Hunter Nash Liquid-Liquid Extraction

The following slides discuss: Liquid-Liquid extraction Specifications for liquid-liquid extraction cascades Product points Operating lines and operating points The Hunter Nash Procedure Hunter Nash graphical construction Stepping off stages Minimum solvent

Lecture 17: Hunter Nash

Liquid-Liquid Extraction
Liquid-liquid Extraction of ternary systems involves contacting two equilibrium liquids where the solvent liquid is immiscible or nearly immiscible with one of the components of the feed liquid and miscible with one or more of the other components.
Liquid-liquid extraction is also referred to as: Extraction Solvent extraction Liquid extraction In Section 4.5 we used the Ternary Phase Diagram to analyze Liquid-liquid Extraction for a single equilibrium stage.

Ternary Phase Diagram Solvent: TCE Solute: Acetone Carrier: Water

Lecture 17: Hunter Nash

Ternary Single-Stage Flash Separation

Solute

Plait Point P Extract F Mixing point R Raffinate

Feed

Tie-lines
S

Solvent C
Lecture 17: Hunter Nash

Carrier
3

Liquid-Liquid Extraction Cascades

What if we have a countercurrent cascade of Liquid-Liquid Contacting Stages?
Solvent C N S Raffinate

Extract F

E1 1 R1

E2 2

E3 En R2 Rn-1 n

En+1EN-1 Rn RN-2 N1

EN RN-1 RN

Carrier A (FA) Solute B (FB)

Can we use a similar analysis to the one we used for countercurrent leaching where we had two condensed phases and complete immiscibility of the carrier in the solvent? Yes, but also different since in the liquid-liquid case we assume that we can disengage the phases and we dont have complete solubility. Can we use a similar analysis to the one we used for countercurrent absorption or stripping?

Yes, but also different since equilibrium here is given by a liquid-liquid ternary diagram rather than a vapor-liquid equilibrium.

Lecture 17: Hunter Nash

Liquid-Liquid Extraction: Specifications

Extract F E1 1 R1 E2 2 E3 En R2 Rn-1 n En+1EN-1 Rn RN-2 N1 EN RN-1 N RN Solvent C S Raffinate

Carrier A (FA) Solute B (FB)

Specifications: F, (xi)F, (yi)S, T and one of: 1) S and (xi)RN 2) S and (yi)E1 3) (xi)RN and (yi)E1 4) N and (xi)RN 5) N and (yi)E1 6) S and N

Lecture 17: Hunter Nash

Hunter Nash Solution for Liquid-Liquid Extraction

Extract F
E1 1 E2 E3 En 2 En+1EN-1 n Rn RN-2 N1 EN Solvent C N S Raffinate

R1

R2 Rn-1

RN-1

RN

Carrier A (FA) Solute B (FB) Product Points: Step 1) Find the mixing point M=F+S Step 2) Determine mixing point compositions from component material balances or inverse lever rule Step 3) Since we know RN lies on the equilibrium curve and we know (xA)RN we can determine (xB)RN and (xC)RN Step 4) Since we know RN, M and E1 lie on a mixing line we can locate E1 by extending a line from RN through M to the equilibrium curve where it intersects E1. Extract E1 M Tie-lines Solute

Plait Point P Feed Raffinate R1 RN

Lecture 17: Hunter Nash

Solvent C

Carrier

Liquid-Liquid Extraction: Operating Lines

Extract E1 1 F Carrier A (FA) Solute B (FB) R1 E2 2 R2 Rn-1 E3 En n Rn RN-2 En+1 EN-1 N1 RN-1 EN N S Solvent C RN Raffinate

Operating Points and Lines Mass Balance around entire cascade: We define the operating point P as the difference between passing streams: E1 1 F Carrier A (FA) Solute B (FB) R1 E2 2 R2

F S RN E1 F E1 RN S P
E3 En n Rn-1 Rn RN-2 En+1 EN-1 N1 RN-1

Extract

EN N

Solvent C

RN Raffinate

Mass Balance around the first n stages: We rearrange this equation to find that all passing streams are related by the same operating point P.
Lecture 17: Hunter Nash

F En1 Rn E1 F E1 Rn En1 P
7

Operating Point
Extract E1 1 F R1 E2 2 R2 Rn-1 E3 En n Rn RN-2 En+1 EN-1 N1 RN-1 EN N S Solvent C RN Raffinate

Operating Points and Lines Mass Balance around an internal stage: We can rearrange the above expression to find that Rn is just a mixing point between P and En+1. The following figure illustrates this concept: The stream Rn is the mixing point between P and En+1 because P is the net flow into stage n from passing streams Rn-1, and En.

