Extraction solvent selection

Affinity for solute the selectivity, which is a measure of the distribution of the solute between the two solvents (concentration of solute in feed-solvent divided by the concentration in extraction-solvent). Selectivity is analogous to relative volatility in distillation. The greater the difference in solubility of the solute between the two solvents, the easier it will be to extract. 

Fitzpatrick, L. J. and Dean, J. R., Extraction solvent selection in environmental analysis. Anal. Chem., 74, 74-79, 2002. 

Bradykinin was used as an analyte in the investigation and optimization of the TLC-MALDI coupling protocol. In this protocol, a matrix solution (a-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid) was deposited onto a stainless steel or polyester plate. The resolved TLC plate was sprayed with extraction solvent and placed into a solvent-saturated atmosphere. Afterward, the stainless steel or polyester plate was placed face-to-face with the dampened TLC plate and pressed. The pressing step puts pressure on the stationary phase, forcing solvent toward the top surface of the TLC plate and the matrix layer and also transfers the matrix to the top of the TLC plate. After removal of the stainless steel or polyester plate, the matrix remains on the TLC plate cocrystallized with analyte. The TLC plate is then analyzed in a MALDI mass spectrometer. According to the discussed paper, the parameters of the TLC-MALDI coupling protocol, particularly for the extraction solvent selection, extraction time and pressure have been investigated and optimized [25]. 

Selectivity. Solvent selectivity is intimately linked to the purity of the recovered extract, and obtaining a purer extract can reduce the number and cost of subsequent separation and purification operations. In aqueous extractions pH gives only limited control over selectivity greater control can be exercised using organic solvents. Use of mixed solvents, for example short-chain alcohols admixed with water to give a wide range of compositions, can be beneficial in this respect (6). 

Solvent Extraction. The selective partitioning of metals by Hquid—Hquid solvent extraction is one of the most powerful methods of... 

Another sulfur dioxide appHcation in oil refining is as a selective extraction solvent in the Edeleanu process (323), wherein aromatic components are extracted from a kerosene stream by sulfur dioxide, leaving a purified stream of saturated aHphatic hydrocarbons which are relatively insoluble in sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide acts as a cocatalyst or catalyst modifier in certain processes for oxidation of o-xylene or naphthalene to phthaHc anhydride (324,325). 

Extraction and Extractive Distillation. The choice of an extraction or extractive distillation solvent depends upon its boiling point, polarity, thermal stabiUty, selectivity, aromatics capacity, and upon the feed aromatic content (see Extraction). Capacity, defined as the quantity of material that is extracted from the feed by a given quantity of solvent, must be balanced against selectivity, defined as the degree to which the solvent extracts the aromatics in the feed in preference to paraffins and other materials. Most high capacity solvents have low selectivity. The ultimate choice of solvent is deterrnined by economics. The most important extraction processes use either sulfolane or glycols as the polar extraction solvent. 

Because extractive solvents work by altering the relative volatihty between the components to be distilled, a good solvent causes a substantial change in relative volatihty when present at moderate compositions. As seen from equation 3, the solvent modifies the relative volatihties by affecting the ratio of the hquid-phase activity coefficients yWhereas it is possible to find solvents which increase or decrease this ratio, it is usually preferable to select a solvent which accentuates the natural difference in vapor pressures between the components to be separated that is, a solvent that increases relative to when is favored, over one that increases relative to y. In the latter case, adding small amounts of the solvent actually makes the separation... 

The most common method for screening potential extractive solvents is to use gas—hquid chromatography (qv) to determine the infinite-dilution selectivity of the components to be separated in the presence of the various solvent candidates (71,72). The selectivity or separation factor is the relative volatihty of the components to be separated (see eq. 3) in the presence of a solvent divided by the relative volatihty of the same components at the same composition without the solvent present. A potential solvent can be examined in as htfle as 1—2 hours using this method. The tested solvents are then ranked in order of infinite-dilution selectivities, the larger values signify the better solvents. Eavorable solvents selected by this method may in fact form azeotropes that render the desired separation infeasible. 

Extractive distillation works by the exploitation of the selective solvent-induced enhancements or moderations of the liquid-phase nonidealities of the components to be separated. The solvent selectively alters the activity coefficients of the components being separated. To do this, a high concentration of solvent is necessaiy. Several features are essential ... 

The separation of components by liquid-liquid extraction depends primarily on the thermodynamic equilibrium partition of those components between the two liquid phases. Knowledge of these partition relationships is essential for selecting the ratio or extraction solvent to feed that enters an extraction process and for evaluating the mass-transfer rates or theoretical stage efficiencies achieved in process equipment. Since two liquid phases that are immiscible are used, the thermodynamic equilibrium involves considerable evaluation of nonideal solutions. In the simplest case a feed solvent F contains a solute that is to be transferred into an extraction solvent S. 

