Organic acids are key raw materials in the fields of chemistry, medicine, food, etc., and their purity and extraction efficiency directly affect product quality and production benefits. Traditional extraction processes are difficult to meet industrial needs due to problems such as difficult separation of the emulsion layer, large solvent loss, and low processing efficiency. Centrifugal extractors are becoming the core technical equipment in the field of organic acid purification due to their advantages in efficient separation, energy saving and consumption reduction, and modular design. This article takes centrifugal extraction technology as the core, combines the technical characteristics of the Liancui LC series centrifugal extractors and industry application cases, and analyzes its innovative breakthroughs in organic acid separation.

1. Principle and core advantages of centrifugal extraction technology

The centrifugal extractor generates a strong centrifugal force through high-speed rotation, to complete mixing, mass transfer and stratification of two-phase liquids within milliseconds. Compared with the traditional mixer settler and reactor, its separation efficiency is increased by 3-5 times, and it is especially suitable for organic acid systems with strong emulsification tendency and low interfacial tension. Shandong Liancui LC series of centrifugal extractor adopt an upper suspension structure and a bottomless bearing design. The speed can reach 5000-12000rpm, and the centrifugal force intensity reaches 1000-10000 times gravity, which significantly shortens the phase separation time to 0.5-3 seconds. For example, in citric acid extraction, the equipment achieves an extraction efficiency of more than 99% and a stripping efficiency of more than 90% through 4-6 stages of countercurrent operation, which is more than 20% higher than the traditional process.

2. Technological breakthroughs of LC series centrifugal extractors
 

• High-efficiency Separation And Low Emulsification Design

The LC series of centrifugal extractor is equipped with multiple shaft seals and magnetic transmission structures to achieve zero solvent leakage. There is built-in PID temperature control system and temperature fluctuations within ±0.3°C, to avoid degradation of heat-sensitive components. Taking the extraction of tylosin fermentation broth as an example, the single-stage extraction yield reached 72%, the total yield after three-stage countercurrent exceeded 95%, and the thickness of the emulsion layer was reduced by 80%.

• Corrosion-resistant And Long Service Life

The drum is made of SS316L or fluorine, which is more suitable for highly corrosive solvents (such as dichloromethane, tributyl phosphate). And non-annular mixing structure prevents the drum from participating in the mixing, reducing energy consumption by 30%. An antibiotic company has run continuously for 7,200 hours without any failure,annual electricity savings exceed ¥500,000.

• Integration Of Intelligence And Environmental Protection

The centrifugal extractor is equipped with a closed circulation system, the VOCs emission concentration is less than 8mg/m³, the wastewater COD value is reduced from 6000mg/L to 1200mg/L, and the sewage treatment cost is reduced by 70%. The fully automated control system reduces manual intervention, and the number of staff on a certain production line has been reduced from 15 to 4.


3. Application Case And Economic Benefits 
 
Biopharmaceutical field

In the production of cephalosporin C, LC series of centrifugal extractor help the pharmaceutical company to increase the extraction yield from 88% to 96%, and reduce the solvent loss rate from 9% to 2.1%, saving more than 3 million yuan in solvent costs annually.

Plant Extraction Field

 LC-350 centrifugal extractor help a Tea company to extract tea polyphenols, the extraction rate is increased from 22% to 35%, the solvent residue is less than 5ppm, and the product purity reaches 99.2%, which meets the EU export standards.

Organic Acid Purification

In the production of glycolic acid, the three-stage centrifugal extraction system has increased the recovery rate from 68% to 92%, the solvent recycling rate exceeds 98%, and the annual cost savings are 5 million yuan. The product purity has reached the pharmaceutical grade standard.


Shandong Liancui LC series of centrifugal extractor covers laboratory to 10,000-ton production.
LC-20/LC-50: Mixing Flux 1-10L/h, suitable for lab scale process development;
LC-150/LC-350: Mixing Flux 500-30000L/h, supporting pilot-plant scale up 
LC-250/LC-650: Mixing Flux 10000-100000L/h, meeting 24-hour continuous industrial production.