Mass Transfer 02

Instructor: Zafar Shakoor

 Extraction for Partially Miscible Ternary
Systems
• All extraction systems are, in fact, partially
miscible to some degree.
• To solve the problem of such system, a
stageby- stage analysis is to be employed.
• At this level of study, ternary systems (i.e.
• the system with 3 components: a diluent, a
solute, and a solvent) are to be analysed.
• When a system consists of 3 components (or
species), mass (or mole) fraction of each
component/ species can be shown as a three-
component diagram, which can be presented
in the form of
• equilateral triangle, or
• right triangle
• demonstrated in the following Example
• A liquid mixture of A, B, and C has the mass
fraction of A and B (at equilibrium) at 25 oC as
follows:
• ya = 0.40
• yb = 0.30
• Locate the exact point of this mixture in a tree
component diagram.
• In the 3-component diagram, the summit or the
tip of each corner represents a 1.0 mass (or mole)
fraction (or 100%) of each substance or species.
• The edge or side opposite to the tip represents a 0
mass (or mole) fraction (0%) of the substance.
• Since this is a 3-component diagram, only 2
specified component is sufficient to locate the
exact point on the diagram.
• In this example, species A has a mass fraction
of 0.40 and species B has a mass fraction of
0.30, which can be depicted by the solid and
dotted lines, respectively, in the equilateral 3-
component diagram on the next Page
• Point A is the intersection of the yA = 0.40 line
and the 0yB = 0.30 line; note that, at this point,
yc is read as 0.30, which corresponds to the
fact that
• yC= 1-yA -yB = 1-0.40-0.30 = 0.30
• Try locating the following points yourself
• 1) yA = 0.40, yC = 0.60 Point P
• 2) yA = 0.20, yB= 0.50 Point Q
• 3) yB= 0.25, yC = 0.35 Point R
• Let’s consider a simple liquid-liquid extraction
(LLE) system below,
• The solvent C is added into the mixture of the
diluent A and the solute B.
• When the system reaches the equilibrium, it
could be homogeneous (i.e. all species are
mixed together into a single phase).
• could be divided into 2 phases as shown
below,
• One phase (e.g., the lower phase) contains the
diluent A; the solute B, with less amount than
the starting point; and some amount of the
solvent C (this phase is, in fact, the raffinate
phase).
• Another phase (e.g., the upper phase)
comprises the solvent C, the incoming solute B,
and some amount of the diluent A (this phase
is the extract phase).
• Note that, in Figure 9.6
• A is the diluent
• B is the solute
• C is the solvent
• Each pair of data [e.g., between the water
(raffinate) phase and the chloroform (extract)
phase] are connected together by a tie-line, as
illustrated in Figure 9.6
• Note that Point M is the composition of the
mixture of the raffinate phase and the extract
phase for a given tie-line.
• When all pairs of data in the raffinate and
extract phases are plotted (a tie-line of each
pair is depicted, in Figure 9.6, as dashed lines),
a solubility curve is established
• Within the solubility-curve envelope, the
mixture (e.g., Point M) will always be divided
into 2 phases (i.e. the raffinate phase and the
extract phase).
• The composition in each phase for a given point M is
dictated by a tie-line.
• For example, if the mixture has the composition
• of zA = 0.42, zB= 0.18, and zC = 0.40
(i.e. Point M), which is within the solubility curve
envelope, it will be divided into 2 phases:
• The raffinate phase with the composition
of xA = 0.80, xB = 0.10, and xC = 0.10
• The extract phase with the composition
of yA = 0.15, yB = 0.21, and yC = 0.64
• Point P in Figure 9.6 is the “plait point”, which is
the point where the composition in the raffinate
phase is equal to that of the extract phase (note
that the plait point is NOT necessary to be the
highest point of the solubility curve).
• If the composition is NOT within the solubility-
curve envelope (i.e. outside the solubility curve
envelope), the system will be a single phase.
• Consider the solid tie-line in Figure 9.6 once
again, by letting
• R as the point on the raffinate phase and
the mass of the raffinate phase
• E as the point on the extract phase and
the mass of the extract phase
• M as the composition of the mixture and
the mass of the mixture
• Since M is divided into 2 phases, the raffinate
phase (R) and the extract phase (E)
• Thus,
R +E =M (9.22)
• The species balances for the solute (B) and the
diluent (A) can be performed as follows
• Eqs. 9.25 and 9.26 are used to compute the
composition of any species at Point M when
the compositions of the raffinate and the
extract phase are known/given Eqs. 9.23 and
9.24 can be re-written as follows:
Lever arm rule
• The values of R (the amount of the raffinate
phase) and E (the amount of the extract
phase), and the location of point M can be
obtained by measuring (using a ruler) the
distance RE, RM, and/or ME.