University of Baghdad

College of Engineering
Chemical Engineering Ch.4 Leaching

Leaching refer to the extracting of a soluble material (leachant, solute)

from a solid (inert, carrier, insoluble) by means of solvent (extractant).

The process may be employed either for the production of a

concentrated solution of evaluable solid material, or in order to free
an insoluble slid.

Note: Soluble material = solute or leachant, solid = insoluble, inert,

carrier, solvent = extract

Generally, the process can be considered in three parts: -

Firstly: The change of phase of the solute as it dissolves in the solvent.

Secondly: It’s diffusion through the solvent in the process of the solid
to the outside of the particle.

And Thirdly: The transfer of the solute from the solution in contact
with the particles to the main bulk of the solution (external diffusion).
Any of these processes may be responsible for limiting the extraction rate.
1
Dr. Wadood T. Mohammed & Sarmad A. Rashid
‫‪University of Baghdad‬‬
‫‪College of Engineering‬‬
‫‪Chemical Engineering‬‬ ‫‪Ch.4 Leaching‬‬

‫‪Leaching occurs in two steps:‬‬

‫‪1- Leacting: contacting solvent and solid to affect a transfer of a‬‬

‫‪solute (i.e the three steps dissolve, internal and external diffusion).‬‬
‫‪2- Washing: separation of solution from the remaining solid.‬‬

‫(‪ )leaching‬هي عملية استخالص مادة سائلة من داخل مادة صلبة بواسطة مذيب سائل مثل‬
‫استخالص الذهب من الصخور و استخالص الزيوت من النباتات وغسل الطابوق الزالة االمالح‬
‫وكذلك عملية اعداد الشاي‪ .‬الهدف هو اما استخالص مادة سائلة مرغوبة و ثمينة من داخل مادة‬
‫صلبة او تنقية المادة الصلبة مما في داخلها من مادة سائلة غير مرغوبة‪ .‬البد من تكسير المادة‬
‫الصلبة لكي تزداد مساحة التالمس و تزداد الطرق المؤدية الى التقاء المذيب بالمذاب‪.‬‬
‫هنا تتم العملية بمرحلتين‪:‬‬
‫اوالً‪ :‬عملية ال (‪ )leaching‬وتتم بثالث خطوات‪:‬‬
‫‪ ‬وصول المذيب الى المذاب داخل الفراغات‪.‬‬
‫‪ ‬انتشار المذاب في المذيب والخروج من الفراغات الى سطح الجزيئات وهذا يسمى‬
‫االنتشار الداخلي (‪.)internal diffusion‬‬
‫‪ ‬انتشار وانتقال المحلول (المذاب والمذيب) من السطح الخارجي للجزيئة الى الوسط‬
‫المستقر (‪ )bulk‬وهذا يسمى االنتشار الخارجي (‪.)external diffusion‬‬
‫ثانياً‪ :‬عملية الغسل (‪ )washing‬وهي فصل المحلول عن المادة الصلبة‪.‬‬

‫‪Modes of the operation:‬‬

‫‪I – Batch leaching‬‬

‫‪II – Continuous leaching‬‬ ‫‪co-current‬‬

‫‪counter‬‬
‫‪cross–current‬‬
‫‪current‬‬

‫‪constant under flow‬‬ ‫‪variable under flow‬‬

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‫‪Dr. Wadood T. Mohammed & Sarmad A. Rashid‬‬
University of Baghdad
College of Engineering
Chemical Engineering Ch.4 Leaching

1- Batch Leaching:

When the solids to be leached are in the form of fine particles

perhaps smaller than 0.1mm in diameter, batch leaching in
conveniently conducted in an agitated vessel.

C at liquid bulk
CS

2. Continues leaching

A: Counter Current Flow Continuous Leaching

Not: under flow: the mixture of insoluble residue and solution

Over flow: the liquid (solute and solvent) referred to over flow

L: flow rate of solute in over flow kg/s

S: flow rate of solute in under flow kg/s

V: flow rate of solution in over flow kg/s

W: flow rate of solution in under flow kg/s

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Dr. Wadood T. Mohammed & Sarmad A. Rashid
University of Baghdad
College of Engineering
Chemical Engineering Ch.4 Leaching

Case I: Constant under flow

Constant under flow: means the quantity of solvent or solution

removed in association with the insoluble solids has been assumed to
be constant and independent of the conscatreation of solute in the
solution in the thickener.

Define R:
𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝑳
R= = 𝑺
𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘

OR:
𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝑽
R= = 𝑾
𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘

OR:
𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝑽−𝑳
R= = 𝑾−𝑺
𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘

Case II Variable under flow:

Variable under flow amount of solvent or solvent in the under flow of

concentration of the solution (X)

3- Third One: from experiment data

Amount of solution Amount of solute in solution

Under flow (kg) solution (w) Kg solute/kg solution
……∆w ……∆w
……∆w ……∆w

B: Cross-Current Continuous Leaching:

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Dr. Wadood T. Mohammed & Sarmad A. Rashid