The best and most reliable method for the design of a liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) column is by pilot plant testing with actual feed and then relying on known scale up correlations for the specific type of extraction column. In general, the development procedure consists of the following steps; (1) selecting the solvent and generating liquid-liquid equilibrium data, (2) using this information and the project requirements to select the column type to use, (3) performing a pilot plant test to generate the data for accurate scale up to the production column, and (4) designing and subsequent fabrication of the column.
The purpose of this paper is to focus on the pilot plant test method. It is important to have an optimized test method that can be completed in a short time frame using a minimal amount of feed and solvent. For pilot plant testing, this method requires a significant amount of feed and solvent and can take a long period of time. This paper will present a Step-by-Step optimization method that saves both time and material. This method does require some experience but when it is applied correctly it can ensure that an extraction column is designed correctly and performs as required.