Dear Eumie,

It is expected that water saturated with benzene will be more likely to extract pigments much more efficiently that water alone since the presence of both benzene and water in a mixture allows an extraction of a broader spectrum of pigment compounds which include water insoluble organic pigments and water soluble pigments. On the other hand, water alone has the ability to extract only water soluble organic pigments.

Please, be careful using benzene since it is reported that this solvent is carcinogenic.

For more information on the extraction of pigment using different solvents, please use the following link:

 https://web.lemoyne.edu/giunta/tswett.html

Hoping this will be helpful,

Rafik

Dear Eumie,

According to me water saturated with benzene could give more pigment extraction. It is based on the adsorption of  interfering pigments on benzene molecules.

Thank you

Marius

Dear

It depends on the type of pigment, the non polar compounds areextracted better with non polar solvent e.g. benzene, Hexane, chloroform. More polar pigments are isolated better with polar solvent e.g. mixture of benzene water with different ratio

 More pigment extraction is observed  water saturated with benzene. Pigment will be  extracted in benzene more.