Extraction of ethanol from aqueous solution by solvent extraction-liquid-liquid equilibrium of ethanol-water-1-butanol, ethanol-water-l-pentanol and ethanol-water-1-hexanol systems

Solubility and liquid-liquid equilibrium data are presented for ethanol-wat er-I-butanol, ethanol-water-1-pentanol and ethanol-water-1-hexanol ternary systems at room temperature (30 +/- 0.5)degreesC. From the above data binod al curves, tic lines and distribution curves have been determined with an a im to extract ethanol from the aqueous solution. Hand's method has been use d to correlate tie lines and to calculate co-ordinates of plait points. The heterogeneous region of 1-hexanol at room temperature has appeared to be b roader than those of I-pentanol and I-butanol systems. The solubility of et hanol in these systems increases with decreasing number of carbon atoms in the chain of solvents giving higher values of distribution coefficient and consequent by lowering the separation factor. The distribution coefficients are greater than I and the separation factors are considerably greater tha n 2 for all the solvents studied. All the solvents are found to be suitable for extraction of ethanol from the aqueous solution.