Rn En Rn1 En1 Rn Rn1 En En1 P En1

En n Rn-1

En+1 Rn

Replace Rn-1 and Enby P

En+1 P

n
Rn

The N mass balances around the N individual stages result in: Extract E1 F
Lecture 17: Hunter Nash

F E1 Rn1 En RN S P

E2 1 R1 2

E3 R2

En n Rn-1

En+1 Rn

EN-1 N1 RN-2

EN N RN-1

Solvent C Raffinate

RN
8

Operating Lines
Operating Lines: The raffinate points are mixing points between P and corresponding extract points. This is shown graphically in the following diagram. Notice that to get the point P we need just F, S, E 1 and RN.

Solute

E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6

F R1 RN

Operating Point P

S
Lecture 17: Hunter Nash

Carrier

Liquid-Liquid Extraction
Extract E1 1 R1 E2 2 R2 Rn-1 E3 En n Rn RN-2 En+1 EN-1 N1 RN-1 EN N S

Solvent C

F Carrier A (FA) Solute B (FB)

RN Raffinate

Solute

Operating Points and Lines Step 1) Locate the Operating Point by finding the intersection of operating lines for the leftmost and rightmost stages a) Draw a line through E1 and F b) Draw a line through S and RN c) Locate the intersection P. This point is the operating point P.

Plait Point E1 Feed M Operating Point P

RN
S
Lecture 17: Hunter Nash

Carrier

10

Liquid-Liquid Extraction
Extract E1 1 F Carrier A (FA) Solute B (FB) R1 E2 2 R2 Rn-1 E3 En n Rn RN-2 En+1 EN-1 N1 RN-1 EN N S Solvent C RN Raffinate

Solute Operating Lines and Tie Lines: Stepping Off Stages: Step 1) Locate point R1 from the tie line intersecting E1 Step 2) Draw a line from the operating point P through R1 to the extract side of the equilibrium curve. The intersection locates E2. Step 3) Locate point R2 from a tie line. Step 4) Repeat Steps 2 and 3 until RN is obtained.

Plait Point

E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6

Feed
M

R1 RN
Carrier

Operating Point P

Solvent C
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Liquid-Liquid Extraction
Extract E1 1 F Carrier A (FA) Solute B (FB) R1 E2 2 R2 Rn-1

E3 En
n

En+1 EN-1 N1 Rn RN-2

EN N RN-1

Solvent C

RN Raffinate

Product Points: Step 1) M=F+S Step 2) Determine mixing point compositions from component material balances or inverse lever rule Step 3) Since we know RN lies on a tie line and we know (xA)RN we can determine (xB)RN and (xC)RN Step 4) Since we know RN, M and E1 lie on a mixing line we can locate E1 by extending a line from RN through M to the equilibrium curve where it intersects E1. Operating Points and Lines Step 1) Locate the Operating Point by finding the intersection of operating lines for the leftmost and rightmost stage 1a) Draw a line through E1 and F 1b) Draw a line through S and RN 1c) Locate the intersection P. This point is the operating point P. Operating Lines and Tie Lines: Stepping Off Stages: Step 1) Locate point R1 from the tie line intersecting E1 Step 2) Draw a line from the operating point P through R1 to the extract side of the equilibrium curve. The intersection locates E2. Step 3) Locate point R2 from a tie line. Step 4) Repeat Steps 2 and 3 until RN is obtained.
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Liquid-Liquid Extraction: Minimum Solvent

Operating Points and Lines Step 1) Locate the raffinate Operating Line by extending a line from S through RN Step 2) Extend the tie lines to intersect the operating line Step 3) The tie line that intersects furthest from RN gives the minimum operating point Pmin. Step 4) Extend a line from Pmin through F to the extract side of the equilibrium curve to find E1. Step 5) Extend a line from E1 to RN. The intersection with the line SF gives the minimum mixing point.

Solute

Plait Point E1 F Mmin S Mmax

Lecture 17: Hunter Nash

Note: If the tie lines slope down towards the solvent side of the diagram, then the minimum operating point will lie on the operating line at an intersection with a tie line nearest S.

RN
Carrier

Pmin

13

Liquid-Liquid Extraction: Minimum Solvent

Stepping off Stages for the minimum solvent case After locating the points Pmin, E1, and Mmin the stages can be stepped off. If the minimum solvent is used then the separation will be pinched off and will require an infinite number of stages. Solute

Plait Point E1 F Mmin S

RN
Carrier

Pmin

Lecture 17: Hunter Nash

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