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Tutorial 6 Solvent Extraction

The document outlines a tutorial on solvent extraction processes, focusing on propionic acid and copper extraction. It includes calculations for percentage recovery of propionic acid through batch and cross-current extraction methods, and details the solvent extraction process for copper at a heap leach plant in Western Australia. Additionally, it presents performance evaluations of extraction systems and sets up equations for determining copper concentrations and recovery rates.

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HridyaAshokan
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4 views6 pages

Tutorial 6 Solvent Extraction

The document outlines a tutorial on solvent extraction processes, focusing on propionic acid and copper extraction. It includes calculations for percentage recovery of propionic acid through batch and cross-current extraction methods, and details the solvent extraction process for copper at a heap leach plant in Western Australia. Additionally, it presents performance evaluations of extraction systems and sets up equations for determining copper concentrations and recovery rates.

Uploaded by

HridyaAshokan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

CHEN90042 THERMAL AND SEPARATION DESIGN


TUTORIAL 6 SOLVENT EXTRACTION

1. Propionic acid is a naturally occurring organic acid that is commonly used as a


preservative in human and animal food. Due to depletion of petroleum resources, is
also of increasing interest as a raw material for the manufacture of plastics,
pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. It can be produced industrially by fermentation of
glycerol (itself a byproduct of biodiesel production) using propionibacteria. The
fermentation product is a dilute aqueous solution of propionic acid. Solvent extraction
is commonly used to concentrate and purify this product.

a) Calculate the percentage recovery of propionic acid in the extract for a single stage
batch extraction of a feed containing 5 wt% propionic acid using a solvent to feed
ratio of 1 kg toluene per kg of feed, using the ternary equilibrium diagram shown
on the next page. The solvent can be assumed to be pure toluene.

b) Calculate the percentage recovery of propionic acid in the combined extract for a 2
stage cross-current extraction where the overall solvent to feed ratio is one, and the
solvent is distributed equally between the first and second stages.

c) Given the tieline data provided below, complete the problem assuming
immiscible solvents (this will require Excel).

Aqueous Phase (wt%) Organic Phase (wt%)


Toluene Propionic Water Toluene Propionic Water
Acid Acid
0.21 1.52 98.27 90.77 4.88 4.35
0.38 4.76 94.86 80.12 15.11 4.77
0.47 8.46 91.07 69.8 25.22 4.98
0.71 13.34 85.95 58.85 34.41 6.74
1.45 19.69 78.86 45.94 41.59 12.47
4.86 29.04 66.1 23.96 42.62 33.42

d) Finally, solve the problem under the additional assumption of a straight line
equilibrium relationship between mass ratios.
20

19

18

17

16

15

14

13

12
wt% Propionic Acid

11

10

0
0 20 40 60 80 100
wt% Toluene
2. The performance of a counter-current flow contactor for liquid extraction is being
evaluated by extracting acetone from a mixture of acetone and water with pure chloroform.
The performance tests are carefully conducted so as to ensure that steady state operation is
achieved before measurements are made and that exit streams are clear, i.e., there is no
entrainment.

The results of a performance trial are listed below. How many equilibrium stages is the
performance of the contactor equivalent to?

Input stream flow rates:


Feed 150 kg/h
Solvent 65 kg/h

Stream analyses:
Feed 20% w/w acetone (balance water)
Solvent pure chloroform
Final raffinate 3 % w/w acetone

A constant and uniform temperature of 25oC may be assumed.


An equilibrium diagram for the acetone-water-chloroform system at 25oC is provided.
2. Nifty Copper is a heap leach copper extraction plant operating in Western Australia
near Port Hedland. As shown in the sketch below copper is leached from a 'heap'
using sulphuric acid. The leach liquor then passes into a solvent extraction system
where copper is selectively extracted into an organic phase. Other metals such as
iron, remain in the aqueous phase and are returned to the heap.

Figure 1 – A typical Copper extraction process


(https://www.911metallurgist.com/blog/solvent-extraction-and-electrowinning-sx-ew)

The organic phase used at Nifty is 20% by volume ACORGA M5640 diluted with
kerosene. At this concentration, the equilibrium distribution of copper between the organic
and aqueuous phases can be expressed as 1:
[𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶]𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜
𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 � � = 2𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝 − 1.6
[𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶]𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎
The organic phase 'loaded' with copper is then contacted with a strip solution which strips
the copper back into an aqueous phase. This concentrated copper electrolyte is refined

1
Agarwal et al., Solvent Extraction and Ion Exchange (2012) 30:5 5346-551
electrochemically into high grade copper cathode. The spent electrolyte is then recycled to
the solvent extraction system.

Details of the solvent extraction process are shown below:


Leach Liquor Raffinate
F = 300 m3/hr R = 300 m3/hr
[Cu]E = 0.126 M Extraction pH =1.7
Unit(s) [Cu]R = ? [M]

Organic phase Organic phase


O = 300 m3/hr O = 300 m3/hr
[Cu]o1 = ? [M] [Cu]o2 = ? [M]

Stripping
Copper Electrolyte Unit(s) Strip Solution
SR = 150 m3/hr SF = 150 m3/hr
pH = -0.3 [Cu]s1 = 0.472 M
[Cu]s2 = ? g/litre

You can assume that raffinate exits the extraction unit at a pH of 1.7 and that copper
electrolyte exits at a pH of -0.3. You can assume that the volumetric flowrates throughout
the system are constant as solutions are dilute and immiscible. Initially assume 100%
efficiency in both the extraction and stripping stages.

a) Set up the four simultaneous equations needed to solve this system and then solve
them for the concentrations in the raffinate, strip solution, copper loaded
extractant and regenerated extractant.

b) Determine the percentage copper recovery and the total copper production in
tonnes per hour (MW of copper =63.55 g/mol).

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