WASHING AND

LEACHING
Separation Process and New Technologies
Professors:
Martha Isabel Cobo Ph.D
Nestor Eduardo Sanchez MSc.
LEACHING AND WASHING
Remove a solute from a solid matrix by employing a
solvent. The solute is tranferring to the solvent due to
its solubility

Vegetable oil from seeds Coffee preparation

EQUIPMENT FOR WASHING AND LEACHING
EQUIPMENT FOR WASHING AND LEACHING

Rotocel extractor Continous, perforated belt extractor

WASHING
Washing employs water as
Underflow (U): The entrained
solvent liquid. (Liquid in the solid)

Overflow (O): The solvent

(Water)
WASHING
WASHING
Equilibrium

1. Solute concentration is the same in both the underflow and

overflow liquid streams, thus the equilibrium equation is
y=x
2. y=mass fraction in the overflow
3. X=mass fraction in the underflow
4. Washing could be performed in a one stage, cross-flow
and countercurrent.
WASHING
Operating Line

1. Overflow and underflow flow rate are constant

Mass balance
yN+1 ON+1 + xj Uj = yj+1 Oj+1 + xN UN

Operating Line

Uj ON+1 UN
yj+1 = xj + yN+1 − x
Oj+1 Oj+1 Oj+1 N
WASHING
Dry solids flow rate or wet solids flow rate is usually know.
The UNDERFLOW liquid flow rate can be calculated from
the volumen of liquid entrained.

Porosity
volume voids volume liquid
ϵ= =
Total volume Total volume

volume Solids
1−ϵ=
Total volume
WASHING
If dry solids mass flow rate is know:
dry solid mass flow rate
Volume dry solids =
density of solid (ρs )
dry solid mass flow rate
Volume total underflow =
density of solid ρs ∗ 1 − ε
dry solid mass flow rate ∗ ε
Volume underflow liquid =
density of solid ρs ∗ 1 − ε
ε ρF
mass underflow liquid(U) = dry solid mass flow rate ∗
1 − ε ρS
ρF = Fluid density
ρ𝑆 = Dry solid density
If volumen of wet solids is know:
mass underflow liquid U = Volume wet solids ∗ ε ∗ ρF
WASHING
Constant flow rates is valid if we assume:
1. No solids in the overflow and solids do not dissolve. This
ensures that the solids flow rate will be constant.
2. Densities are constant. Constant fluid density implies
that the solute has Little effect of fluid density or that
the solution is dilute
3. Porosity is constant. Thus, the volume of liquid entrained
from stage to stage is constant

Uj=U  Overflow rate (Oj) must also be constant

U U
y= xj + yN+1 − xN
O O
WASHING (MCCABE-THIELE)
WASHING (MCCABE-THIELE)
We wish to wash an alumina solids to remove NaOH from the entrained liquid. The
underflow from the settler tank is 20 vol% solid and 80 vol% liquid. The two solid
feeds to the system are also 20 vol% solids. In one of these feeds, NaOH
concentration in the liquid is 5 wt%. This feed’s solid flow rate (on a dry basis) is 1000
kg/h. The second feed has a NaOH concentration in the liquid of 2 wt% and its flow
rate (on a dry basis) is 2000 kg/h. We desire the final NaOH concentration in the
underflow liquid to be 0.6 wt% NaOH. A countercurrent operation is used. The inlet
washing water is pure and flows at 4000 kg/h. Find the optimum feed location for the
intermediate stream and the number of equilibrium stages required.

Data: water density: 1 kg/L, alumina density: 2.5 kg/L

LEACHING WITH VARIABLE FLOW RATE
The calculation procedure for countercurrent leaching operation is
exactly the same as for liquid-liquid extraction.

The equilibrium data for leaching must be obtained

experimentally due the nature of the solids

The overflow will often contain no inert solids. The

underflow (raffinate) will contain solvent
LEACHING
A soluble solute is removed from a solid matrix using
a solvent to dissolve the solute

Low mass transfer rates

Examples: Instant coffee preparation, oil

extraction
LEACHING WITH CONSTANT FLOW RATE

1. The system is isothermal kg solute

X=
2. The system is isobaric kg insoluble solid
3. No solvent dissolves into solid
4. No solvent entrained with the solid
5. There is an insoluble solid backbone or matrix kg solute
Y=
6. The heat of mixing of solute in solvent is negligible kg solvent
7. The stages are in equilibrium
8. No solids is carried with the overflow liquid

Operating line
Fsolid Fsolid
Yj+1 = X j + Y1 − X
FSolvent FSolvent o
LEACHING WITH CONSTANT FLOW RATE

The equilibrium line is obtained by

experimental procedure

Operating line

Fsolid Fsolid
Yj+1 = X j + Y1 − X
FSolvent FSolvent o
EXTRACCIÓN CON FLUIDO SUPERCRÍTICO
Características de un fluido supercrítico:
 No tóxico
 Se comporta como un gas
 Altas densidades comparadas con otros gases
 Bajas viscosidad comparadas con líquidos
 Altas difusividades
 Altas transferencias de masa
 Bajos HETP
 CO2, propano, agua

Pueden disolver las mismas cantidades de soluto que un buen solvente.

Solventes verdes!: alimentos y fármacos

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FLUIDOS SUPERCRÍTICOS
La solubilidad de un soluto en un fluido supercrítico es una función
compleja de T y P.
Solubilidad de naftaleno en CO2:

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SEPARACIÓN
Se baja la presión y aparecen cristales del solvente.

Procesos costosos por las altas presiones y la descarga intermitente.

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 OTRAS APLICACIONES DE MCCABE-THIELE
Adsorción, cromatografía, Bombeo paramétrico: Adsorción ciclante en Separaciones con tres
intercambio iónico Cristalización. adsorción o proceso de zona. fases.
operados en columnas a intercambio iónico en
contracorriente. forma cíclica.

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LEACHING WITH VARIABLE FLOW RATE
Example 14-2
We wish to treat 1000 kg/h (wet basis) of meal (D) that contains 0.20
wt oil fraction (A) and no benzene (S). The inlet solvent is pure benzene
and flows at 662 kg/h. We desire an underflow product that is 0.04 wt
oil fraction. Temperature and Pressure are constant, and equilibrium data
are given. Find the outlet extract concentration and the number of
equilibrium stages needed in a countercurrent leaching system.
LEACHING WITH VARIABLE FLOW RATE
Data for extraction of oil from meal with benzene
LEACHING WITH VARIABLE FLOW RATE
1. Plot the equilibrium data
LEACHING WITH VARIABLE FLOW RATE
2. Draw the conjugate line
LEACHING WITH VARIABLE FLOW RATE
3. Plot the location of known points (Solvent, feed and raffinate)

Feed

R1
Solvent
LEACHING WITH VARIABLE FLOW RATE
4. Draw the mixing line and the find mixing point

Feed

M1
R1
Solvent
LEACHING WITH VARIABLE FLOW RATE
5. Find EN

EN

Feed

M1
R1
Solvent
LEACHING WITH VARIABLE FLOW RATE
5. Find the ∆ point

EN

Feed

M1
R1 ∆

Solvent
LEACHING WITH VARIABLE FLOW RATE
6. Step off stages

E3

EN
E2
R3 Feed
E1
R2
M1
R1 ∆

Solvent