Analysis of Extraction Separation in a Cascade of Mixing-Settling Extractors in a Recirculation Liquid-Liquid Chromatography Mode

Previously, a method for increasing the efficiency of extraction separation of liquid mixtures has been proposed, in which a solution of a mixture of components is introduced as a series of pulse injections in a cascade of mixing-settling extractors operating in the eluent chromatography mode. The present study is further development of this method as applied to separation in a cascade of mixing-settling extractors operating in a recirculation chromatography mode. A mathematical model was developed, and periodic and continuous processes of extraction separation were analyzed for conditions with a mixture of components loaded into a cascade of mixing-settling extractors in the form of a series of successive pulse injections separated by short time intervals. Experiments were performed on a cascade of mixing-settling extractors, which confirmed that the model is reliable. It was shown on some examples that the serial method of loading the solution into a closed circuit of extractors significantly increases the efficiency of separation.