Multistage countercurrent

Horizontal belt filters are well suited to either fast or slowly draining soHds, especially where washing requirements are critical. Multistage countercurrent washing can be effectively carried out due to the sharp separation of filtrates available. Horizontal belt vacuum filters are classified according to the method employed to support the filter medium. 

The acidic contaminants can also be removed by employing a system that utilizes extractions, precipitation, distillation, and other treatments for rendering the waste stream acceptable for current disposal standards (18—20). First Chemical Corporation uses such a system. Residual nitric acid can be removed by a multistage countercurrent Hquid-Hquid extraction. The nitric acid (ca 25%) is then reconcentrated by distillation for further use. 

Distillation. Distillation (qv) is by far the most common separation technique because of its inherent advantages. Its phase separation is clean, its equihbrium is closely approached in each stage, and its multistage countercurrent device is relatively easy to build. 

In the United States boric acid is produced by United States Borax Chemical Corp. in a 103,000 2 3 ric ton per year plant by reacting cmshed kernite ore with sulfuric acid. Coarse gangue is removed in rake classifiers and fine gangue is removed in thickeners. Boric acid is crystallised from strong hquor, nearly saturated in sodium sulfate, in continuous evaporative crystallizers, and the crystals are washed in a multistage countercurrent wash circuit. 

Fig. 3. Multistage countercurrent appHcation of powdered activated carbon.

Equipment in this category is usually arranged for multistage countercurrent contact of the insoluble hquids, without repeated complete separation of the hquids from each other between stages or their equivalent. Instead, the liquids remain in continuous contact throughout their passage through the equipment. 

The modelling approach to multistage countercurrent equilibrium extraction cascades, based on a mass transfer rate term as shown in Sec. 1.4, can therefore usefully be applied to such types of extractor column. The magnitude of the... 

Dynantics of Heat Exchangers, Simple Batch Extraction, Multi-Solute Batch Extraction, Multistage Countercurrent Ctiscade, Extraction Cascade with Backmixing, Countercurrent Extraction Cascade with Reaction, Absorption with Chemical Reaction, Membrane Transfer Processes... 

The modelling approach to multistage countercurrent equilibrium extraction cascades, based on a mass transfer rate term as shown in Section 1.4, can therefore usefully be applied to such types of extractor column. The magnitude of the mass transfer capacity coefficient term, now used in the model equations, must however be a realistic value corresponding to the hydrodynamic conditions, actually existing within the column and, of course, will be substantially less than that leading to an equilibrium condition. 

In most industrial applications, multistage countercurrent contacting is required. The hydrodynamic driving force necessary to induce countercurrent flow and subsequent phase separation may be derived from the differential effects of either gravity or centrifugal force on the two phases of different densities. Essentially there are two types of design by which effective multistage operation may be obtained ... 

To obtain MSMA, the DSMA solution is partially acidified with sulfuric acid and the resulting solution concentrated by evaporation. As the aqueous solution is being concentrated, a mixture of sodium sulfate and sodium chloride precipitates out (about 0.5 kg per 100 kg of active ingredient). These salts are a troublesome disposal problem because they are contaminated with arsenic. The salts are removed by centrifugation, washed in a multistage, countercurrent washing cycle, and then disposed of in an approved landfill. 

Laboratory Extractors. Pilot-Scale Testing, and Scale-Up. Several laboratory units arc useful in analysis, process control, and process studies. The AKUFVE contactor incorporates a separate mixer and centrifugal separator. It is an efficient instrument for rapid and accurate measurement of partition coefficients, as well as for obtaining reaction kinetic data. Miniature mixer-settler assemblies set up as continuous, bench-scale, multistage, countercurrent, liquid-liquid contactors are particularly useful Tor the preliminary laboratory work associated with flow-sheet development and optimization because these give a known number of theoretical stages. 

Fig. 10.6 The graphical estimation of the number of ideal stages for multistage countercurrent extraction.

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