Distillation 2

CHE134P/CPMONTEROLA
Feed section
Feed section
Sample problem

Calculate the “quality of feed”, q if it needs 20.1

kJ/mole to heat the feed to its boiling point and its
enthalpy of vaporization is 40.6 kJ/mole.
Sample problem
Example 11.4-1
Example 11.4-1
Graphical solution
Example Problem 2
A distillation column separates a mixture consisting
of 8% (by mole) acetone, 61.8% (by mole) acetic
acid and 30.2% (by mole) acetic anhydride. The
column is designed to yield 825 kmol/h of a
distillate stream containing 10% (by mole) acetone
and 76% (by mole) acetic acid. The bottoms stream
contain no acetone, and the column is operated so
that 55% (by mole) of the overhead is returned as
reflux. The mole fraction of acetic acid in the
bottoms stream is most nearly
a. 0.0019 b. 0.050 c. 0.57 d. 0.60
Example Problem 3
The Caltex Refinery distillation column has been
designed to separate a mixture containing 50%
hexane and 50% pentane by mass. The product
stream contains 95% pentane and the bottoms
96% hexane. The overhead vapor leaving the top
of the column is condensed. A portion of the
condensed stream is returned to the column as
reflux and the balance is drawn off as a product.
The reflux ratio, i.e. (mass of reflux/mass of
distilled product) is equal to 0.6. Assuming the
feed to be saturated liquid, the ratio of feed to
condenser over feed to reboiler is
a. 0.39 b. 0.62 c. 1.63 d. 1.30
Exercise 1
A liquor consisting of phenol and cresols with some
xylenols is fractionated to give a top product of 95.3
mole percent phenol. The composition of the top
product and of the phenol in the bottoms are (mole
percent):
Feed Top Bottom
phenol 35 95.3 5.24
o-cresol 15 4.55
m-cresol 30 0.15
xylenols 20
If a reflux ratio of 10 is used,
2. What is the mole percent composition of o-cresol
in the bottoms?
a. 20.16 b. 29.87 c. 44.72 d. 9.87
3. What is the mole percent composition of xylenols
in the bottoms?
 Exercise 4

Samples from a distillation column with a kettle

reboiler yield the following mole fractions for one of
the components:
Vapor from the bottom tray 0.70
Vapor from the reboiler 0.75
Liquid from the bottom tray 0.90
Bottom product 0.95
What is the ratio of the liquid flow rate from the
bottom tray to the vapor flow rate from the reboiler?
Total reflux, D = 0
Analytical total reflux: Fenske
equation
Minimum reflux ratio

1. Minimum condenser
duty.
2. Minimum reboiler
duty.
3. Optimum R = 1.2
Rmin to 1.5 Rmin.
Sample problem 2
Graphical solution
A tower operating at 1 atm is to be designed to distill
200 kmoles/h (55.6 moles/s) of a binary mixture of 60
mole% benzene and 40 mole% toluene. A liquid distillate
and a liquid bottoms product of 95 mole % and 5 mole %
benzene respectively are to be produced. Before
entering the column the feed is flash vaporized at 1 atm
to produce an equimolal vapor/liquid mixture (Vf/F =
Lf/F = 0.5). A reflux ratio 30% above the minimum is
specified.
a. Calculate the amount of distillate collected in
kmoles/h.
b. What is the minimum number of theoretical stages?
c. What is the minimum reflux ratio?
d. If the actual reflux ratio is 1.3Rmin then what is the
number of equilibrium stages required?
A distillation column is to be designed to separate 30,000 kg/h of a mixture
of 40 percent benzene and 60 percent toluene into an overhead product
containing 97% benzene and a bottom product containing 98% toluene.
These percentages are by weight. A reflux ratio of 3.5 mol to 1 mol of
product is to be used. The molal latent heat of benzene and toluene are
7630 and 7960 cal/gmol, respectively. Benzene and toluene form a nearly
ideal mixture with a relative volatility of about 2.5. The feed has a boiling
point of 95°C at a pressure of 1 atm.
1. Calculate the moles of overhead product and bottom product per hour.
a. D = 110.3 kgmol/h b. B = 182.9 kgmol/h c. D = 135.4 kgmol/h d. B =
196.6 kgmol/h
2. Determine the number of equilibrium stages (including reboiler) if the
feed is liquid and at its boiling point.
a. 9 b. 12 c. 15 d. 18
3. Determine the number of ideal plates if the feed is liquid and at 20°C
(specific heat 0.44 cal/g.C)
a. 8 b. 10 c. 12 d. 14
4. Determine the position of the feed plate (from the top) if the feed is a
mixture of two-thirds vapor and one third liquid.
a. 5th b. 7th c. 9th d. 10th
A continuous fractionating column, operating at atmospheric
pressure, is to be designed to separate a mixture containing 15.67 per
cent CS2 and 84.33 per cent CCl4 into an overhead product containing
91 per cent CS2 and a waste of 97.3 per cent CCl4 all by mass. A plate
efficiency of 70 per cent and a reflux of 3.16 kmol/kmol of product
may be assumed. Using the following data, determine the number of
plates required. The feed enters at 290 K with a specific heat capacity
of 1.7 kJ/kgK and a boiling point of 336 K. The latent heats of CS2 and
CCl4 are 25,900 kJ/kmol.
CS2 in the vapour
(Mole per cent)
0 8.23 15.55 26.6 33.2 49.5 63.4 74.7 82.9 87.8 93.2
CS2 in the liquid
(Mole per cent)
0 2.36 6.15 11.06 14.35 25.85 33.0 53.18 66.30 75.75 86.04
Exercise 2
Figure 13.3 page 13-8 Perry 8th
Fig. 13.5 Perry 8th
Fig. 13-6 Perry 8th
Fig. 13-7 Perry 8th
 Key Teaching Points

