Chapter 12 (Reactive Process)

Recycle
Product Separation
Purge

Ariziel Ruth D. Marquez

RECYCLE AND PRODUCT SEPARATION

Recycling involves returning material (or
energy) that leaves a process back to the process
for further processing
Recycle stream is a term denoting a process
stream that returns material from downstream of
a process unit back the process unit ( or to a unit
upstream of the unit)
Recycling processes are operating in the steady
state.

RECYCLE AND PRODUCT SEPARATION

No build up or depletion of material takes
place inside the process or in the recycle stream.
Reasons for using Recycle in a chemical process:

Recovery of catalyst
Dilution of a process stream
Control of a process variable
Circulation of a working fluid

RECYCLE AND PRODUCT SEPARATION

Product Separation is any unit operation used
to separate, recover or purify the desired product.

Distillation Process
Condensation Process (Cooler)
Extraction Process
Filtration Process

RECYCLE DIAGRAM

F the fresh feed

M the mixed feed
O the output stream from the reactor
P the final product
R the recycle stream

RECYCLE DIAGRAM

Converter

Separator

SYSTEM BOUNDARIES FOR THE

MATERIAL BALANCES
About the entire process including the recycle
stream

These balances contain no information about the

recycle stream.

About the junction point at which the fresh feed is

combined with the recycle stream.
About the process only (reactor).
These balances contain no information about the
recycle stream.

About the separator

In addition, balances can be made about
combination of subsystems.

SYSTEM BOUNDARIES FOR THE

MATERIAL BALANCES

Reactor

Separator

SYSTEM BOUNDARIES FOR THE

MATERIAL BALANCES
F

M
Reactor
R

Mixing point the

% composition of the
entering and exit
streams are different

Separator

SYSTEM BOUNDARIES FOR THE

MATERIAL BALANCES

Reactor

Separator

SYSTEM BOUNDARIES FOR THE

MATERIAL BALANCES

Converter

Separator

SYSTEM BOUNDARIES FOR THE

MATERIAL BALANCES

Reactor

Separator

REACTANT CONVERSION
Single-pass conversion

f pass

ninput _ to _ reactor noutput _ from _ reactor

ninput _ to _ reactor

Overall conversion

f OA

ninput _ to _ system noutput _ from _ system

ninput _ to _ system

PURGE
A stream bled off to remove an accumulation of
inerts and unwanted material that might
otherwise build up in the recycle stream
Additional streams
S exit from separator
G purge stream

PURGE DIAGRAM

w/o PURGE

A + 2B 2AB
fA = 50%

5 mole
7.5
mole
AA

10 mole A
15 mole B
5 mole Inert

5 mole B

10mole
moleAA
15

10 mole AB
15

20
mole BB
15 mole

5 mole
10
moleInert
Inert

10
mole Inert
Inert
5 mole

5 mole
7.5
moleAA
5 mole
moleBB
10
mole Inert
Inert
5 mole

10 mole AB
15

PURGE DIAGRAM

A + 2B 2AB
fA = 50%

10 mole AB

5 mole A

7 mole A
12 mole B
2 mole Inert

5 mole B

10 mole A

10 mole AB

15 mole B

5 mole Inert

5 mole Inert

5 mole A
5 mole B
5 mole Inert

3 mole A

2 mole A

3 mole B

2 mole B

3 mole Inert

2 mole Inert

PURGE DIAGRAM
(additional balances)

A + 2B 2AB
fA = 50%

10 mole AB

5 mole A

7 mole A
12 mole B
2 mole Inert

5 mole B

10 mole A

10 mole AB

15 mole B

5 mole Inert

5 mole Inert

5 mole A
5 mole B
5 mole Inert

3 mole A

2 mole A

3 mole B

2 mole B

3 mole Inert

amount of inert fed =

amount of inert purged

Splitting point the

% composition of the
entering and exit
streams are the same

2 mole Inert

RECYCLE AND PURGE

Ex 12./