CHAPTER 4 LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTION

QUESTION 1 (MAR’14)

a) Compare between liquid-liquid extraction and distillation process in the separation

process.
(5 marks)

b) Pure isopropyl ether with a flow rate of 450 kmol/h is used to extract acetic acid from
a 230 kmol/h aqueous feed and reduce the concentration of acetic acid to 12 mol%
.The aqueous feed stream contains 30 mol% of acetic acid. Determine the number of
theoretical stages by using equilibrium diagram as provided in Appendix 2. Attach
Appendix 2 together with your answer booklet.
(10 marks)

QUESTION 2 (SEPT’13)

a) Ahmad is working as a chemical engineer in GBM Sdn Bhd. He was given a task to
separate acetic acid from cellulose acetate which is a waste stream from a cigarette
manufacturing. The acid is a high boiling compound. He decided to recover acetic acid
using liquid-liquid extraction method instead of distillation. Explain the reason of his
decision.
(4 marks)

b) A pure solvent is used to extract solute A from a solution of A-B in a countercurrent

multiple extraction unit. The 100 kg/h feed consist of 50% solute A. the entering pure
solvent is 25% of the feed solution. Given the final raffinate contains 15% of solute C.
Determine:

i. The number of ideal stages required by using graphical method as

provided in Appendix 2.
ii. The mass flowrate of extract and raffinate.
(20 marks)

QUESTION 3 (OCT ‘12)

Pure isoproply ether with a flowrate of 500 kmol/h is used to extract acetic acid from a
250 kmol/h aqueous feed and reduce the concentration of acetic acid to 10 mol%. The
aqueous feed stream contains 35 mol% of acetic acid.

i. Determine the number of theoretical stages by using equilibrium diagram as

provided in Appendix 1. Detach Appendix 1 and attach it together with your
answer booklet.
(14 marks)

ii. Calculate the percentage of acetic acid recovered from this process.
(6 marks)
QUESTION 4 (SEPT’ 11)-NOT IN SYLLABUS

a) State five (5) guidelines when liquid-liquid extraction is preferred to the distillation
method.
(5 marks)

b) It is proposed to reduce the concentration of acetaldehyde in aqueous solution from 50%

to 5% by mass, by extraction with solvent S at temperature 293 K. A countercurrent
multiple-contact process is adopted and 0.025 kg/s of the solution is treated with an
equal quantity of solvent. (Using the ternary chart of acetaldehyde-water-solvent S in
Appendix 1)

i. Calculate the number of theoretical stages required.

(12 marks)

ii. Calculate the mass flow rate and concentration of the extract from the first stage.
(8 marks)

QUESTION 9, OCT 2009

An aqueous feed of 900 kg/h containing 30 wt% acetic acid is to be extracted in a counter-
current multistage process. Pure isopropyl ether is being used as the solvent in reducing
the acid concentration to 8 wt% acetic acid in the final raffinate. The ternary diagram of
acetic acid-water-isopropyl ether is given in Appendix 3. Determine the number of
theoretical stages at solvent flow rate of 1800 kg/h.
Ans; 4 theoretical stages M(0.1,0.233,0.667)

QUESTION 10
A single stage extraction is performed in which 400 kg/h of a solution containing 40 wt%
acetic acid in water is contacted with 400 kg/h of pure isopropyl ether. The ternary diagram
of acetic acid-water-isopropyl ether is given in Appendix. Table 1 show the Tie line for Acetic
Acid-Water-Isopropyl Ether System.

Table 1 Tie line for Acetic Acid-Water-Isopropyl Ether System

Water layer wt% Isopropyl ether wt%

Acetic acid water (xB) Isopropyl ether Acetic water(yB) Isopropyl
(xA) (xC) acid(yA) ether(yC)
25.5 71.1 3.4 11.4 3.9 84.7
36.7 58.9 4.4 21.6 6.9 71.5
44.3 45.1 10.6 31.1 10.8 58.1

i) Determine the composition of extract (V1) and raffinate (L1). Attach Appendix 1
ii) The flow rate of raffinate and extract
iii) The percentage of acetic acid removal in the system
QUESTION 4 (OCT’ 10)

a) Explain the basic concept of separation in liquid-liquid extraction.

(2 marks)

b) 5600 kg/h aqueous feed solution with 45 wt% acetone and 55 wt% water is being
extracted in a countercurrent multistage system by pure methylisobuthyl ketone (MIBK)
solvent. The raffinate phase which contains 12 wt% of acetone and 10,080 kg/h of MIBK
solvent is required for this process. The ternary diagram of acetone-water-MIBK is given
in Appendix 2. The tie-line for acetone-water-MIBK system is given in Table 2.

