ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
DIVISION
COMMISSION
ON SEPARATION METHODS
Nomenclature for liquid-liquid
distribution (solvent extraction)
(IUPAC Recommmendations 1993)
N.M. Rice, H.M.N.H. Irving, and M.A. Leonard*
Department of Chemistry, The Queens University of Belfast, Stramillis
Road, Belfast BT9 5AG, UK
Abstract: The widespread use of liquid-liquid distribution,
ranging from analytical chemical technique to a unit operation in various
fields of chemical technology (e.g. petroleum refining, nuclear fuel
reprocessing, hydrometallurgy, food technology, biochemistry) has led
to a proliferation of terminology. This paper extends the scope of the
definitions beyond those previously recommended (Pure Appl. Chem.
1970, 21, 111-113) and a list of terms, including those previously
published, is presented under the following general headings: general
definitions of phenomena, operations and relationships; components of
the solvent phase; fundamental parameters for quantitative description
of liquid-liquid distributions systems; process terminology applicable
to large scale continuous operations.