Acetic acid is to be recovered from a waste solvent mixture containing 50 wt% acetic acid in water. It is proposed that this will be done using a counter current solvent extraction column, where pure isopropyl ether is to be used as an extract solvent. The feed mixture of acetic acid and water will enter the column at a rate of 150 kg hr-1 . The column will operate at 1 atmosphere pressure and 25 C. Initially assuming a feed to solvent ratio of 1. 

 

Please perform hand calculations to determine the following:

 

 • The number of ideal stages required to produce a raffinate stream containing not more than 10 wt % acetic acid. Stating clearly what the actual composition of the resulting raffinate stream will be and its mass flow in kg hr-1 . • The composition and mass flow rate of the extract stream leaving the column

 

Water Phase (Weight %)			Solvent Phase (Weight %)
Water	Acetic acid	Isopropyl ether	Water	Acetic acid	Isopropyl ether
93.52	5.96	0.52	0.32	8.75	90.93
82.23	17.04	0.73	1.1	25.14	73.76
72.06	26.92	1.02	2.27	38.52	59.21
67.95	30.88	1.17	3.11	42.97	53.92
62.67	35.73	1.6	4.26	48.21	47.53
57	40.9	2.1	6.05	53.95	40
50.2	46.05	3.75	8.9	57.4	33.7
41.7	51.78	6.52	13.4	60.34	26.26