Centrifugal extractor

Among the different apparatus employed in robotic stations, vortex mixers and systems for addition/tranfer of liquids are by far the most common. Others, such as liquid-liquid and solid-liquid extractors, centrifuges, heaters and pneumatic crimpers are less frequently used, although not uncommon in robotic configurations. 

Extraction Either Mixer-settler, differential colurrm extractor, centrifugal extractor... 

The cold extraction method using a centrifuge extractor (centrifugal filter paper method) is perhaps the most common method worldwide for the determination of the soluble binder content. 

The first differential centrifugal extractor to be used in industry was the PodbieHiiak extractor which was introduced in the 1950s (209,210) and can be regarded as a perforated-plate column wrapped around a rotor shaft. Rotation creates a centrifugal force which results in a great reduction in the equivalent height and contact time that would be needed in a conventional perforated-plate column. 

The behavior of drops in the centrifugal field has been studied (211) and the residence times and mass-transfer rates have been measured (212). PodbieHiiak extractors have been widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, eg, for the extraction of penicillin, and are increasingly used in other fields as weU. Commercial units having throughputs of up to 98 m /h (26,000 gal/h) have been reported. 

A new countercurrent continuous centrifugal extractor developed in the former USSR (214) has the feature that mechanical seals are replaced by Hquid seals with the result that operation and maintenance are simplified the mechanical seals are an operating weak point in most centrifugal extractors. The operating units range between 400 and 1200 mm in diameter, and a capacity of 70 m /h has been reported in service. The extractors have been appHed in coke-oven refining (see Coal conversion processes), erythromycin production, lube oil refining, etc. 

Antibiotics. Solvent extraction is an important step in the recovery of many antibiotics (qv) such as penicillin [1406-05-9] streptomycin [57-92-17, novobiocin [303-81-1J, bacitracin [1405-87-4] erythromycin, and the cephalosporins. A good example is in the manufacture of penicillin (242) by a batchwise fermentation. Amyl acetate [628-63-7] or -butyl acetate [123-86-4] is used as the extraction solvent for the filtered fermentation broth. The penicillin is first extracted into the solvent from the broth at pH 2.0 to 2.5 and the extract treated with a buffet solution (pH 6) to obtain a penicillin-rich solution. Then the pH is again lowered and the penicillin is re-extracted into the solvent to yield a pure concentrated solution. Because penicillin degrades rapidly at low pH, it is necessary to perform the initial extraction as rapidly as possible for this reason centrifugal extractors are generally used. 

General Characteristics Countercurrent flow is maintained by virtue of the difference in densities of the hquids and either the force of gravity (vertical towers) or centrifugal force (centrifugal extractors). Only one of the liquids may be pumped through the equipment at any desired velocity. Tne maximum velocity for the second is then fixed if it is attempted to exceed this limit, the second hquid will be rejected and the extractor will be flooded. 

Wiped film stills in place of continuous still pots —Centrifugal extractors in place of extraction columns —Flash dryers in place of tray dryers —Continuous reactors in place of batch —Plug flow reactors in place of CFSTRs —Continuous in-line mixers in place of mixing vessels... 

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. 

Various types of proprietary centrifugal extractors are also used. 

Contaminated toluene is fed to a water wash system shown in Figure 5-16. The toluene is pumped from a 50-gal drum into a countercurrent centrifugal extractor. The extractor... 

Countercurrent contactors, design of, 10 757 Countercurrent continuous centrifugal extractor, 10 781... 

Discrete photodiodes, 19 152-153 Discrete stage centrifugal extractors,... 

If separation is difficult in a mixer-settler unit, a centrifugal extractor may be used in which the mixing and the separation stages are contained in the same unit which operates as a differential contactor. 

Figure 13.41. Working principle of Alfa-Laval centrifugal extractor...

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