Extraction of phenols from coal tar oil using binary solvents and ionic liquid mixture
Subhash Kalidindi, S. Abhishek Vinayak, Shoumitra Biswas, Duraisamy Kumaresan, R. Krishna Prasad
Abstract
The extraction of phenols from coal tar oils using acetonitrile solutions of ionic liquids (ILs) through a new extraction method is studied. The IL containing acetonitrile solution formed a clear immiscible layer with hexane containing coal tar oil, which facilitated superior extractions of phenol and p-cresol with high distribution coefficient values. The IL with lower carbon chain length (three carbons) showed extraction efficiency greater than 96% for phenol and p-cresol extractions from coal tar oil. The process models for extraction of phenol and p-cresol from coal tar oil were studied to comprehend the interactions of various factors. [Received: December 23, 2017; Accepted: March 7, 2018]