OptimEXT™ an integrated liquid-liquid extraction solution
OptimEXT is Sulzer latest separation solution, seamlessly integrating liquid–liquid extraction with solvent recovery to deliver superior performance, reliability, and cost efficiency. Built to overcome the limitations of traditional methods, it achieves solvent recovery rates of up to 99% while reducing energy consumption by up to 60% and solvent usage by up to 70%.
Sub-PPM Impurities Residues
Remove impurities for cleaner, compliant products
>700 Proven References
Successful installations ensure trusted, risk-free performance
>99% Solvent Recovery
Up to 99% solvent recovery, cutting costs and boosting sustainability
>70% Solvent Saving
OptimEXT offers up to 50% energy saving along with 70% saving on solvent
Explore how OptimEXT delivers value
Main Benefits
Up to 70% solvent savings through high efficiency and optimized operation
Handles phase ratios up to 70:1, providing unmatched flexibility in process design
>99% recovery rates for both product and solvent
Up to 50% lower energy use, minimizing OPEX
Up to 60% smaller footprint with modular, compact design, reducing infrastructure costs
Key Characteristics
Integrated Solution: Combines extraction and solvent recovery in a single system
High Performance Extraction: Continuous liquid–liquid extraction with Kühni™ column (up to 30 NTS per unit)
Proven Reliability: A trusted technology platform applied across diverse industries
Energy & Product Protection: Operates at low temperatures, ensuring sensitive material integrity and energy savings
Flexibility & Robustness: Designed to handle complex feed compositions, volatile solvents, and pressurized environments
Flyer General Industries
Flyer High-Value Chemicals
Case Study Green Rubber Oil Production
Case Study Lube Oil
Flyer Impurities Removal
Case Study Phosphoric Acid
Case Study Lithium
Flyer Hydrometallurgy
Brochure
BROCHURE
Sulzer OptimEXT™:
Advanced solutions
for extraction and
solvent recovery
Sulzer cutting-edge extraction technology including Kühni Columns (ECR), Packed Column (ECP), Mixer-Settlers (EMS), and Mixer-Settler Columns (ECMS), with state-of-the-art distillation technology, OptimEXT delivers a reliable, high-performance, and cost-effective solution to diverse industrial needs.
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Get in touch
Felix Feng
Global product line manager
Contact our expert for more information about OptimEXT.
OptimEXT™ Core Technology: Kühni™ Agitating Column
Explore more applications of OptimEXT
Discover how OptimEXT tackles diverse separation challenges maximizing yield, enhancing purity, and improving efficiency across industries and processes.
Maximize product yield and purity in chemical, pharmaceutical, and specialty chemicals applications
Recover valuable components from waste streams, creating additional value, minimizing losses and improving sustainability
Reduce operational costs and improving efficiency by cutting down on steam, electricity, and cooling requirements
Achieve efficient, selective separation overcoming azeotropes, thermal degradation, and poor phase separation.
Minimize hazardous impurities, reduce waste and emissions, and support green manufacturing goals
Reduce equipment footprint, simplify operations, and replace less efficient separation methods
OptimEXT solutions are designed around Sulzer proven extraction technologies, especially around the well-known Kühni™ agitating column. These are combined with Sulzer’s high-performance distillation units to efficiently recover and recycle solvents, transforming challenges into opportunities.
OptimEXT is suitable for any facility that includes a liquid-liquid extraction step—or is exploring solvent-based separation to improve process efficiency. Built on Sulzer’s highly efficient Kühni™ column technology, OptimEXT offers exceptional mass transfer performance with low solvent inventory, achieving up to 99.5% recovery efficiency and to ppb-range residue even in challenging feeds.
The system is already proved in many industries:
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Refining & Petrochemicals: sulfur, PAHs, BTX, PCA, asphaltenes, phenols
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Hydrometallurgy: recovery of cobalt, nickel, rare earths, uranium, copper
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Battery & Energy Materials: lithium, manganese, black mass recycling
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Wastewater Treatment: recovery of phenolics, amines, sulfonic acids, and carboxylic acids from industrial effluent
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Pharmaceuticals & Fine Chemicals: solvent purification, API recovery, impurity removal
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Natural Extracts: flavor and fragrance isolation, preservation of heat-sensitive bio-actives
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Agrochemicals & Specialty Chemicals: separation of reactive intermediates or solvent recovery
You can explore specific applications under the “Solutions for Your Process Target” section on our website—or contact us directly through optimext@sulzer.com, to evaluate how OptimEXT can be tailored to your operation.
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While distillation is a widely used separation method, it can be energy-intensive and less effective when dealing with azeotropes, close-boiling mixtures, or heat-sensitive compounds. OptimEXT uses liquid-liquid extraction to overcome these limitations, enabling selective separation at lower temperatures — often with up to 50% energy savings. This not only preserves the integrity of sensitive products but also improves overall process efficiency.
OptimEXT is especially advantageous in situations such as:
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Separating azeotropes that cannot be broken by conventional distillation
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Handling products that degrade or polymerize at high temperatures
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Recovering valuable solvents with lower energy input
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Reducing distillation column load and associated operational costs
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Improving selectivity in the presence of chemically similar compounds
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Mixer-settlers require large footprints and often struggle with process stability at scale. In contrast, OptimEXT uses the Kühni™ agitated column, delivering high recovery efficiency, consistent performance even with variable feed compositions, and a compact, modular design that’s easier to integrate into existing operations. Some proven advantages of OptimEXT are:
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Up to 70% lower solvent usage, reducing operational costs.
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Compact, modular design cuts footprint by 60%, reducing CAPEX.
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Sealed system ensures safer, cleaner operation with minimal emissions.
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Stable, high-efficiency performance across variable feed conditions.
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OptimEXT delivers reliable performance by combining a proven technology platform with decades of in-house expertise in analysis, testing, and design. Its scale-up is supported by technical know-how and real-world data from over 700 systems in operation, ensuring consistent and dependable results across industries.
We offer both lab and pilot testing options to evaluate OptimEXT for your specific application. Our in-house and rental pilot units are available for flexible deployment, including onsite testing at your facility. When needed, tests can be supported by performance guarantees. Our team will work closely with you to define the testing scope and validate the expected outcomes with confidence.
Yes. In selected cases, we can provide or recommend the appropriate solvent as part of an integrated solution.
You can reach out to your local Sulzer representative, or contact us directly through the email OptimEXT@sulzer.com to schedule a consultation.
