Comprehensive Liquid-Liquid Extraction Pilot Plant for Engineering Education

Introduction

The Comprehensive Liquid-Liquid Extraction Educational Unit Operations Pilot Plant is an integrated laboratory system designed to teach engineering students the fundamentals of liquid-liquid extraction processes. Featuring both a rotary extraction column and a vibratory (reciprocating plate) extraction column, this pilot plant allows for direct comparison between two distinct mechanical agitation methods on a single, self-contained unit. Through visual observation of the transparent borosilicate glass columns, students can study dispersed and continuous phase behavior, identify operating limits such as flooding, and perform quantitative calculations for mass transfer efficiency.

To ensure compatibility with diverse educational environments, this pilot plant is designed with flexibility in mind. LABPARK provides comprehensive customization options for both the hardware configuration and the software interface, allowing university departments to align the equipment with their specific laboratory space requirements and curriculum goals.

Key Features and Educational Benefits

• Dual Column Comparison: Integrates both rotary and vibratory extraction columns within a single mobile frame, enabling students to compare the mass transfer efficiency and fluid dynamics of different agitation methods.
• Exceptional Visual Clarity: Constructed with high-transparency borosilicate glass columns, the unit allows clear, real-time observation of droplet formation, phase dispersion, coalescence, and the transition to flooding.
• Quantitative Analysis Capability: Enables precise determination of the Height of a Transfer Unit (HTU) and Mass Transfer Coefficients under varying operating parameters, such as rotor speed and vibration frequency.
• Robust and Ergonomic Design: Built on a durable aluminum alloy frame equipped with industrial casters for ease of mobility, with overall dimensions optimized to fit standard university laboratory layouts.
• Modern Instrumentation: Equipped with precise control pumps, flow sensors, and an integrated industrial touchscreen panel to monitor and record operating parameters, bridging the gap between benchtop experiments and industrial process control.

Detail & Parts

Technical Specifications and Curriculum Mapping

Academic Applications and Textbook Integration

This educational pilot plant is designed for practical laboratories in departments of Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Food Engineering, and Biotechnology. By implementing hands-on experiments, instructors can bridge theoretical lecture material with physical transport phenomena.

The experiments conducted with this unit directly correspond to key topics in major academic textbooks:

• Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering: The pilot plant provides physical demonstration of the principles of liquid extraction equipment, the determination of stage efficiency, and the calculation of the Height of a Transfer Unit (HTU) and Number of Transfer Units (NTU) in continuous contact columns.
• Transport Processes and Unit Operations: Students can investigate interphase mass transfer, concentration gradients, and the physical properties influencing diffusion and mass transfer coefficients in agitated systems.
• Chemical Engineering Design: The system serves as a practical model for teaching column sizing, flooding limits, and the operational design limits required when scaling up laboratory processes to industrial production.

To ensure that this equipment fits into your specific teaching syllabus, LABPARK offers customizable configurations. Both the physical hardware components (such as column dimensions or pump capacities) and the digital control software can be modified to meet your specific academic experiments and pedagogical targets.

About LABPARK

LABPARK has been a dedicated partner to higher education institutions for more than 20 years, specializing in the development and manufacture of high-quality laboratory and pilot-scale equipment. Our systems focus on six major academic disciplines: chemistry, chemical engineering, biology, food science, pharmacy, and environmental engineering. We aim to support educators in delivering practical, hands-on engineering education that prepares students for modern industry roles.

Operating from a 49,000-square-meter R&D and manufacturing base, LABPARK integrates advanced manufacturing practices with continuous academic feedback. Our dedication to innovation is supported by 209 technical patents. To date, we have partnered with over 289 universities and colleges globally, providing reliable, safe, and curriculum-aligned laboratory equipment designed to enhance engineering education.

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