CBE582 SEPARATION PROCESSES 1 ASSIGNMENT 1 INDIVIDUAL 20 APRIL 2012 -11 APRIL 2012

1. A) Any of several processes by which liquid mixtures containing azeotropes may be separated into their pure components with the aid of an additional substance (called entrainer, the solvent or the mass separating agent) to facilitate the distillation. i. ii. iii. Explain what is meant by azeotrope. Give an example of azeotropic mixture and explain how you can separate the mixture. As an engineer, suggest an alternative way to separate an azeotrope mixture beside the azeotropic distillation.

B) Using differential distillation and relative volatility, derive the equation:

C) 100kmol/hr of benzene toluene solution containing 45% of benzene (A) is to be separated at 101.32kPa using continuous distillation to produce a distillate containing 90 mol % benzene and a bottom containing 92 mol % toluene. The feed consists of saturated liquid. The constant relative volatility () for benzene to toluene is 2.5. i. From the relationship of relative volatility to mole fraction of the more volatile component in both liquid and vapour phases, construct the vapour liquid equilibrium curve. Calculate the molar flow rates of distillate and bottoms. Determine the minimum reflux ratio, Rmin and the number of theoretical plates required for the separation if the reflux ratio used is twice of its minimum value. Identify the feed plate location

ii. iii. iv.

2. A continuous fractionating column is to be designed to separate 2.5 kg/s of a mixture of 60 per cent toluene and 40 per cent benzene, so as to give an overhead of 97 per cent benzene and a bottom productcontaining 98 per cent toluene by mass. A reflux ratio of 3.5 kmol of reflux/kmol of product is to be used and the molar latent heat of benzene and toluene may be taken as 30 MJ/kmol. Calculate: i. The mass of top and bottom products per unit time.

CBE582/APR 2012

ii. iii. iv. v. vi.

The number of theoretical plates and position of feed if the feed is liquid at 295 K, of specific heat capacity 1.84 kJ/kg K. How much steam at 240 kN/m2 is required in the still. What will be the required diameter of the column if it operates at atmospheric pressure and a vapour velocity of 1 m/s. The necessary diameter of the column if the vapour velocity is to be 0.75 m/s, based on free area of column. The minimum possible reflux ratio, and the minimum number of plates for a feed entering at its boiling-point.

3. The vapour pressure data are given below for the following alcohols: Vapour pressure (mmHg) Ethanol n-Propanol 220 88.9 351.5 148.9 438 190.1 542 240.6 665 301.9 812 376 984 465 1185 571 1706 843

T(oC) 50 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 100

Methanol 415 629 767 929 1119 1339 1593 1884 2598

n-Butanol 33.7 59.2 77.7 99.6 131.3 165 206.1 225.9 387.6

Following is the composition of a liquid alcohol mixture to be fed to a distillation tower at 101.32kPa: methyl alcohol (xA= 0.30), ethyl alcohol (xB = 0.0), n-propyl alcohol (xC = 0.15) and n-butyl alcohol (xD = 0.35). Calculate the following assuming that the mixture follows Raoults law: i. Boiling point and composition of vapour in equilibrium. ii. Dew point and composition of liquid in equilibrium. iii. The temperature and composition of both phases when 40% of the feed is vaporized in a flash distillation.

CBE582/APR 2012