Calculation, design and manufacture of system box-type mixer-settler used in rare earth solvent extraction process at laboratory scale

Abstract

This report presents the process of calculating, designing and manufacturing a box-type mixer-settler system used for rare earth solvent extraction process on laboratory scale. The basic design parameters of the mixer-settler were calculated from two-phase flow rates, the contacting phase ratio and mixing time in mixer, the phase separation time in settler, the densities, and the viscosities of two phases. A detailed design of a 20-stages mixer-settler system based on established calculation results. The dimension design of mixer-settler includes the dimension definition of effective volume, the structure, the size of the mixer and settler chambers, the structural dimension of various phase openings and their location, and the impeller design. A mixer-settler system was built based on design parameters. This system is used for rare earth solvent extraction process on the laboratory scale.