A slurry of mashed dried neem fruits (6.06% oil, balance solids) at 255 kg/h is fed to an extractor tank together with a stream of hexane to extract neem oil. The hexane fed to the tank is a mixture of fresh hexane, and recycled hexane from later down the process. Mixed hexane is fed to the extractor at a rate of 1.21 kg/kg of mashed neem. After extraction, the mixture is then filtered to separate the liquid part containing oil and hexane from the residue containing 72.29% solids. The liquid adhering in the residue is composed of oil and hexane in the same proportions in the liquid part of the extractor tank effluent. The liquid filtrate is then fed to an evaporator where all the hexane is evaporated, leaving neem oil as the product. The evaporated hexane is passed through a condenser to convert it to a liquid, and this liquid hexane is recycled to the beginning of the extraction process. Determine the percent oil lost in the process.
A slurry of mashed dried neem fruits (6.06% oil, balance solids) at 255 kg/h is fed to an extractor tank together with a stream of hexane to extract neem oil. The hexane fed to the tank is a mixture of fresh hexane, and recycled hexane from later down the process. Mixed hexane is fed to the extractor at a rate of 1.21 kg/kg of mashed neem. After extraction, the mixture is then filtered to separate the liquid part containing oil and hexane from the residue containing 72.29% solids. The liquid adhering in the residue is composed of oil and hexane in the same proportions in the liquid part of the extractor tank effluent. The liquid filtrate is then fed to an evaporator where all the hexane is evaporated, leaving neem oil as the product. The evaporated hexane is passed through a condenser to convert it to a liquid, and this liquid hexane is recycled to the beginning of the extraction process. Determine the percent oil lost in the process.
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