Solvent extraction

Theextractionwith solvents is used for the separation of compounds of interest taking advantage of the
differences ofsolubilityof the components of the mixture and the suitable extraction solvent that is
having selected. With the extraction, it is therefore possible to obtain the product of a reaction in a way
selectively or eliminate the impurities that may be contained in the mixture with the product of interest. For a
part, this type of application has an important advantage, which is that it allows for the
removal of the solvent by evaporation, but it has the drawback that the amount
The solvent to be used is much greater than in the case of its use as a reaction medium.
In general, extraction processes can be classified as:
• Gas absorption:this type of extraction occurs when the material to be treated with the solvent is a
gas, an example of this type of extraction is the removal of industrial gases, such as carbon dioxide
carbon, by treatment with diethanolamines.
• Liquid-liquid extraction:this type of extraction occurs when the material to be treated with the solvent
it is a liquid, an example of this type of extraction is the removal of aromatic hydrocarbons with furfural
in lubricant manufacturing processes.
• Leaching:this type of extraction occurs when the material to be treated with the solvent is a solid, a
An example of this type of extraction is the extraction of oil from oilseeds.
The most commonly used solvents for extraction are:

Liquid carbon dioxide

Butane
Acetone
Hexane: It is the most common solvent, its main advantage is its easy removal at relatively low temperatures.
its almost immiscibility in water and its production at a reasonable cost. From a safety perspective, they present a
The major drawback is its low flash point (-23ºC), which results in a high risk of fire or explosion.
aggravated by the fact that vapors are heavier than air and consequently tend to accumulate
in low areas.
Propane
Alcohol
Trichloroethylene: It has the advantage of being non-flammable at ordinary temperatures, but it is toxic and more difficult to
remove because its use is very limited.
Heptane

TYPES OF EXTRACTION:

Characteristics of the ideal extraction solvent:

That it be immiscible with the other solvent and that the desired component is more soluble in the extraction solvent.
that in the original solvent. That the other components are not soluble in the extraction solvent. That it is
sufficiently volatile, so that it can be easily removed from the extracted product by evaporation or
distillation, that is not toxic or flammable.

Simple liquid-liquid extraction:

The substance to be extracted is dissolved in a liquid that solubilizes it less than the liquid of
extraction, is a very useful method for separating components of a mixture.
When a compound is shaken with two immiscible solvents, the compound distributes itself between the two.
solvents. At a given temperature, the ratio of concentrations of the compound in each
solvent is always constant.

The extraction of the desired product from an aqueous mixture can be achieved by adding a
suitable organic solvent, more or less dense than water, immiscible with water and capable of
solubilize the maximum amount of desired product.
After shaking the mixture of the two phases to increase the contact surface between them and allow
a faster equilibrium of the product to be extracted between both phases will result in a transfer of the
desired product from the initial aqueous phase to the organic phase, in an amount that is greater as much as
may your distribution coefficient between the chosen organic extraction solvent and water be.

Minutes after the agitation, the two phases separate again, with the organic phase that
the desired product can be separated by a simple decantation of the aqueous phase
containing impurities. The relative position of both phases depends on the ratio of densities.
Given that after this extraction, the aqueous phase often still contains a certain amount of the
desired product, the extraction process is usually repeated a couple more times.

Once the extraction operation is completed, the extracted product has to be recovered from the
consolidated organic phases. To do this, the resulting organic phase needs to be dried with a drying agent.
filter the resulting suspension and finally remove the organic solvent from the dry solution
containing the product extracted by distillation or evaporation. It is also possible to quantify the extract.
by means of a back titration.

Liquid-liquid extraction continues:

To avoid using large volumes of extraction solvent, the process is carried out in a system
closed in which the extraction solvent is heated in a flask and the vapors of the solvent are made
condense in a refrigerant placed on a tube or extraction chamber that contains the solution
aqueous to extract.

