Abstract

The Wet process for phosphoric acid production yields an acid that contains several organic as well as mineral impurities. This acid, often referred to as the Wet Process Phosphoric Acid (WPA), has to be treated to remove the impurities. The most widely used techniques for purifying the WPA rely on H3PO4 selective extraction. This key operation is performed by liquid-liquid extraction using an adequate solvent. The performance of the overall purification process depends on how well the extraction operation is conducted. In the present work, the simulation of WPA extraction along a continuous column has been conducted. The driving forces for mass transfer were based on the partition ratios found in laboratory experimental investigations. The adopted mass transfer coefficients were obtained from pilot scale extraction experiments. The performed simulations led to assess the effect of operating conditions on the extraction performance.