Department of Chemical Engineering

University of San Carlos Technological Center

Nasipit, Talamban, Cebu City

ChE 422L
Chemical Engineering Laboratory 1

Leaching
(Leaching of NaCl/Sand Mixture using Water as Solvent)

An initial report submitted to

Engr. May V. Tampus

by
Group 4
Loyao, Alger Jr. S.
Manlangit, Kirck Brandon L.
Siclot, Karynne Bernardine G.

December 17, 2014

1. Objectives

Compare single-stage, crosscurrent, and countercurrent beaker-scale extraction

operations based on extraction efficiency data.

Draw the equivalent graphical solutions for multiple-stage extraction operations.

2. Processed Data and Discussion

Table 1. Extraction Efficiency Data

Extraction operation
Single-Stage

Multistage Crosscurrent

Steady-state Multistage
Countercurrent

Amount of solvent
150 mL
300 mL
600 mL
600 mL
(2 stages of 300 mL)
600 mL
(3 stages of 200 mL)
600 mL
(4 stages of 150 mL)
600 mL

Extraction efficiency (%)

50.3900
66.9956
81.1525
91.5061
95.3709
96.5267
raffinat
e
extract

93.5299
98.7692

The most efficient extraction operation for salt-sand mixture using water as a solvent
is the steady-state multistage countercurrent extraction operation with an extraction
efficiency of 98.77%. The least efficient operation with only 50.39% efficiency is the
single stage extraction with the smallest amount of solvent used.
In the single stage extraction operation, the smallest amount of solvent used for
extraction will yield the smallest amount of component extracted. This is because the
driving force for the transfer of the salt from the feed into the water solvent is the
concentration between the feed (underflow) and the solvent (overflow), and the
distribution of the salt is the same in both overflow and underflow once equilibrium is
reached, granting that enough time for mixing was done to evenly distribute the salt. This
means that a smaller amount of solvent can only leach out a smaller amount of salt and a
larger amount of solvent can extract more salt before reaching equilibrium.
2

For multistage extraction operations, having more stages means higher extraction
efficiency. From the table, it is shown that having a single stage for the extraction process
using 600mL of solvent only gives 81.5% efficiency, whereas multiple stages give
efficiencies of more than ninety percent. For a certain amount of solvent, dividing it into
several stages will give a more efficient extraction because it creates more equilibrium
stages.
Comparing crosscurrent and countercurrent extraction operations, countercurrent
leaching is more efficient. In crosscurrent leaching, the driving force in every stage
decreases because the concentration difference of the salt between liquid feed and solvent
also decreases in every stage. However, in countercurrent leaching, the driving force in
every stage remains the same.

V
3

V
2

V
1

Figure 1. Graphical solution of two-stage crosscurrent leaching using 600 mL water as

solvent.
L

M
V
4

M
2

L
1

M
1

V
1

Figure 2. Graphical solution of three-stage crosscurrent leaching using 600 mL water.

M M
V
5

L
M

Figure 3. Graphical solution of four-stage crosscurrent leaching using 600 mL water.

Figure 4. Graphical solution of steady-state multistage countercurrent leaching.

Figures 1-4 show the equivalent graphical solutions for the multistage extraction
operations. There are cases in leaching in which the equilibrium line in the xy diagram
deviates from the y=x line because of insufficient contact time, adsorption of the solute
on the solid, or the solute being soluble in the solid (Geankoplis, 2003). The equilibrium
lines in Figures 1, 2 and 3 fall below the 45 line. However, instead of the possible causes
stated above, this may be because a small amount of sand that had not yet settled from
mixing was included in the measurement of the density.

3. Appendices
Table 2. Data for density-concentration plot for NaCl solution
density (g/mL)
0.9962
1.0252
1.0524
1.0852
1.1127
1.1440
1.1847

mass fraction of NaCl

0.0000
0.0401
0.0800
0.1207
0.1607
0.2008
0.2518

1.20
1.15

f(x) = 0.75x + 0.99

R = 1

1.10
density, (g/mL)

1.05
1.00
0.95
0.90
0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

mass fraction of NaCl in water

Figure 5. Density versus mass fraction of NaCl in water

Table 3. Fresh feed (beaker XII) data

densitometer reading (g)

temperature (C)
density (g/mL)
mass fraction of NaCl in water
mass of NaCl in fresh feed (g)

-11.180
27.0
1.1180
0.1662
29.7999

Table 4. Data for single-stage extraction operation

beake
r

amount of
water (mL)

density of NaCl
solution (g/mL)

I
II
III

150
300
600

1.0621
1.0407
1.0230

mass fraction
of NaCl in
overflow
0.0913
0.0626
0.0389

mass of NaCl
extracted (g)

extraction
efficiency (%)

15.0162
19.9646
24.1833

50.3900
66.9956
81.1525

Table 5. Data for multistage crosscurrent extraction operation

beaker/stag
e
IV/1
IV/2
IV/overall
V/1
V/2
V/3
V/overall
VI/1
VI/2
VI/3
VI/4
VI/overall

amount of
water
(mL)

density of
NaCl solution
(g/mL)

300
300

1.0406
1.0119

200
200
200

1.0523
1.0216
1.0082

150
150
150
150

1.0609
1.0302
1.0138
1.0055

mass
fraction of
NaCl in
overflow
0.0625
0.0240
total
0.0782
0.0370
0.0190
total
0.0897
0.0485
0.0265
0.0154
total

mass of
NaCl
extracted
(g)
19.9190
7.3497
27.2687
16.8961
7.6570
3.8673
28.4204
14.7255
7.6234
4.0755
2.3404
28.7648

extraction
efficiency
(%)
66.8426
24.6635
91.5061
56.6984
25.6947
12.9777
95.3709
49.4146
25.5821
13.6764
7.8536
96.5267

Table 6. Data for steady-state multistage countercurrent extraction operation

solution

amount of
water
(mL)

density of
NaCl solution
(g/mL)

raffinate
extract

150
600

1.0035
1.0290

mass
fraction of
NaCl in
overflow
0.0127
0.0469

mass of
NaCl (g)

extraction
efficiency
(%)

1.9281
29.4331

93.5299
98.7692

Sample calculations for the determination of mass of NaCl and extraction efficiency:
8

Mass of NaCl from mass fraction data

mass of NaCl=

mass fractionof NaClwater mass of water

1mass fraction of NaClwater

mass of NaCl=

0.1662 149.48 g
10.1662

mass of NaCl=29.80 g( feed)

Extraction efficiency
=

mass of salt extracted

100
mass of salt feed

15.02 g
100
29.80 g

=50.39

Table 6. Data for graphical solution of multistage crosscurrent extraction operation

beaker
IV
beaker
V

beaker
VI

mass fraction of NaCl

in overflow, x
0.0625
0.0240
0.0000
0.0782
0.0370
0.0190
0.0000
0.0897
0.0485
0.0265
0.0154
0.0000

mass fraction of NaCl

in the liquid feed, y
0.0619
0.0166
0.0000
0.0797
0.0340
0.0092
0.0000
0.0915
0.0474
0.0221
0.0069
0.0000

mass of solid/mass of
liquid in feed, N
0.9444
0.9900
1.0067
0.9317
0.9779
1.0031
1.0123
0.9142
0.9586
0.9841
0.9994
1.0063

4. References
Geankoplis, C. J. (2003). Principles of Transport Processes and Separation Processes.
New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
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