LMAPR2118 - Fluid-fluid separations

Unit operations for fluid-fluid separation (distillation, absorption/stripping, liquid-liquid and
solid-liquid extraction). Operating principles and methods for the selection, sizing and choice of equipment
applicable to these unit operations.

The course covers successively the following topics:

• Diffusion theory. Fick’s law and Stefan’s law. Convective and molecular transfer coefficients. Analogy between heat and mass transfer.
• Continuous and batch distillation of binary and multi-component mixtures. Graphical (McCabe and Thiele) and numerical sizing methods. Simplified ("shortcut") and rigorous methods. Trayed column design (equipment, efficiency and capacity).
• Absorption of one or more components into a liquid, with of without a chemical reaction. Stripping. Packed column hydrodynamics. Different types of packing and absorbers.
• Liquid-liquid extraction. Single stage and multiple stages, with or without reflux. Extractor types and selection criteria. Supercritical extraction.
• Solid-liquid extraction basics (the principles and equipment).

The method of the course consists of 14 lectures by the course teachers, completed by 10 workouts sessions supervised by assistants. Some of the latter are based on “paper-pencil” computations, the others are based on the use of the ASPEN+ process simulation software.