Chemical Engineering & Technology, Vol.26, No.4, 469-472, 2003
Coalescence extraction - A benign extraction tool
This paper deals with 'Coalescence Extraction', in which no intensive mixing is required. It is based on the use of a primary solvent, which, in combination with the feed, forms a homogeneous solution. Ibis homogeneous phase has enormous potential for the treatment of cell fragments and other highly viscous materials. In the next step a secondary solvent (Composition-Induced Phase Separation, CIPS) or a significant temperature change (Temperature-Induced Phase Separation, TIPS) is used to enter the spinodal two-phase region in which an extract and a raffinate are formed. The phases separate within seconds, even in the presence of emulsifying agents.