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Design of a Laser-Cut Insert for Small-Scale Liquid-Liquid Extraction
Voiceover
Presenter(s)(s)
Sarah Caldwell
Presentation Number
612
Abstract or Description
Process intensification, the development of new processing equipment and techniques that allow safer, more energy efficient, and sustainable chemical processing, has received significant attention in recent years. In many instances, intensification is made possible by performing large-scale chemical processing on a small scale. Continuous liquid-liquid extraction is a process that has been challenging to intensify. Typically, gravity is a governing force in large-scale extraction, but at small scales, surface forces dominate. In this study, we investigate the use of a laser-cut assembly - an insert for a 1-inch inner diameter tube - to facilitate liquid-liquid extraction on the small scale. The small insert is designed with the CAD software Siemens NX. A mixing section upstream of the insert promotes mixing of two immiscible fluids, oil and water. The new insert promotes separation of the phases. The insert consists of eight unique pieces, mainly brackets and clamps, which provide axial and radial compression for a central, stacked shim assembly. The shims are small, thin rectangular pieces of PTFE and 316 stainless steel, cut to allow flow along the tube axis. Intermittent 1/16-inch thick PMMA pieces between the shims help create five individual, parallel axial flow channels. The attraction of oil droplets to the hydrophobic PTFE and water droplets to the hydrophilic stainless steel should facilitate separation between oil and water at the outlet of the assembly.
Mentor
Maddalena Fanelli
Comments
Laura Hiotaky4 years ago
Hi Sarah!
Great presentation, I found it really easy to follow and understand!
My only question is how you measured the contact angles? Did you use some sort of program?
Great presentation, I found it really easy to follow and understand!
My only question is how you measured the contact angles? Did you use some sort of program?
• • 1 comment
Sarah Caldwell4 years ago
Hi Laura, I was just watching your presentation as well - great timing! Good question. Since the contact angle measurements were intended to be more proof-of-concept than anything else, we opted for rudimentary protractor measurements with the expanded image on my computer. We were less concerned with repeated measurements and accuracy and more focused on the different attractions of oil and water to each material, which we did observe. Hopefully this means our assembly will function as intended when we put it to the test! Thanks for the question.
Caroline Szczepanski4 years ago
Nice work, Sarah. Do you think the hydrophilicity of the PMMA will influence how it operates as a "spacer" in the assembly?
• • 1 comment
Sarah Caldwell4 years ago
Thank you! The spacers that I spoke of will more likely be solid blocks of PMMA, meant to separate the shims into 5 separate flow channels. You're correct that the PMMA behaves similarly to 316SS for both the oil and water contact angles. Our hope is that the PMMA will act more as a physical barrier than a surface for extraction. We'll see when we test it! Thanks for the question.