CHAPTER 4 : LEACHING

INTRODUCTION
When two phases (solid and
liquid phase) are in intimate
contact and the solute or
solutes can diffuse from the
solid to the liquid phase, it
will separate the
components originally in the
solid.
This separation
process is called:
liquid-solid leaching or
Leaching or extraction
Define washing
LEACHING PROCESS
DESCRIPTION
PROCESS TO CONTACT A SOLID WITH A LIQUID
PHASE.
SIMILAR TO EXTRACTION BECAUSE OF TWO
IMMISCIBLE PHASES
SIMILAR TO ABSORPTION BECAUSE TWO PHASES
ARE NORMALLY PRESENT
DISSIMILAR TO OTHER SEPARATION PROCESS
BECAUSE ONLY EQUILIBRIUM IN LIQUID PHASES IS
CONSIDERED
Leaching
process
Biological and
food
processing
Examples:
Leaching of sugar from sugar
beets
Production of vegetable oils
from peanuts, soybeans,
sunflower seeds.
Pharmaceuticals product by
leaching from roots, leaves
and stems.
Production of soluble instant
coffee, soluble tea
Inorganic and
organic
materials
Examples:
Metal processing
industries
Gold is leached from its
ore using an aqueous
sodium cyanide solution
Fixed-bed leaching
T =344 K to 350 K
Moving-bed leaching
Exercise: Explain the process of
leaching in Agitated solid leaching
LEACHING PRINCIPLES
EQUILIBRIUM AND SINGLE STAGE
LEACHING
1. State the components involved in leaching.
2. When is equilibrium reached in leaching?
3. State all the assumptions made for leaching
process?
4. Explain underflow and overflow.
5. Describe equilibrium line in leaching.
6. List factors affecting stage calculations
LEACHING EQUILIBRIUM
SOLVENT FORMS A LIQUID SOLUTION -
CARRIER MAY BE TOTALLY IMMISCIBLE
SOME SOLUTION IS NORMALLY RETAINED
BY THE SOLID - HAS THE SAME
COMPOSITION AS THE LIQUID SOLUTION.
WHEN THE AMOUNT OF RETAINED
SOLUTION IS CONSTANT THE SYSTEM HAS
CONSTANT SOLUTION UNDERFLOW.
VARIABLE UNDERFLOW EXISTS WHEN THE
AMOUNT RETAINED IS A FUNCTION OF
CONCENTRATION
TYPICAL EQUILIBRIUM
DIAGRAM
NOTE THE SOLID PHASE IS
REPRESENTED BY THE UPPER LINE
SOLUTION EQUILIBRIUM ON McCABE
IS x = y LINE FOR THIS SITUATION
Y = B / ( A + C )
xA, yA
0
1
SOLID PHASE
LIQUID PHASE
SINGLE STAGE LEACHING
MODELED LIKE A SINGLE STAGE LLX
Y = B / ( A + C )
xA, yA
0
1
xa,La
yb,Vb
xb,Lb
ya,Va
MULTIPLE CROSS CURRENT
LEACHING
MODEL IS BASED ON AMOUNT IN
EACH PHASE
Y = B / ( A + C )
xA, yA
0
1
xa,La
yb,Vb
(xb,Lb)
1
= (xa, La)
2
(ya,Va)
1
(ya,Va)
2
(xb,Lb)
2
M
1
M
2
MULTIPLE CROSS CURRENT
LEACHING EXAMPLE

https://portal.navf
ac.navy.mil/portal/
pls/portal/docs/1/3
196547.JPG
MULTISTAGE
COUNTERCURRENT LEACHING
RESULTS FOR DESIGN
ARE SIMILAR TO
SHOWN IN FIG. 12.10-2
FOR SYSTEM WITH
CONSTANT L/V RATIO,
THE APPROACH IS TO
MODEL USING
ABSORPTION FACTORS
FOR ALL STAGES
AFTER THE FIRST MIX
MULTISTAGE
COUNTERCURRENT
LEACHING CONFIGURATION
http://beta.cheresources.com/articles/basics-of-leaching.html
MULTISTAGE COUNTERCURRENT LEACHING
MODEL
http://beta.cheresources.
com/articles/basics-of-
leaching.html
Single stage leaching
SOLID FEED, L
0
LEACHED SOLID, L
1
B = SOLID B = SOLID
N
0
, y
A0
N
1
, y
A1





