OptimEXT™ Liquid-Liquid Extraction: The Power of Pilot Testing for Complex Separation Challenges

Introduction: The Critical Role of Pilot Testing in Liquid-Liquid Extraction

Liquid-liquid extraction is a sophisticated and widely used separation method essential when conventional techniques like distillation cannot adequately separate components. However, due to complex multiphase behavior, precise process validation and scale-up are crucial for success. Sulzer’s lab and pilot pilot services using their advanced OptimEXT™ liquid-liquid extractors provide exactly this dependable data and optimization capability.

At Sulzer’s IntecH centers, pilot testing transforms lab concepts into industrial reality by confirming extraction feasibility, optimizing operating conditions, and generating data for confident scale-up and plant design.

Sulzer’s OptimEXT™ Pilot Extraction Technologies

Sulzer offers various types of extractors in their pilot facilities tailored to different process requirements:

• Kühni Agitated Columns (ECR): Ideal for processes requiring continuous agitation to enhance mass transfer. Available in glass diameters 32, 60, and 150 mm.

• Sulzer Packed Columns (ECP): Offering uniform phase contact with packing materials, also available in multiple sizes including stainless steel 50 mm diameter.

• Mixer-Settler Columns and Batteries (ECMS, EMS): Suitable for batch or continuous operations with volume sizes from small glass units (250 ml) to larger stainless steel vessels (up to 80 liters).

These columns support up to 20 theoretical stages and column heights up to 10 meters, allowing detailed study of separation efficiency and flow behavior.

When Pilot Testing is Essential

Sulzer’s pilot services strongly recommend testing for liquid-liquid extraction when:

• Dispersion behavior, droplet size distribution, and phase separation kinetics are unclear or variable. Pilot trials help resolve how phases interact and separate under true process conditions.

• Evaluation and optimization of extractor internals and phase ratio are needed to maximize performance and throughput.

• Accurate process validation requires measurement of achievable product concentrations and impurity removal. Pilot trials supply reliable data beyond theoretical models.

• Selection of suitable equipment and internals for reliable industrial implementation. Pilot results guide equipment choice, operation mode (batch or continuous), and energy input level.

  
  

Typical Pilot Test Parameters and Procedures

During pilot trials at Sulzer’s IntecH lab and pilot test centers, parameters tuned include:

• Internals geometry and number of stages to balance separation and throughput

• Energy input and mixing intensity to control dispersion and phase break-up

• Phase loading and phase ratio for optimal extraction performance

• Turn-down capability to evaluate operation under off-design conditions

• Mini-plant tests with recycle streams to assess build-up of impurities or extractant loss

These tests can be run with your actual feed streams to ensure entirely relevant and realistic results.

The Value Sulzer’s Lab and Pilot Services Deliver

• Reliable scale-up: Data-rich pilot trials minimize uncertainties traditionally associated with liquid-liquid extraction scale-up.

• Technical confidence: Pilot results support technology licensing, equipment specification, and process guarantees.

• Project risk reduction: Early identification of operational issues such as phase separation limitations or solvent losses helps avoid costly plant modifications.

• Customized solutions: Sulzer’s experienced engineers design pilot protocols tailored to your unique feed, process parameters, and scale targets.

• Global support: Sulzer’s IntecH test centers in Switzerland and Singapore provide consistent, world-class pilot services accessible worldwide.

  
  

Conclusion: Unlock Separation Success with Sulzer’s OptimEXT™ Pilot Testing

For challenging industrial separations requiring liquid-liquid extraction, Sulzer’s lab and pilot pilot services using OptimEXT™ extractors deliver the indispensable process understanding and data necessary to scale up with confidence and operational reliability.

By partnering with Sulzer, you access cutting-edge pilot test technologies, expert process engineering, and comprehensive testing programs that de-risk your project and accelerate your time to successful commercialization.

Contact Sulzer today to discuss a tailored liquid-liquid extraction pilot program designed to meet your exact process needs.