Abstract
Entrainment is a crucial problem in industrial solvent extraction processes, which results in a loss
of solvent, impurity accumulation in a final product, and a decrease in process capacity. Basically,
in such processes, entrainment comes from physical solubility and/or from very fine droplets that
are not able to coalesce or separate. Thus, the first step towards reduction and removal of
entrainment involves the experimental quantification of entrainment to determine the relative
contribution of the physical solubility and the droplet entrainment, which ultimately determines
the strategy to be used.
In this regard, physical properties especially interfacial tension can play an important role in
determining which of the above contributions will be dominant. This paper presents the results of
entrainment characterisation for caprolactam-water-toluene system under different flow
conditions and for two different concentrations of caprolactam in the aqueous phase. It was found
that at low concentration of caprolactam (high interfacial tension), the entrainment mainly
resulted from the physical solubility; however, at high concentration (low interfacial tension), the
droplet entrainment turned out to be more significant. The water entrainment in the organic
toluene stream after phase separation in the settler was
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Proceedings of the 19th International Solvent Extraction Conference - ISEC 2011, 3-7 October 2011, Santiago, Chile |
Pages | 1-8 |
Publication status | Published - 2011 |
Event | 19th International Solvent Extraction Conference (ISEC 2011), October 3-7, 2011, Santiago, Chile - Santiago, Chile Duration: 3 Oct 2011 → 7 Oct 2011 https://gecamin.com/isec2011/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1&lang=en |
Conference
Conference | 19th International Solvent Extraction Conference (ISEC 2011), October 3-7, 2011, Santiago, Chile |
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Abbreviated title | ISEC 2011 |
Country/Territory | Chile |
City | Santiago |
Period | 3/10/11 → 7/10/11 |
Internet address |