Liquid–liquid
equilibrium (LLE)
values were determined for the six ternary mixtures composed of water,
valeric acid or caproic acid, and esters (cyclohexyl acetate, benzyl
acetate, and benzyl benzoate) at 298.2 K and 101.3 kPa. All of the
studied mixtures displayed type-2 LLE behavior. The Hand equation
was applied in this study to ascertain the reliability of the measured
tie line data. The NRTL and UNIQUAC models were used to regress the
measured tie line values, and the binary interaction parameters were
determined. As a result, influence of the structural characteristics
of the esters used in this work on the biphasic region is small. Extraction
capacity of the used solvents was achieved using the evaluation of
distribution constant (distribution coefficient) and selectivity (separation
factor) data. In general, the esters used in this study have relatively
high selectivities and appeared to be proper solvents for the extraction
of these acids from water.