Sample Problem #6:

Coconut oil is to be produced from dry copra

in two steps – the copra is charged to
expellers to squeeze part of the coconut oil,
and it is then sent to a countercurrent
multiple extraction process. After expelling,
the dry copra cake contains 25% residual oil.
In the extraction operation, 95% of the
residual oil in the expeller cake is extracted
as a solution containing 55% by weight oil. If
fresh solvent is used and 1.5 kg of solution
with every 2 kg of insoluble cake is removed
with the underflow, calculate the number of
ideal stages required by the absorption factor
method.

Solution:
95% recovery
V1 55% oil n=? Vn+1
SLE 1 SLE 2 SLE n
L0
copra retention =
1.5 kg solution
2 kg cake
Ln
25% oil
Solution (contd):

Basis: 100 kg copra

• feed L0:
L0 = 100 kg
x L = 0.25 × 100 = 25
0
A
0
inert = 0.75 × 100 = 75

• solvent Vn+1:
solute
y nA+1 = =0
solution

• final underflow Ln:

inert = 75
1.5 kg
solution = × 75 kg inert = 56 .25
2 kg inert

∴ Ln = 75 + 56.25 = 131.25
solute = 0.05 × 25 = 1.25
∴ x = solution = 56.25 = 0.022
solute
n 1.25
A
Solution (contd):

• final overflow V1:

y1 = 0.55
solute = 0.95 × 25 = 23.75
23 .75
∴ V = 1
0.55
= 43 .2

• first underflow L1:

solute
x1A = = y1 = 0.55
solution

inert = 75
solution = 56.25
∴ L1 = 75 + 56.25 = 131.25
solute = 0.55 × 56.25 = 30.94
Solution (contd):

• overflow from SLE2 V2:

material balance at SLE1,
L0 + V2 = L1 + V1
100 + V2 = 131.25 + 43.2
∴ V2 = 131.25 + 43.2 – 100 = 74.43
solute balance at SLE1,
x L + y V = x L + y V
0 2 1 1
0
A
2 1 A
1 A A

25 + y × 74.43 = 30.94 + 23.75

2
A

∴ y = 0.4 2
A

• for constant underflow:

y nA+1 − x nA 0 − 0.022
log log
yA − xA
2 1
0.4 − 0.55
n − 1= =
y − y A log 0 − 0.4
n +1 2
log An
x A − x1A 0.022 − 0.4

∴ n = 6.85 = 7