Extraction Kuhni

Kuhni contacters (Eig. 15e) have gained considerable commercial application. The principal features are the use of a shrouded impeller to promote radial discharge within the compartments, and a variable hole arrangement to allow flexibility of design for different process applications. Columns up to 5 m in diameter have been constmcted (176). Description and design criteria for Kuhni extraction columns have been reported (177,178). 

Extractors with mechanical agitation, such as mixer-settlers, Kuhni columns, York-Schiebel columns, etc., should be avoided as much as possible. Up to seven theoretical stages packed extraction columns can be conveniently adopted. Sieve-plate extractors can be used up to 20 stages. When a very efficient extraction has to be carried out with expensive solutes, and for reasons of material stability and requirements of low expensive product inventory, we may have to use centrifugal extractors or hollow-fibre extractors. 

Figure 11 Agitated extractors. Left to right RDC, Karr, Oldshue-Rushton, Scheibel, Kuhni extraction columns. 

Kuhni Tower The extraction towers designed at Kuhni [see Mogli and Buhlmann, in Lo, Baird, and Hanson (eds.). Handbook of Solvent Extraction, Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1983, sec. 13.5]... 

Extraction apparatus with continuous phase contact Spray column Packed column Pulsed packed column Rotating disc contactor, Oldshue-Rushton column, Graesser-Contactor, Kuhni column Podbiehiiak- Extractor, Luigi-Westfalia- Extractor, De Laval-Extractor... 

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