The hot condensed solvent is passed through the aqueous solution, ultimately reaching, with part of the
extracted product, into the initial flask, where the organic solvent is vaporized again, repeating a new cycle of
extraction, while the extracted product, non-volatile, is concentrated in the flask.

Simple solid-liquid extraction:

The substance to be extracted is in solid state. Discontinuous solid-liquid extraction separates

a mixture of solid compounds can also be carried out by taking advantage of differences in solubility
of the same in a certain solvent.

In the favorable case of a mixture of solids in which one of the compounds is soluble in a
a specific organic solvent, while the others are insoluble, we can perform an extraction
consists of adding this solvent to the mixture contained in a container, either cold or hot, shaking or
crush with the help of a glass rod and separate by filtration the solution that contains the product
extracted and the insoluble fraction that contains the impurities. If, on the contrary, the intention is to dissolve
the impurities of the solid mixture, leaving the desired product as an insoluble fraction, the process, in
place of extraction is called washing.

Solid-liquid extraction continues:

Solid-liquid extraction is usually much more efficient when done continuously with the solvent of
hot extraction in a closed system, using a methodology similar to that discussed for liquid extraction-
The liquid continues, based on maceration with organic solvent.

Steam drag extraction:

The steam distillation extraction is one of the main processes used for extraction.
of essential oils. Essential oils are chemically composed of terpenoids and
phenylpropanoids, compounds that are volatile and therefore can be carried away by water vapor.
Process for oil extraction:

The process is generally:

Preparation of the raw material.

Extraction process.
Dissolventization of extracted material.
Distillation of mixture.
Solvent recovery by absorption.
Finished and packaged product.

The first operation is the extraction itself, in which the scale is mixed with the solvent in order to
disolver el aceite presente en las células abiertas. De este proceso se obtiene la miscela, mezcla de aceite y disolvente y
the exhausted scales, which are usually separated inside the extractor either by straining or in other cases by flotation.
The mixture with an oil content of 25% by weight goes through evaporators where it is concentrated to a value of
92% using steam as a heat source.
Finally, the oil is subjected to a vacuum distillation process with steam that removes the residues of solvent and
water, to then cool down and be stored.
All the solvent during the previous processes is condensed and the water that it may contain is separated and sent to
the deposits for their reuse.

Process for copper extraction:

The impure solution resulting from aqueous phase leaching, rich in copper ions and with low acidity, is
introduce in special mixers where it contacts with the organic phase of very low copper content, called
“downloadedorganic”, then an external mechanical action of elements is applied that provide the energy
necessary for this purpose. When both phases are mixed, a transfer of the dissolved metallic phase occurs in the phase.
aqueous, the one that chemically displaces with the extracting reagent in the organic phase until reaching the respective
chemical equilibrium. Thus, an organic phase charged with the metal species of interest and an aqueous solution is generated.
downloaded or refined.

Loss of extractant:

The losses of the extractor are of great importance in the economic viability of a plant. These occur
mainly due to evaporation, solubility or entrapment during processing. Just as solubility is
sensible to pH, losses are also dependent on acidity and even more so when having alkaline aqueous phases.

Extracctions at room temperature

As has been commented, in most liquid-liquid or solid-liquid extraction processes at temperature

environment, a volatile organic compound is used, usually a flammable solvent, which means that any
Overpressure during installation or a steam leak can cause a fire. It should be taken into account that whenever one
Handling substances of these characteristics presents a risk of fire and explosion.

The systems for controlling these risks are:

Carry out the operation at the display.

Having an appropriate action system (suitable manual fire extinguisher, fire blanket, etc.) close to the location
of the operation.

