SAMPLE PROBLEM #8:

Oil is to be extracted from meal by means of benzene

using a continuous countercurrent extractor. The unit is to
treat 1,000 kg of meal (based on completely exhausted
solid) per hour. The untreated meal contains 400 kg of oil
and is contaminated with 25 kg of Benzene. The fresh
solvent mixture contains 10 kg of oil and 655 kg of
benzene. The exhausted solids are to contain 60 kg of
un-extracted oil. Experiments carried out under conditions
identical with those of the projected battery show in Table
1.
REQUIRED
a.) the concentration of the strong solution,
or extract
b.) the concentration of the solution
adhering to the extracted solids
c.) the mass of solution leaving with the
extracted meal
d.) the mass of extract

e.) the number of stages required

 Concentration Solution retained
Kg oil / kg solution kg / kg solid
0.0 0.500
0.1 0.505
0.2 0.515
0.3 0.530
0.4 0.550
0.5 0.571
0.6 0.595
0.7 0.620

Table 1
DIAGRAM:
10 kg Oil
655 kg Benzene
V2 V1 Va

Stage 1 Stage n
Lb L1 L2

1000 kg meal/h 60 kg
400 kg oil Un-extracted
25 kg Benzene oil
SOLUTION:

At the solvent inlet: Vb= 10 + 655 = 665 kg solution/hour

yb = 10 = 0.015

665

By trial and error:

If xb = 0.1, the solution retained (from table 1) is 0.505. Then

Lb= 0.505 (1,000) = 505 kg/h

xb = 60 = 0.119

505

From table 1, the solution retained is 0.507 kg/kg:

Lb = 0.507 (1,000) = 507 kg/h

xb = 60 = 0.118
Close enough
507 0.119 ≈ 0.118
Benzene in the underflow at Lb is 507 – 60 = 447 kg/h

At the solid inlet,

La = 400 + 25 = 425 kg solution/h
xb = 400 = 0.941
425

Oil in extract = oil in – 60 = 10 + 400 – 60 = 350kg/h

Benzene in extract = 655 + 28 -447 = 233 kg/h

Va = 350 + 233 = 583 kg / h

ya = 350 = 0.600
585

∴ (a) ya = 0.60
(b) xb = 0.118
(c) Lb = 507 kg/h
(d) Va = 583 kg/h
For (e)

x1 = ya = 0.60, solution retained is 0.595 kg/kg solid.

L1 = 0.505 (1,000) = 595

Overall material balance:

V2 = L1 +Va – La = 595 + 583 – 425 = 753 kg/h

Oil balance:

Laxa + V2y2 = L1x1 + Vaya

V2y2 = 595(0.60) + 583(0.60) – 425(0.941) = 307
y2 = 307/753 = 0.408

Ln = solution retained = 0.53 (1,000) = 530 kg/h

By an overall balance,

Vn+1 = 530 + 583 – 425 = 688 kg/h

An oil balance gives

Vn+1 yn+1 = Lnxn + Vaya – Laxa

= 530(0.30) + 583(0.60) – 400 = 108.8
yn+1 = 108.8/688 = 0.158

The points xn, yn+1 , xa, ya and xb, yb define a slightly curved
operating line (see figure 1)
 1.0
Hence, Four ideal stages are required.

0.8

0.6
e
lin Stage 1
y rium
uilib
0.4 Eq
l ine
ti ng
era
Op
0.2

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

x