Experiment No: 03

Experiment Name: Extraction of oil from oil cake by soxhlet extraction

Objective:

The objective of this experiment is to study Soxhlet Extractor and to determine

1. the percent extraction of oil from oil cake and

2. the percent recovery of solvent used for extraction.

Background:

Leaching or solid-liquid extraction is a process in which a soluble solute is removed from a solid
matrix using a solvent to dissolve the solute. The most familiar example is making coffee from
ground coffee beans or tea from tea leaves. The complex mixture of chemicals that give the
coffee or tea its odor, taste, and physiological effects are leached from the solids by the hot
water. In leaching, the solute is initially part of the solid and dissolves into the liquid.

Apparatus:

1. Soxhlet extractor apparatus with Soxhlet Thimble

2. Round Bottom Flask
3. Column condenser
4. Conical Flask
5. Weight Measuring instrument

Chemical:

1. Oil –cake
2. n -Hexane
Experiment Set-up:

Figure : Experimental setup for solid liquid extraction

Experimental Procedure:

1. Put a measured amount of n-Hexane in the flask and a measured amount of oilcake in
the Soxhlet thimble and place it in the Soxhlet holder.
2. Put the flask on the heater and heat the solvent slowly. Make sure that the condenser is
on the top of the Soxhlet holder and the cooling water is on.
3. After one hour, weigh the flask containing n - Hexane. An increase in the weight
indicates that some oil has been extracted.
4. Reassemble the apparatus by incorporating the condenser for solvent recovery.
Continue heating until no more solvent is being recovered.
Observed Data:

Weight of the bottom empty flask 𝑌1= 0.147 kg

Weight of round bottom flask +n-hexane𝑌2 = 0.299 kg

Calculate Data:

Weight of oil cake=15 gm

Weight of n-hexane=0.152 kg

Recover n- hexane=86 gm

Bottle+ only oil weight=149gm

𝑊2 −𝑊 1
% of oil from oil cake = ×100
𝑊𝑠

149−147
= ×100
15

=13.3%

Result And Discussion:

The purpose of the lab experiment has to be able to determine the extraction of oil from oil
cake by soxhlet extraction. In this experiment the following results were found the percent of
oil extract =13.3%..

In the experiment the amount of oil found in oil cake and the recovery of hexane has been low.
A large amount of hexane has been lost during the experiment. The causes of this kind of
results are given bellow:

1. The experiment was completed after only 5 full cycles which took 1 hour. The extraction
time has a fundamental importance for oil recovered from oil cake. The higher the
extraction time the higher the amount of oil extracted. The number of cycles we applied
has not sufficient to have better results.
2. The oilcake we used in the laboratory has been collected many days ago and the oil
content is also determined then. The oilcake has not preserved in air tied place. So the
 residual oil content decreased day by day for air contact. So it may remain a few amount
of oil in the oilcake than the initial one.
3. Evaporates in air if left free in hexane. So when taken in hexane, there is some loss in
hexane.

Recovery of n-hexane has also in a very low. There might be some limitations which caused this
result. The solvent lost during the process is mostly occurred when the extracted oil has been
from the system. A large amount of n-hexane vaporized, some has been attached on the inside
wall of the apparatus, some has wet the cotton of the top of the condenser and a huge might
be remained in the oil cake residue. These might be the prime reasons of low recovery. Of all
solvents available hexane has been chosen even though it is highly volatile as well as it is
inherently combustible material & the installation comes under the explosive's directorate. It is
therefore, necessary to observe good management practices in the operation of solvent
extraction plant. All those described above are possible causes for getting less percentage of
solvent extraction. Though the percent of oil extracted & recovery of solvent is not so high, the
objectives of the experiment are fulfilled.

Conclusion:

A preliminary understanding of the solvent extraction process has been conveyed through
experiments. However, results are available from there .The test has less appropriate, it could
be undoubtedly concluded that the main purpose of the test has been successfully achieved.