Hunter and Nash Graphical Equilibrium Stage Method

The program computes the tie lines, the operating and mixing points and the number of equilibrium stages using the Hunter and Nash graphical method of a liquid-liquid extraction problem. One feed of acetic acid (35 wt %) in water which flow rate = 1000 kg/hr is extracted using a solvent consisting of pure isopropyl ether which flow rate = 1475 kg/h. We find that 5.35 equilibrium stages are needed to achieve the raffinate product requirement of 10 wt % acetic acid composition. This example is treated in the book by Phillip C. Wankat, Separations in Chemical Engineering, Equilibrium Staged Separations, Prentice Hall, 1988. The same program using Mathematica 6.0 is available at the following link:

http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/ExtractionOfAceticAcidFromWaterUsingIsopropylEther/