Sample Problem #5:

An ore containing 10 percent CuSO4, 85

percent insoluble gangue, and 5 percent
moisture will be extracted with water. The
final underflow sludge will contain only 0.15
percent CuSO4. The underflow sludge retains
0.8 lb of solution per pound of gangue.
Calculate the percent extraction if two
countercurrent equilibrium stages are used to
process 1000 lb/hr of ore with 4000 lb/hr of
water.

Solution:
% extraction = ? 4000 lb H20
V1 V3
SLE1 SLE2
L0 L2
1000 lb/hr 0.8 lb soln
10% CuSO4 lb gangue
85% gangue 0.15% CuSO4
5% H20

Modified Prob5.10 Foust

Solution (contd):

 in L2:
solution retained
 0.8 0.85  1000   680 lb/hr

 L2:
(1-0015)L2 = H2O + gangue
1 0.0015 L 2
  680  0.0015L 2   0.851000 

 L2 = 1530 lb/hr

 total balance:
V1 - L0 = V3 – L2
V1 - 1000 = 4000 – 1530 = 3470 lb/hr

 CuSO4 balance:
y1A V1  x 0AL 0  y 3A V3  x 3AL 3

y1A  3470   0.10 1000 

 0 4000   0.0015 1530

y1A V1 = 97.7 lb/hr

Modified Prob5.10 Foust

Solution (contd):

 % extraction:
y1A V1 97.7
 100   100  97.7%
0
x A L0 0.10 1000 

Modified Prob5.10 Foust