Study on extraction phenol from coal tar with high flux centrifugal extractor

Abstract Solvent extraction phenol from coal tar were carried out with novel composite YH-3 as extraction agent, and the high flux centrifugal extractor was used as extraction device. Under the premise of high phenol extraction rate, composite YH-3 extraction agent reduces π–π interaction between phenolic compounds and aromatic hydrocarbons, thus decreasing the entrainment of neutral oil. The optimization of operation conditions, such as the diameter of heavy phase weir HWD, the flow ratio, the total flow rate and the rotation speed, are necessary. For single stage extraction experiment, the mass transfer efficiency was up to 84% while the rate of extraction agent loss was lower than 0.28% with the operation conditions of 29 mm of the heavy phase weir diameter (HWD), 1:1–1.4:1 of the flow ratio range, 160–200 mL/min of the total flow rate and the rotation speed varied from 2200 to 2600 r/min. For three stage counter-current test, the mass transfer efficiency reached up to 92.6% with the optimum operation condition of 29 mm of the HWD, 1:1 of the flow ratio, 200 mL/min of the total flow rate and 2400 r/min of the rotation speed. The results indicated that phenol could be extracted effectively from coal tar in the process of multistage continuous count current centrifugal extraction.