Print page

Email page

Removing 2-butanone from water using liquid extraction

Q: I am interested to know if it is possible to remove 2-butanone from water using some kind of liquid extraction method.

A:

Yes, 2-butanone (MEK) could be extracted with a suitable solvent. However, residual solvent will still remain in the aqueous phase. A better solution would be to steam strip the MEK and condense the exiting vapor. A relatively low steam rate would be required. Upon condensation, a MEK layer will form on top of the aqueous layer which can be decanted away and recovered. The water-rich layer could be recycled back to the stripper to remove the soluble MEK.