(391j) Modeling and Simulation of Rotating Disc Contactor (RDC) for the Extraction of Aromatic Hydrocarbons From Lube-Oil Cut

Previously, several mathematical models have been proposed for liquid-liquid extraction processes involving Rotating Disc Contactor (RDC) Column. Most of these models reveal that hydrodynamic and mass transfer phenomena are important for predicting the performance of the column. In this paper, a mathematical model, using a new scheme, was developed to acquire a simulation tool to predict the performance of an RDC column used in lubricating oil production. Field data obtained in an RDC column of  from a commercial lubricating oil production company was used to evaluate the predictions. The model is used for parametric study of aromatics extraction from lube-oil cut in an RDC column to investigate the effects of operational data such as solvent and feed temperatures, solvent to feed ratio and disc rotation rate on the extraction yield.

The developed model compares more favorably with other existing back-flow models by consideration of temperature, physical property and flow rate variations across the column. Additionally, some new correlations for physical properties of the hydrocarbon compounds (aromatics and saturated) were developed. The accuracy of the mathematical model is checked with randomly selected field data of an industrial plant. The results show that the average error of the model in predicting the performance of the RDC performance is less than 10%. Parametric study of the extraction of aromatics compounds from lube-oil cut, carried out in an RDC column, reveals that by increasing the solvent to feed ratio, rotor diameter, discs rotating rate, and both feed and solvent temperatures, the extraction yield will be increased.