Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Engineering - Department of Chemical Engineering

This study was carried out to design a vinasse depotassifing plant. The main product is potassium sulfate solution which could be used as fertilizer. The side product is depotassified vinasse that could be used in animal feed preparation. Several experiments were proceeded to investigate the adequate system of adsorption (batch, semi batch and fixed bed) and the operating parameters which achieve high adsorption and elution capacity in adequate time. The most appropriate system with acceptable potassium extraction percentage was designed at the same operating conditions of the experiments. The adsorption of potassium from vinasse using strong acid cation exchange resin CF (H+) and elution of potassium from resin using sulfuric acid was selected to be the most reliable process. Batch system was used to define the adsorption isotherm. Both Freundlich and Langmuir models, describe the isotherm well.Semi batch system was applied using two different effluent flow rates, temperatures and potassium initial concentrations

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