Fundamentals of Process Solubility

Many industrial processes are set up to extract specific components from homogeneous mixtures called solutions. Separating the substances in a homogeneous mixture is much more difficult than separating the substances in a heterogeneous mixture because homogeneous mixtures have a uniform composition and exist in a single phase. You can’t just filter out the salt in sea water or the gasoline in crude oil. These processes are much more involved. This course explains what a solution is and defines several related concepts, including solute, solvent, solubility, concentration, and rate of solution. It also covers some of the processes that are used to transfer specific components out of solutions, including crystallization, liquid extraction, absorption, adsorption, and leaching. The basic concepts, important factors, and industrial systems are described for each process.