If a separatory funnel is used with manual agitation, there is also the problem of contact.
directly with the products and the possibility of liquid projections and inhalation of concentrations
steam rises when relieving the pressure of the funnel (generated by vaporization during agitation) to
through the valve of the shut-off valve. It is advisable to use gloves in this operation.
waterproofs, protective clothing and, as mentioned before, carry out the operation in the showcase,
although this may be uncomfortable, especially if the substances involved in the process have
high danger characteristics.
Hot extractions

Hot solid-liquid or liquid-liquid extraction is a relatively routine operation in laboratories.

chemistry. The most common case is extraction using the Soxhlet system. Since liquids are usually used for it
flammable volatiles, general recommendations for the use of this type of compounds will need to be applied
that has already been commented on (overpressure, presence of flammable vapors).

In addition to the risk control systems already mentioned, it is advisable:

Heat the extraction system using a water bath or an oil bath to a temperature
sufficient, but not higher, to ensure the boiling of the solvent.
When the extraction is long-lasting, it is advisable to have a control system for it.
cooling water against possible water supply cuts.
Having an appropriate emergency response system (manual fire extinguisher, fire blanket, etc.) nearby
place of the operation.

The solid or liquid waste generated in these operations will be placed in the waste containers.
corresponding.

Protection:
1. Elimination of ignition sources through:
a) The interconnection and grounding of all parts of the electrical machinery and all equipment and buildings.
b) The electrical wiring according to the standards for explosive areas (explosion-proof)
c) The prohibition of all open flames within the operational area.
d) The prohibition of the use of ferrous materials for the construction of moving parts such as fans,
extractors, etc.
2. Elimination of fuel sources, mixtures, etc. By means of:
a) The maintenance of solvent losses.
b) The regulation of the temperatures of the desolventization equipment.
c) The use of continuous explosimeters.
d) The use of effective sealing joints in conduction equipment.
e) The provision of mechanical ventilation.
3. Establishment of operating methods that comply with:
a) Limitation of production so that it does not exceed the projected capacity
b) Adoption of normal and emergency start-up and shut-down methods
c) Limitation of solvent losses.
a) A monthly inspection program of the facilities.

Health hazards
The charactervolatilethe solvents cause them to evaporate quickly into the air, reaching
important concentrations in confined spaces. The greatest risks to humans occur
through their absorption via the skin and by inhalation. Direct contact with the skin allows for the
Solvent passes into the blood, causing immediate and longer-term effects. Inhalation is the route.
of more dangerous exposure, because the lungs are very effective at distributing these or any other
substance, throughout the body being able to inhale very high concentrations in a short period of time, being
this route is, in addition, particularly difficult to control.
Exposure and Intoxication:

The largest area of contact is in industries where workers are exposed to solvents as a result of that.
exposure can cause damage to your organism. That damage will be proportional to a series of factors such as:

The properties of human nature.

The characteristics of solvents (theirtoxicity).
The absorption rate by the organism.
The concentration in the environment.
Exposure time.
There are 3 types ofpoisoningsaccording to its penetration speed in the organism: acute, subacute, and chronic. The use
oforganic solventsThey account for 30%, of which approximately 20% represents the use of solvents in the industry.
TheevaporationThe use of organic solvents in the industry, as has already been mentioned, contributes in part.
very important to these emissions. It is enough to indicate that among the sectors of production and application of paints, that of
Printing and the degreasing and cleaning activities of metals account for 65% of emissions.

Provoking consequence to your exposure:

IN THE SHORT TERM
Eye irritation.
Nasal and throat discomfort.
Migraines.
Allergic skin reactions.
Dyspnea.
Nausea.
Fatigue.
Dizziness.
In the long term
Liver injuries.
The kidneys.
The central nervous system

Effects on the environment:

Solvents can affect the environment. Thus, there are substances that harm the ozone layer, others
they pollute the air, some are very toxic to animals and others can remain for a long time
in the environment without degrading (persistent) or even accumulating in the organisms of beings
living beings (bioaccumulative).
Hundreds of thousands of workers are exposed daily to these toxic substances, and yet,
They have very little information and few or ineffective prevention and protection measures.
The most effective preventive measure is to avoid the use of solvents and replace the most dangerous ones with others.
that they are less. There are already many alternatives to these more dangerous solvents and they can
search for others.