(133f) Extraction of Benzene from Wastewater Using Refinery Liquids by L-L Extraction Instead of Distillation

Benzene in waste water is a major problem at refineries and cannot be released to the county treatment plants.

This paper will show how to separate benzene from water using L-L extraction , using the extractant solvent alkylate, a a common liquid hydrocarbon produced in refineries.

Data has been collected and plotted on a ternary-diagram. The solvent alkylate is treated as a pseudo-one component system for this purpose.

A typical computational exercise is provided, showing the amount of benzene that can be extracted and the savings obtained over an energy-intensive process like distillation.