Question

Organic Chemistry

Describe the principles behind the extraction process (your narrative should include the terms distribution coefficient, solute, solubility, concentration, immiscible, and polarity).

Answer 1

extraction is essentially the technique we use to exploit the solubility of each compounds in solvents.

Typical solvents are either aqueous ( water) and organic ( nopolar solents such as hexane, octane, etc...)

therefore, the solute A will have a coefficient distribution

K = Solubility in oranic phase / Solubility in aqueous phase

the idea is to find solvents in which K >> 1

if this is true, then separation is possible.

Solute will be present (higher concentration ) in either phase in majority, then we will state "successful" extraction.

We also can apply several extractions; in order ot increase the concentration in polar/nonpolar solvent, depending on the required concentrations