Separation Processes - I

By
Dr Suresh Gupta
Associate Professor
Chemical Engineering Department
Birla Institute of Technology and Science
(BITS), Pilani
Pilani Campus

Separation Processes
Separations including
Enrichment, concentration, purification, refining,
and isolation are important

Chemical engineers are more concerned with the

manufacture of chemicals using economical,
large-scale separation methods
Differ considerably from laboratory techniques
Ex.
Chemist separate and analyze light-hydrocarbon
mixture using chromatography
Chemical engineer uses distillation

Why is this course useful to us?

Mass transfer operations is largely the
responsibility of chemical engineers
Chemical plants usually have from 50 to 90% of
their capital invested in separation equipment
There is virtually no industrial process that does
not involve purification of raw materials or final
separation of products

Approximately three quarters of Chem. Eng.

Graduates will find employment in industries
where mass transfer operations play a critical role
3

Handout
CHE _F244.docx

Mechanism of Separation
The separation of mixture into its constituent
chemical species
Is not a spontaneous process
It requires an expenditure of energy

A mixture to be separated usually originates as a

single, homogeneous phase
If it exists as two or more immiscible phases
First use a mechanical means based on gravity,
centrifugal force, pressure reduction, or an electric
and/or magnetic field

Mechanism of Separation
The separation is accomplished by
forcing the different chemical species in the feed
into different spatial locations by any of five general
separation techniques

(a) Phase creation

(b) Phase addition
(c) By barrier
(d) By solid agent
(e) By force field or
gradient

Mechanism of Separation

Mechanism of Separation
For all techniques separations are achieved by
Enhancing the rate of mass transfer by diffusion of
certain species relative to other species by bulk
movement

The driving force and direction of mass transfer

by diffusion is governed by thermodynamics
Thus, both transport and thermodynamic
considerations are crucial in separation
operations
The rate of separation is governed by mass transfer
The extent of separation is limited by
thermodynamic equilibrium
8

Mechanism of Separation
The extent of separation achieved between or
among the product phases for each chemical
species depends on
The exploitation of differences in molecular,
thermodynamic and transport properties of the
species

Molecular properties
Molecular weight, Molecular Shape, Dipole moment,
Polarizability, Dielectric constant, Electric charge,
Radius of gyration, van der Waals area and volume,

Thermodynamic and transport properties

Vapor pressure, Solubility, Adsorptivity, Diffusivity
9

Separation by Phase Addition or Creation

If a feed mixture is homogeneous
A second immiscible phase must often be developed or
added

This second phase is created by

An energy separating agent (ESA)
Added as a mass separating agent (MSA)

Application of an ESA involves

Heat transfer and/or transfer of shaft work to or from the
mixture to be separated

An MSA may be partially immiscible with one or more of

the species in the mixture
Although separations that use an ESA are generally
preferred
An MSA can make possible a separation that is not feasible
with an ESA
10

Separation by Phase Addition or

Creation
Disadvantages of the use of an MSA are

Need for an additional separator to recover the MSA

Need for MSA makeup
Possible contamination of the product with the MSA
More difficult design procedures

When two immiscible fluid phases are contacted

Intimate mixing of the two phases is important in
enhancing mass transfer rates
So that thermodynamic maximum degree of
partitioning of species can be approached more
rapidly

11

Separation by Phase Addition or

Creation
Some examples of phase creation or addition

Partial condensation or vaporization

Flash vaporization
Distillation
Extractive distillation
Absorption
Azeotropic distillation
Liquid-Liquid Extraction
Leaching
Crystallization

12

Separation by Barrier
The use of microporous and nonporous
membranes as semi-permeable barriers
For difficult and highly selective separations is
rapidly gaining adherents

For microporous membranes

Separation is effected by differing rates of diffusion
through the pores

For nonporous membranes

Separation occurs because of differences in both
solubility in the membrane and rate of diffusion
through the membrane

13

Separation by Barrier

14

Separation by Solid Agent

It uses solid mass-separating agents
The solid, usually in the form of granular material
or packing
Acts as an inert support for a thin layer of
adsorbents
Enters directly into the separation operation by
selective adsorption of, or chemical reaction with,
certain species in the feed mixture

15

Separation by Solid Agent

16

Separation by External Field or

Gradient
External fields can be used to take advantage of
differing degrees of response of molecules and
ions to forces and gradients

17

Component Recoveries and

Product Purities
Separation operations are subject to the
conservation of mass
Accordingly, if no chemical reactions occur and
the process operates in a continuous, steadyN
state fashion
(F )
( p)
(1)
( 2)
( N 1)
(N)
i
i
i
Theni for
component,
i,i in a imixture of C
p each
1
components

n n

........... n

Calculation of the molar flow rate of component i

in each product phase
If a feed mixture containing C components is
separated into N product phases, C(N-1) additional
18
expressions are needed

Component Recoveries and

Product Purities
Equipments for separating components of a
mixture is designed and operated to meet desired
or required specifications
Typically given as component recoveries and/or
product purities

The split fraction, SF, for component i in separator

k is the fraction of that
ni(,1k) component found in the
SFi ,k ( F )
first product
ni ,k
ni(,1k)

SFi ,k
Alternatively,
split
ratio,
SR, between two
SRia

,k
( 2)
(1 SFi ,k )
i ,k
products may bendefined
as
19

Separation Power
When multistage separator are utilized and feed
mixture enters somewhere near the middle of the
separator
The separator consists of two sections of stages
One on either side of the feed stage
It is often possible to achieve a relatively sharp
separation between two key components

For these operations, a convenient measure of

the relative degree of separation between two
components, i and j, is the separation power, SP,
of the separation equipment
Ci(1) Ci( 2 )
SPi , j (1) ( 2 )
Also referred as
the
split ratio and the
C j relative
Cj
separation factor

20

Separation Power
Most commonly, mole fractions or concentrations
are used
The separation power is readily converted to the
SRi of split fractions or split
following forms inSPterms

i, j
SR j
ratios
SPi , j

SFi SF j
(1 SFi ) (1 SF j )

Achievable values of SP depend on

the number of stages
the relative thermodynamic and mass transport
properties of components i and j
Large value corresponds to a high degree of

21

Selection of Feasible Separation

Processes
Factors that influence the selection
Feed conditions
Composition, flow rate, temperature, pressure, phase
state

Production conditions
Required purities, temperatures, pressures, phase
states

Property differences that may be exploited

Molecular, thermodynamic, transport

Characteristics of separation operation

Ease of scale-up, ease of staging, temperature,
pressure and phase-state requirements, physical size
limitations, energy requirements
22

Technological and Use Maturities

of Separation Processes

23

Problem
A feed, F, of 100 kmol/h of air containing 21 mol%
O2 and 79 mol% N2 is to be partially separated by
a membrane unit to obtain 85 mol% purity of N2
in retentate and a split ratio of O2 in the permeate
to the retentate equal to 1.1. The membrane is
more permeable to oxygen. Calculate the
following:
Amounts, in kmol/h, and compositions, in mol%, of
the two products (retentate and permeate).
Separation power.

24

THANK YOU
25