Table 1: Tie-line for acetone-water-MIBK system

Water Layer (wt%) MIBK Layer (wt%)

Acetone Water MIBK Acetone Water MIBK
6.42 91.7 1.9 1.93 1 97.1
13.3 84.4 2.3 4.82 1.9 93.3
25.5 71.1 3.4 11.4 3.9 84.7
36.7 58.9 4.4 21.6 6.9 71.5
44.3 45.1 45.1 31.1 10.8 58.1
46.4 37.1 16.5 32.6 15.1 48.7

i. Sketch the schematic diagram of the system.

(2 marks)
ii. Determine the number of theoretical stages.
(13 marks)
iii. Determine the percentage of acetone recovered in this system
(7 marks)

QUESTION 5 (APR’10)

The system of docosane-diphenylhexane (DPH) –furfural is encounter in a solvent refining of

lubricating oil. A flow rate of 500 kg/h of mixture of DPH in docasane are to be continuously
extracted in a single stage countercurrent system with 500 kg/h of solvent containing 98 wt%
furfural and 2 wt% DPH to produce raffinate at a flow rate of 447.76 kg/h that contains 20
wt% DPH. The phase diagram of docosane-diphenylhexane - (DPH) – furfural system is
shown in Appendix 1.

QUESTION 6 (OCT’ 09)

a) ABC Sdn Bhd was requested by its client to recover 2-methyl-2 propanol from a solution
of 2 methyl-2-propanol/palm oil. As an assistant chemical engineer, you are required to
assist ABC Sdn Bhd in deciding the most feasible separation process to be utilized in
fulfilling the client requirement. State four (4) reasons to justify your answer.

(12 marks)
b) An aqueous feed of 900 kg/h containing 30 wt% acetic acid is to be extracted in a
counter-current multistage process. Pure isopropyl ether is being used as the solvent in
reducing the acid concentration to 8 wt% acetic acid in the final raffinate. The ternary
diagram of acetic acid-water-isopropyl ether is given in Appendix 1.

i) Sketch the schematic diagram of the system.

(2 marks)
ii) Determine the number of theoretical stages at solvent flow rate of 1800 kg/h
(12 marks)
QUESTION 7 (OCT’ 09)

a) Explain three (3) factors to be considered when choosing a solvent for a liquid-liquid
extraction process.
(3 marks)

b) In a chemical plant, 1050 kg/h of an acetic acid-water solution containing 30 wt% acetic
acid is being extracted counter-currently by pure isopropyl ether to reduce the acid
concentration to 5 wt% in the raffinate. The ternary diagram of acetic acid-water-
isopropyl ether is given in Appendix 2.
i. Sketch the schematic diagram of the system.
(2 marks)
ii. Determine the minimum solvent flow rate (Vn+1 min)
(3 marks)
iii. Determine the number of theoretical stages at an operating solvent flow rate of
1.5 VN+1 min.

QUESTION 8, OCT 2010

5600 kg/h aqueous feed solution with 45 wt% acetone and 55 wt% water is being extracted
in a countercurrent multistage system by pure methylisobuthyl ketone (MIBK) solvent. The
raffinate phase will contains 12 wt% of acetone and 10,080 kg/h of MIBK solvent was
requires for this process. The ternary diagram of acetone-water-MIBK is given in Appendix 2.
The tie-line for acetone-water-MIBK system is given in Table 1.2.

Table 1.2 Tie-line for acetone-water-MIBK system

Water Layer (wt %) MIBK Layer (wt %)
Acetone Water MIBK Acetone Water MIBK
6.42 91.7 1.9 1.93 1 97.1
13.3 84.4 2.3 4.82 1.9 93.3
25.5 71.1 3.4 11.4 3.9 84.7
36.7 58.9 4.4 21.6 6.9 71.5
44.3 45.1 10.6 31.1 10.8 58.1
46.4 37.1 16.5 32.6 15.1 48.7

i) M coordinate
 ii) Number of theoretical stages for this system.

ii) Determine the percentage of acetone recovered in this system

iii) Ans:M(0.16,0.2,0.64); 3 theoretical stages; 81.05%

QUESTION 9
A feed of 550 kg/h containing 50 wt% acetone in water is being extracted with 450 kg/h of a
solvent containing 98 wt% MIK and 2 wt% of acetone in a multistage countercurrent system.
Equilibrium data are given in Table 1- Acetone-Water-MIK system

Water Acetone MIK

96 0 4
84 11 5
67 26 7
53 38 10
33 47 20
21 49 30
13 47 40
7 42 50
4 36 60
3 27 70
2 19 80
1 9 90
0.7 0 99

i) Determine the composition of extract and reffinate.

ii) Flow rate at reffinate and extract
iii) Number of theoretical stage
 APPENDIX 1

Ternary diagram of acetic acid (A)-water (B)-isopropyl ether (C)

 APPENDIX 2

Ternary diagram of acetic acid (A)-water (B)-isopropyl ether (C)

0.9

0.8

0.7

0.6
Xc, Yc

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
XA,YA
 APPENDIX 3
Ternary diagram of Acetone-Water-MIK system

0.9

0.8

0.7

0.6
xc,yc

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
xA,yA