Deviations from Raonlt s law in solution behavior have been attributed to many charac teristics such as molecular size and shape, but the strongest deviations appear to be due to hydrogen bonding and electron donor-acceptor interac tions. Robbins [Chem. Eng. Prog., 76(10), 58 (1980)] presented a table of these interactions. Table 15-4, that provides a qualitative guide to solvent selection for hqnid-hqnid extraction, extractive distillation, azeotropic distillation, or even solvent crystallization. The ac tivity coefficient in the liquid phase is common to all these separation processes. 

Selectivity. The relative separation, or selectivity, Ot of a solvent is the ratio of two components in the extraction-solvent phase divided by the ratio of the same components in the feed-solvent phase. The separation power of a hquid-liquid system is governed by the deviation of Ot from unity, analogous to relative volatility in distillation. A relative separation Ot of 1.0 gives no separation of the components between the two liquid phases. Dilute solute concentrations generally give the highest relative separation factors. 

Temperature The temperature of the extraction should be chosen for the best balance of solubility, solvent-vapor pressure, solute diffusivity, solvent selectivity, and sensitivity of product. In some cases, temperature sensitivity of materials of construction to corrosion or erosion attack may be significant. 

A. Wierzbicki, and J. H. Davis, Jr., Proceedings of the Symposium on Advances in Solvent Selection and Substitution for Extraction, March 5-9, 2000, Atlanta, Georgia. AIChE, New York, 2000. 

Using sulphonic acid ion-exchange resins in ether solvent, selective removal of the trimethylsilyl group from oxygen in bistrimethylsilylated terminal alkynols can be achieved. This method is particularly suitable for low-molecular-weight compounds, where water solubility would make efficient extraction from an aqueous layer difficult. 

Reactive distillation is one of the classic techniques of process intensification. This combination of reaction and distillation was first developed by Eastman Kodak under the 1984 patent in which methyl acetate was produced from methanol and acetic acid. One of the key elements of the design is to use the acetic acid as both a reactant and an extraction solvent within the system, thereby breaking the azeotrope that exists within the system. Likewise, the addition of the catalyst to the system allowed sufficient residence time such that high yields could be obtained, making the process commercially viable. Other examples in which reactive distillation may enhance selectivity include those of serial reactions, in which the intermediate is the desired product, and the reaction and separation rates can be systematically controlled to optimize the yield of the desired intermediate. ... 

The most critical decision to be made is the choice of the best solvent to facilitate extraction of the drug residue while minimizing interference. A review of available solubility, logP, and pK /pKb data for the marker residue can become an important first step in the selection of the best extraction solvents to try. A selected list of solvents from the literature methods include individual solvents (n-hexane, " dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, acetone, acetonitrile, methanol, and water ) mixtures of solvents (dichloromethane-methanol-acetic acid, isooctane-ethyl acetate, methanol-water, and acetonitrile-water ), and aqueous buffer solutions (phosphate and sodium sulfate ). Hexane is a very nonpolar solvent and could be chosen as an extraction solvent if the analyte is also very nonpolar. For example, Serrano et al used n-hexane to extract the very nonpolar polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from fat, liver, and kidney of whale. One advantage of using n-hexane as an extraction solvent for fat tissue is that the fat itself will be completely dissolved, but this will necessitate an additional cleanup step to remove the substantial fat matrix. The choice of chlorinated hydrocarbons such as methylene chloride, chloroform, and carbon tetrachloride should be avoided owing to safety and environmental concerns with these solvents. Diethyl ether and ethyl acetate are other relatively nonpolar solvents that are appropriate for extraction of nonpolar analytes. Diethyl ether or ethyl acetate may also be combined with hexane (or other hydrocarbon solvent) to create an extraction solvent that has a polarity intermediate between the two solvents. For example, Gerhardt et a/. used a combination of isooctane and ethyl acetate for the extraction of several ionophores from various animal tissues. 

The solvent, microwave energy applied, and extraction time selected are the main parameters controlled in MAE. The user should use proper extraction vessels and equipment in MAE because very high pressures can be achieved and explosions may result if appropriate precautions are not taken. 

Various types of research are carried out on ITIESs nowadays. These studies are modeled on electrochemical techniques, theories, and systems. Studies of ion transfer across ITIESs are especially interesting and important because these are the only studies on ITIESs. Many complex ion transfers assisted by some chemical reactions have been studied, to say nothing of single ion transfers. In the world of nature, many types of ion transfer play important roles such as selective ion transfer through biological membranes. Therefore, there are quite a few studies that get ideas from those systems, while many interests from analytical applications motivate those too. Since the ion transfer at an ITIES is closely related with the fields of solvent extraction and ion-selective electrodes, these studies mainly deal with facilitated ion transfer by various kinds of ionophores. Since crown ethers as ionophores show interesting selectivity, a lot of derivatives are synthesized and their selectivities are evaluated in solvent extraction, ion-selective systems, etc. Of course electrochemical studies on ITIESs are also suitable for the systems of ion transfer facilitated by crown ethers and have thrown new light on the mechanisms of selectivity exhibited by crown ethers. 

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