Salt lake brine is rich in resources, containing high-value elements such as lithium, boron, potassium, and magnesium. Among them, boron is an important industrial raw material widely used in the chemical, metallurgical, ceramic, and new energy industries. Efficient and economical extraction of boron from the complex composition of salt lake brine has long been a focus of the industry. Among various extraction processes, the solvent extraction method has gradually become the mainstream choice due to its short process flow, low cost, and environmental friendliness. At the heart of this process, the centrifugal extractor—core equipment of the extraction technology—plays a decisive role in achieving both technological breakthroughs and large-scale industrial application.
At present, the main methods for extracting boron from salt lake brine include precipitation, adsorption, ion exchange, and solvent extraction. The precipitation method, while simple to operate and requiring low investment, has limited efficiency, recovering only 50%–60% of the boron, and is mainly suitable for brines with higher boron content. The adsorption method is relatively mature, but its process is complex, regeneration efficiency is low, and long-term performance degrades significantly. The ion exchange method, although highly adaptable to low-concentration brines with a high recovery rate, suffers from drawbacks such as large resin consumption and high evaporation energy demand, making it more suitable for laboratory-scale applications. In contrast, solvent extraction stands out for its comprehensive advantages: a simplified process, low operating costs, minimal generation of secondary waste, and strong adaptability to brines with varying boron concentrations.
The basic principle of the solvent extraction method is that boric acid reacts with hydroxyl-containing extractants through an esterification reaction to form hydrophobic borate esters. These compounds are soluble in the organic phase (such as kerosene), enabling efficient separation from the brine. This method is particularly suitable for salt lake brines with boron concentrations ranging from 2 g/L to 18 g/L, providing a solid foundation for industrial application.
However, the efficiency of the solvent extraction process is closely tied to equipment performance. Traditional mixer-settlers, while stable in operation and highly adaptable, suffer from large liquid holdup, extensive land occupation, and a higher risk of material cross-contamination. Extraction columns, on the other hand, are suitable for large-scale continuous production, but face inherent drawbacks such as low mass transfer efficiency and severe back-mixing. These limitations have, to some extent, restricted the further advancement of solvent extraction technology in the field of boron recovery.
Against this backdrop, the CWL-M centrifugal extractor, as a new generation of high-efficiency liquid–liquid separation equipment, demonstrates significant technical and engineering advantages. Relying on the action of a high-speed centrifugal force field, the device greatly accelerates the two-phase separation process, enabling mass transfer equilibrium to be achieved within an extremely short time and thereby effectively improving extraction efficiency. Its compact structure and small volume, along with low extractant consumption, not only reduce solvent input costs but also facilitate clean system operation and automated control.
In practical applications, the CWL-M centrifugal extractor has delivered outstanding performance. A project case study demonstrated that, under optimized process conditions, a five-stage extraction coupled with a four-stage stripping sequence achieved both extraction and stripping efficiencies of over 97%. The product quality and recovery rate far exceeded those of traditional equipment. This achievement not only validates the reliability of centrifugal extractors in complex salt lake systems but also provides a solid foundation for continuous industrial-scale production.
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