McGraw Hill, New
York, p. 393 (1928)
LLE WITH TERNARY Number of Equilibrium Stages:
SYSTEM Hunter-Nash Method
A = Solute
C = Carrier Liquid
S = Solvent
INTRODUCTION
Industrial Examples
LLE WITH TERNARY
SYSTEM
Number of
Equilibrium Stages:
Hunter-Nash Method
Example:
A liquid Feed (F) which contain solute A is to be extracted by Solvent S.
If mass fraction of acetone in the raffinate = 0.025, how many
equilibrium stages are needed for this operation?
Feed and Solvent compositions are as follows:

Step:
1. Draw equilibrium data in ternary diagram
2. Draw the known feed & solvent points in the ternary diagram
LLE WITH TERNARY Mixing Point represent the combined composition of feed F and solvent S

SYSTEM Method 1: material balance

Total Balance: 𝐹 + 𝑆 = 𝑀 = 𝐸1 + 𝑅𝑁
Number of
Equilibrium Stages: 𝑀 = 250 + 100 = 350𝑘𝑔

Hunter-Nash Method Component Balance:

Step:
3. Determine Mixing Point (M) composition by
material balance or Inverse Lever Rule
Feed Solvent Mixing
(F) (S) Point (M)
XA 0.24 0.00 0.171

XC 0.74 0.00 0.543

XS 0.00 1.00 0.286

Flow 250 100 350 Now we can draw point M on the ternary diagram
rate
LLE WITH TERNARY Mixing Point is always located on the straight line connecting F and S!

SYSTEM
Number of
Equilibrium Stages:
Hunter-Nash Method
Feed Solvent Mixing
(F) (S) Point (M)
XA 0.24 0.00 0.171

XC 0.74 0.00 0.543

XS 0.00 1.00 0.286

Flow 250 100 350

rate
LLE WITH TERNARY Method 2: Inverse lever rule

SYSTEM Since Mixing Point is always located on the straight line connecting F and S,
we can determine length ratio of S-F and S-M lines:
Number of
Equilibrium Stages:
Hunter-Nash Method
Step:
3. Determine Mixing Point (M) composition by
material balance or Inverse Lever Rule Length Length
of M-F of S-F
Feed Solvent Mixing line line
(F) (S) Point (M)
XA 0.24 0.00 0.171
Now we can locate point M and read the composition
XC 0.74 0.00 0.543

XS 0.00 1.00 0.286

Flow 250 100 350

rate
LLE WITH TERNARY Mixing Point is always located on the straight line connecting F and S!

SYSTEM
Number of
Equilibrium Stages:
Hunter-Nash Method
Feed Solvent Mixing
(F) (S) Point (M)
XA 0.24 0.00 0.171

XC 0.74 0.00 0.543

XS 0.00 1.00 0.286

Flow 250 100 350

rate
LLE WITH TERNARY E1 and RN is always located on the equilibrium curve
SYSTEM
Material balance
Number of
Equilibrium Stages:
Hunter-Nash Method
Step:
4. Determine Extract (E1) and Raffinate (RN)
Composition
Feed Solvent Mixing Extract Raffinate
(F) (S) Point (M) (E1) (R) Since (xA)RN = 0.025, from
XA 0.24 0.00 0.171 0.025 material balance we can get
raffinate composition as
XC 0.74 0.00 0.543 0.90 follows from its location in
the equilibrium curve:
XS 0.00 1.00 0.286 0.075

Flow 250 100 350 151.4 198.6

rate
 LLE WITH TERNARY E1 can be determined by making a straight line from RN through M until it
reaches equilibrium curve on the opposite side.
SYSTEM
Number of
Equilibrium Stages:
Hunter-Nash Method
We can read
Step: E1 composition
4. Determine Extract (E1) and Raffinate (RN)
Composition
Feed Solvent Mixing Extract Raffinate
(F) (S) Point (M) (E1) (R)
XA 0.24 0.00 0.171 0.364 0.025

XC 0.74 0.00 0.543 0.075 0.90

XS 0.00 1.00 0.286 0.561 0.075

Flow 250 100 350 151.4 198.6

rate
LLE WITH TERNARY Number of Equilibrium
SYSTEM Stages: Hunter-Nash Method
Step:
5. Draw operating lines by
extending lines E1-F and
S-RN until intersect at
point P
LLE WITH TERNARY Number of Equilibrium
SYSTEM Stages: Hunter-Nash Method
Step:
5. Stepping of stages by using
both tie lines and operating
point (P) in turn.

Start at E1, Stop at RN

Number of
equilibrium stage =
Number of tie line
used, here N=2.8
Example:
Hunter-Nash
Method
LLE WITH TERNARY SYSTEM • Minimum solvent requirement for desired separation
• Occurs when tie line coincides with operating line
Hunter-Nash Method: Minimum
• Resulting in infinite number of stages → higher capital cost.
Solvent to Feed Flow Rate Ratio
How to:
1. Draw extended line from S through RN (OL line)
2. Extend tie line which passes through feed point to obtain Pmin
and E1,min (interpolate if not readily available)
3. Use all compositions to determine Mixing point (Mmin) and
solve the following mass balance.
Example: Calculate minimum solvent flow rate (Smin) for the
Hunter-Nash previous example!
Method
Exercise
Read composition in each stage from the diagram

Flow rate per stage:

F + En = Rn-1 +E1
(d) Benzoic Acid Water
(e) Butadiene 1-butene
LLE WITH TERNARY
SYSTEM
Right Triangle Diagram
LLE WITH TERNARY
SYSTEM
Right Triangle Diagram
PRELIMINARY
SIZING
Mixer-Settler Unit
• Often used in industry
• Consists of two parts: a
mixer for contacting two
liquid phase; and a settler
for mechanical separation.

http://www.rousselet-robatel.com/images/products/Mixer-Settler-pic-3lg.jpg