Short Semester Research Project
Experimental studies on synergic complexation extraction of hydroxy acid from fermenation liquid
Liquid-liquid extraction is one of the most important trodational chemical separation method, especially to the extraction of organic acid, biochemical product, mineral and precious metals in hydrometallurgical and industrial waste water treatment. Michiaki Matsumoto etc. found the generation of synergic complexation extraction when they studied the trioctylamine complexation extraction of the low concentration organic carboxylic acid with tributyl phosphate. When it came to the complexation extraction of glycolic acid aqueous solution, the synergic complexation extraction also generated after adding the tributyl phosphate, and furthermore the effect of the extraction was improved.
The experiment was conducted in Kühni synergic complexation extraction column.The agitators are mounted at fixed intervals on a central vertical shaft, and wire-mesh packings are installed to improve coalescence and separation of the phases. In this type of extraction column the necessary interface for mass-transfer is achieved with rotors placed one above the other in compartments. In this research project, trioctylamine and tributyl phosphate were used as complexing agent, and octanol and sulfonated kerosene were used as diluent. With the four substances above, we can get the binary extraction system, and it can be emploied in the extraction and separation of hydrolyzate and fermenation liquid.
Based on the partition coefficient theory, the effect of the temperature to extraction and reextraction was performed, and the factors such as the ratio of the phases, rotation speed, the type of the continuous phase and the size of the particals in dispersed phase were also taken into consideration. The results show that the low temperature is in favor of the extraction and high temperature is in favor of the reextraction.
- In this project, we worked in group and I led the instrumentation setup, data collection and analysis. A final report was submited, and awarded outstanding thesis.
- East China University of Science and Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, 03/2011 -05/2011
- Advisor: Dr. Yunhai Shi
