Modeling and simulation of a rotating-disk contactor for the extraction of aromatic hydrocarbons from a lube-oil cut

Abstract

Previously, several mathematical models have been proposed for liquid-liquid extraction processes involving a rotating-disk-contactor (RDC) column. Most of these models reveal that hydrodynamic and mass-transfer phenomena are important for predicting the performance of the column. In this paper, a mathematical model, using a new scheme, was developed to acquire a simulation tool to predict the performance of a RDC column used in lubricating-oil production. Field data obtained in a RDC column of 4.1 m diameter, 22.2 m height, and 32 disks, from a commercial lubricating-oil production company, were used to evaluate the predictions. The model is used for parametric study to investigate the effects of operational data such as the solvent and feed temperatures, solvent-to-feed ratio, and disk rotation rate on the extraction yield. © 2013 American Chemical Society.