During the summer 2024, with the help of our summer student researcher Ingebjørg Neraas, we investigated conditions for extraction of organic compounds from process water.
The aim of the activity was to investigate the effect of using liquid-liquid extraction to separate organics from water produced from bio-oil production. Variables tested include different solvents, solvent to feedstock ratios, and changes in pH (conditions detailed in illustration).
The primary conclusions of the work were:
• Extraction with the most polar solvents (ethyl acetate and diethyl ether) result in the greatest retrieval of organics.
• A decrease in pH of the process water causes higher yield of organic product for all solvents tested.
• A solvent to feedstock ratio of 2:1 seems to be most efficient for ethyl acetate and diethyl ether.
