Investigation of the extraction of natural alkaloids in Karr reciprocating plate columns: Fluid dynamic study

Previous work found that 0.2 M Cyanex (R) 923 in xylene has potential to extract natural alkaloids such as morphine. In this work, pilot scale fluid dynamic tests using 0.2 M Cyanex (R) 923 in xylene as a dispersed phase and water as a continuous phase in a reciprocating plate Karr column were conducted at different flowrates of both phases and reciprocating frequencies. The results show that the dispersed phase liquid holdup increases with the increase of dispersed phase velocity and reciprocating frequency, and the Sauter-mean drop diameter is independent of the velocity of both phases, and it slightly reduces with increasing reciprocating frequency. The results were used to regress an empirical model. In addition, morphine extraction using the same solvents were also studied in two different Karr columns. The results were consistent with those of fluid dynamic tests, and further used to investigate the regressed model within 30 % deviation. (c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.