Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering

Instructor: Hanieh Safari, Ph.D.

Lecture 18: Liquid-liquid extraction

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 System of Immiscible Carrier and
Solvent
• When the two liquids are insoluble in each other, all the carrier liquid entering from
the feed (A) remains in the raffinate phase and all the solvent is in the extract. Thus,
we define:
𝑥 𝑦
𝑥" = , 𝑦" =
1−𝑥 1−𝑦

• The amount of A in all the raffinates is constant. The raffinate only contains A and C.
Therefore, the amount of C in the raffinate in each stage is Ax′

• The amount of the solvent B in each phase is constant. The extract contains only B
and C. Therefore, the amount of C in the extract phase in each stage is By’

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 System of Immiscible Carrier and
Solvent
• Mass balance in each stage tells us that from stage n, the amount of C entering from
the solvent and the raffinate entering from stage n-1 is the same as the amount of C
going out of the system by the raffinate and the extract
𝐴𝑥′,-. + 𝐵, 𝑦1" = 𝐵, 𝑦," + 𝐴𝑥,"

𝐴 𝑦1" − 𝑦,"
− = "
𝐵, 𝑥,-.𝐴− 𝑥,"
−
𝐵,
• The equation above shows y’ plotted as a function of x’ in each stage changes with
2
the slope of − until reaching equilibrium stage. X in the equilibrium stage is the
34
starting raffinate concentration in the next stage

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 System of Immiscible Carrier and
Solvent
• The equation above shows y’ plotted as a function of x’ in each stage changes with
2
the slope of − until reaching equilibrium stage. X in the equilibrium stage is the
34
starting raffinate concentration in the next stage
𝐴 𝑦1" − 𝑦,"
− = "
𝐵, 𝑥,-. − 𝑥,"

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 Continuous Countercurrent Multi-
stage Extraction

Overall Mass Balance: 𝐹 + 𝑆 = 𝐸. + 𝑅9 = 𝑀

Overall Mass Balance for Component C: 𝐹𝑥; + 𝑆𝑦1 = 𝐸. 𝑦. + 𝑅9< 𝑥9
• There is a point M at the intersection of line FS and the line 𝐸. 𝑅9

• We define ∆> as: 𝑅9 − 𝑆 = 𝐹 − 𝐸.

• Mass balance until a given stage P gives that 𝑅?-. + 𝑆 = 𝑅9 + 𝐸? 𝑜𝑟∆> = 𝑅9 − S =

𝐸? − 𝑅9 . Thus, 𝐸C 𝑅. passes from ∆> . We first find 𝐸. using point M and the overall
mass balance. 𝑅. is found from 𝐸. using tie lines and the equilibrium data. 𝐸C is then
found from ∆> and the line 𝐸C 𝑅. . The equilibrium data gives 𝑅C and the line passing
from 𝑅C and ∆> gives 𝐸D . We complete this process until reaching stage N.

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 Continuous Countercurrent Multi-
stage Extraction
• Mass balance until a given stage P gives that 𝑅?-. + 𝑆 = 𝑅9 + 𝐸? 𝑜𝑟∆> = 𝑅9 − S = 𝐸?
− 𝑅9 . Thus, 𝐸C 𝑅. passes from ∆> . We first find 𝐸. using point M and the overall mass
balance. 𝑅. is found from 𝐸. using tie lines and the equilibrium data. 𝐸C is then found
from ∆> and the line 𝐸C 𝑅. . The equilibrium data gives 𝑅C and the line passing from 𝑅C
and ∆> gives 𝐸D . We complete this process until reaching stage N.

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 Continuous Countercurrent Multi-
stage Extraction: Minimum
Solvent Amount
• When a tie line passes from we would have infinite number of stages (minimum
solvent). To find the minimum solvent to feed ratio first we draw the tie lines below 𝐸. 𝐹
, we find which one intersects with 𝑅9 𝑆 at the farthest distance. That point gives us ∆>
for minimum solvent ratio.

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Example

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Example