SOLVENT FEED EXTRACT
V
2
, x
A2
V
1
, x
A1


) 6 9 . 12 (
) 5 9 . 12 (
) 4 9 . 12 (
1 1 0 0
1 1 1 1 2 2 0 0
1 1 2 0



M N L N L N B
M x V x L y V x L y
M V L V L
M
AM A A A A
V
2
, x
2

L
1
, N
1
, y
1
, B

L
o
, N
o
, y
o
, B
V
1
, x
1

slurry slurry
Figure 1 Process flow diagram for single stage extraction
Graphical solution
Equilibrium line indicates
the solute concentration in
the solvent is the same in
both the solid underflow
and liquid overflow.

2 0
2 2 0 0
2 0
V L
x V y L
x
M
B
V L
B
N
A A
AM
M

For feed with no solvent

CONCENTRATION IN SOLID IS y
A0
= 1
Example 1
In a single-stage leaching of soybean oil from
flaked soybeans with hexane, 100 kg of soybeans
containing 20 wt% oil is leached with 100 kg of
fresh hexane solvent. The value of N for the slurry
underflow is essentially constant at 1.5 kg
insoluble solid/kg solution retained. Calculate the
amounts and compositions of the overflow V1 and
the underflow slurry L1 leaving the stage.

V
2
, x
2

L
1
, N
1
, y
1
, B

L
o
, N
o
, y
o
, B
V
1
, x
1

slurry slurry
Solution
Given:
V
2
= 100 kg
x
A2
= 0
x
C2
= 1
B = 100 (1.0 0.2) = 80 kg insoluble solid
L
0
= 100 (1.0 0.8) = 20 kg A
N
0
= 80/20 = 4 kg solid/kg solution
y
A0
= 1
Find point M from MB
L
0
+ V
2
= 20 + 100 = 120 kg = M eq(1)
L
0
y
A0
+ V
2
x
A2
= 20 (1.0) + 100 (0) = 120 x
AM
eq(2)



Solving simultaneously eq 1 and 2, x
AM
= 0.167

B = N
0
L
0
= 4.0(20) = 80
= N
M
(120)

So, N
M
= 0.667




The coordinates for the points:
L
o
= (y
0
,N
0
)
L
1
= (y
1
,N
1
)
V
1
= (x
1
,0)
V
2
= (x
2
,0)
M = (x
M
,N
M
)


L
0
= (1,4)
L
1
= (read from graph,1.5)
V
1
= (read from graph,0)
V
2
= (0,0)
M = (0.167, 0.667)



Please take note:
1. L
1
MV
1
and L
0
MV
2
must lie on a straight line
2. L
1
and V
1
must lie on a vertical line.
3. Point M is the intersection of the two lines.


Countercurrent multistage leaching
Overall balance: V
n+1
+ L
0
= V
1
+ L
n
Component balance on solute A: V
n+1
x
n+1
+ L
0
y
0
= V
1
x
1
+ L
n
y
n
i) Variable Underflow in Countercurrent Multistage Leaching
Overall balance:
V
N+1
+ L
0
= V
1
+ L
N
= M


Component balance on A:
V
N+1
x
AN+1
+ L
0
y
A0
= V
1
x
A1
+ L
N
y
AN
= Mx
AM


Total solids balance on B:
B = N
0
L
0
= N
N
L
N
= N
M
M
Coordinate M =(x
AM
, N
M
)
Remember:
L
0
MV
N+1
must lie on a straight line
V
1
ML
N
must also lie on a straight line

A balance on solute A gives:



A balance on solids gives:




Coordinate operating
point = (x
A
, N

)
Point is located
graphically as the
intersection of lines L
0
V
1

and L
N
V
N+1

To determine number of
stages
Locate L
0
Draw line L
0
to locate V
1
A tie line through V
1

locates L
1
Line L
1
is drawn given V
2
A tie line gives L
2
This is continued until the
desired L
N
is reached

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