CHAPTER 5

The student should be able to :

Explain the definition and application of
continuous countercurrent leaching
Understand the equilibrium relations in leaching
Solve for single stage leaching:
Solve for Multi-stage countercurrent system:
Identify the equipments used in leaching process

What is Leaching
Leaching is the preferential solution of one or

more compounds from a solid mixture by

contact with a liquid solvent.
The desired component diffuses into the
solvent from its natural solid form.
The solvent partially dissolves the solid

material so that the desired solute can be

carried away.
Explain the definition and application of continuous countercurrent leaching

Leaching Processes
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 OTHERS BECAUSE ONLY

EQUILIBRIUM IN LIQUID PHASES IS CONSIDERED

Explain the definition and application of continuous countercurrent leaching

Generally there
are five rate steps
in the leaching
process:

1. The solvent is transferred from

the bulk solution to the surface of
the solid.
2. The solvent penetrates or diffuses
into the solid (intraparticle
diffusion).
3. The solute dissolves from the
solid into the solvent.
4. The solute diffuses through the
mixture to the surface of the solid
(intraparticle diffusion).
5. The solute is transferred to the
bulk solution.

Explain the definition and application of continuous countercurrent leaching

Factors:
There are four important factors that aid in leaching:
Temperature- Temperature is adjusted to optimize
solubility and mass transfer.
Contact Time/Area
Solvent Selection (role in solubilities)
Particle size

Typical users include

a) The metals industry for removing mineral from
ores (acid solvents).
Leaching is used to remove the metals from
their ores, which contains many undesirable
constituents, as solute salts.
A good example is gold leaching, gold is

leached from its ore using an aqueous sodium

cyanide solution.

Typical users include

b) the vegetable oil industry for removing oil from
soybeans, peanuts, sunflower seeds, cotton seeds,
etc. (hexane, acetone, ether or similar organic
solvents)
c) the pharmaceutical industry, many different
pharmaceutical products are obtained by leaching
plant roots, leaves, and stems.
d) For the production of soluble instant coffee,
ground roasted coffee is leached with fresh water.
Soluble tea is produced by water leaching of tea
leaves.
Explain the definition and application of continuous countercurrent leaching

EQUILIBRIUM RELATIONS and SingleStage Leaching

Assumption in leaching
1) there is sufficient solvent present so that all the
solute in the entering solid can be dissolved into the
liquid equilibrium is reached.
2) When the solute is dissolved. Hence, all the solute is
completely dissolved in the first stage. There usually
sufficient time for this to occur in the first stage.
3) the solid is insoluble, and no adsorption will happen
for the solute in the solid, meaning that the solution
in the liquid phase leaving a stage is the same as
the solution remaining with the solid
Understand the equilibrium relations in leaching

EQUILIBRIUM RELATIONS AND SINGLE-STAGE

LEACHING
To analyze single-stage and countercurrent-stage

leaching,
An operating-line equation or material-balance
relation and the equilibrium relations between the two
streams are needed
Refer p.811

L0 V2 L1 V1 M

(12.9 4)

y A0L0 x A 2V2 y A1L1 x A1V1 x AM M (12.9 5)

B N0L0 N1L1 NM M (12.9 6)
B= kg solid

N= kg solid/kg solution solution=A+C

SINGLE-STAGE LEACHING
OVERFLOW STREAM

EXTRACT

SOLVENT FEED

SOLID FEED, Lo

LEACHED SOLID, L1

UNDERFLOW STREAM

Equilibrium diagrams for leaching

Since we have three components:
1) solute (A), inert or
2) leached solid (B), and
3) solvent (C),

A rectangular diagram is used to show

the equilibrium data.

Single-Stage Leaching
The following figure shows a single-stage leaching
process where V is kg/h of overflow solution with
composition xA and L is the kg/h of liquid in the slurry solution
with composition yA based on a given flow rate B kg/h of dry
solute-free solid.

EQUILIBRIUM DIAGRAMS
Solute and Solvent are Infinitely

Soluble
Some of the solid is soluble in the

solvent or is in suspension
Tie lines show unequal distribution

between phases.
Variable underflow
Treybal, Mass Transfer Operations, 2nd Ed.
McGraw-Hill, 1968, p. 657

EQUILIBRIUM DIAGRAMS
Solute has limited solubility
in Solvent
xS represents the strongest
clear solution that can be
obtained.
Mixture right of PS forms
clear solution (S) and slurry
(U) based on mix point M
Mixture left of PS forms

clear overflow liquid

Treybal, Mass Transfer Operations, 2nd Ed.
McGraw-Hill, 1968, p. 657

COUNTER-CURRENT LEACHING
EQUILIBRIUM DIAGRAMS
No adsorption of Solute
Constant Underflow
Solid is not soluble in the

solvent.

Treybal, Mass Transfer Operations, 2nd Ed.

McGraw-Hill, 1968, p. 657

SINGLE STAGE MASS BALANCES

SOLID FEED, L0
B = SOLID

LEACHED SOLID, L1
B = SOLID

N0 , yA0

SOLVENT FEED

N1 , yA1

EXTRACT

V2 , xA2

L0 V2 L1 V1 M

V1 , xA1

(12.9 4)

y A0L0 x A 2V2 y A1L1 x A1V1 x AM M (12.9 5)

B N0L0 N1L1 NM M (12.9 6)

OVERFLOW STREAM

EXTRACT

SOLVENT FEED

SOLID FEED, Lo

LEACHED SOLID, L1

UNDERFLOW STREAM

GRAPHICAL SOLUTION
EQUILIBRIUM LINE INDICATES THE
SOLUTE CONCENTRATION IN THE
SOLVENT IS THE SAME IN BOTH
THE SOLID UNDERFLOW AND
LIQUID OVERFLOW.

Refer 12.9-6

NM
x AM

B
B

L0 V2
M
L0 y A 0 V2 x A 2

L0 V2

LESS THAN EQUILIBRIUM STAGE

PARTIAL APPROACH TO
EQUILIBRIUM MAY RESULT
FROM INCOMPLETE
SEPARATION OF PHASES
OR SHORT RESIDENCE
TIME.
EQUATION FOR
EFFICICIENCY IS:

LEACH

y A0 y ' A1

y A0 y A1

L1

V2

FOR FEED WITH NO SOLVENT

CONCENTRATION IN SOLID IS yA0 = 1

Equipment: Moving Bed Leaching

Refer p.808

Fresh solvent enter the first stage thickener

The clear, settled liquid leaves and flows from stage to stage.
The feed solids enter the last stage, and contacted with solvent from
previous stage and then enter the settler slowly rotating rake moves the
solid to the bottom discharge solid with some liquid are pumped as a
slurry to the next tank.
Refer p.808

 Sanitary landfill is the cheapest satisfactory means of disposal,

but only if suitable land is within economic range of the source

of the wastes; typically, collection and transportation account for
75 percent of the total cost of solid waste management. In a
modern landfill, refuse is spread in thin layers, each of which is
compacted by a bulldozer before the next is spread. When about
3 m (about 10 ft) of refuse has been laid down, it is covered by a
thin layer of clean earth, which also is compacted. Pollution of
surface and groundwater is minimized by lining and contouring
the fill, compacting and planting the cover, selecting proper soil,
diverting upland drainage, and placing wastes in sites not subject
to flooding or high groundwater levels. Gases are generated in
landfills through anaerobic decomposition of organic solid
waste. If a significant amount of methane is present, it may be
explosive; proper venting eliminates this problem.

Dictionary
immiscible : Incapable of being mixed or blended
together. Immiscible liquids that are shaken together
eventually separate into layers.