 For the ethanol/benzene

binary system, the
azeotropic composition
changes significantly when
the pressure changes from
1 bar to 2 bar.

 Except for the azeotropic

point, the relative volatility
of ethanol and benzene is
large.

© 2012 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved | 33

 Objectives

 Learn how to use pressure swing distillation to separate

a binary mixture that forms an azeotrope.

© 2012 Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved | 34

MRII problem

• A binary mixture of 2 moles benzene

• and 8 moles toluene will boil at
• A. 110°C
• B. 110°F
• C. 105°C
• D. 102°C
Figure 13.4 p13-8 Perry 8th
MRII problem

• The percentage change in the boiling point of a 20 mole % benzene

toluene solution when the pressure is increased from 1 atm to 2 atm
is
a. 10.5% increase
b. 25.5% increase
c. 25.5% decrease
d. None of these
solution
Boiling pt. data
at Perry 8th
K values: K=y/x Fig. 13.10 Perry 8th
K is distribution coefficient
MRII problem

• The distribution coefficient of n-hexane at 10 atm

and 200°C
• A. 2.6
• B. 1.4
• C. 0.9
• D. none of these
K values: K=y/x Fig. 13.10 Perry 8th
K is distribution coefficient
MRII Problem
• If the enthalpy of saturated vapor at 200°F
referred to 32°F is 1300 BTU/lb while the
enthalpy of saturated liquid (Cp = 1)
referred to 0°F is 400BTU/lb then the latent
heat of vaporization of the component at
200°F is
• A. 900 btu/lb
• B. 932 btu/lb
• C. 868 btu/lb
• D. none of these
MRII Problem

• A liquid mixture containing 45% benzene and

55% toluene by weight is to be fed to a
fractionating column at a rate of 5000 kg/hr. the
feed rate at kg mol/hr is
• A. 58.74
• B. 58.80
• C. 48.80
• D. 28.846
MRII Problem

• The relative volatility of the mixture at

the azeotropic point is _______
• A. less than 1
• B. equal to 1
• C. greater than 1
Analytical total reflux: Fenske equation
MRII Problem

• The approximate minimum number of stages

for a binary system with relative volatility of
2.35, fractionally distilled to yield a
composition of 0.98 in the distillate and 0.045
in the bottom is
• A. 4.8
• B. 7
• C. 8.1
• D. 12
A mixture of water and ethyl alcohol containing 0.16 mole fraction
alcohol is continuously distilled in a plate fractionating column to give a
product containing 0.77 mole fraction alcohol and a waste of 0.02 mole
fraction alcohol. It is proposed to withdraw 25 percent of the alcohol in
the entering stream as a side stream containing 0.50 mole fraction of
alcohol. Suppose the feed is liquid at its boiling point with a flowrate of
100 kgmole/h and a reflux ratio of 2 is used.
A. What is the molar flow rate in kgmole/h of the distillate?
B. What is the slope of the rectifying section operating line?
C. Assuming that the side-stream withdrawn is at its boiling point, What
is the slope of the operating line between the side-stream and the feed?
D. What is the slope of the side-stream line?
A distillation column separates component A and B from a binary
mixture. The column products are: 0.3 mole/h distillate at 95
mole% A, 0.5 mole/ h bottoms and 0.2 mole/ h side stream at 75
mole% A. Feed enters at 47 mole% A liquid at its boiling point. A
reflux ratio of 2 is used at the top of the column. Additional reflux
will be provided by removing 0.4 mole/h vapor as the side stream,
condensing it, and returning it to the column as 0.2 mole/h liquid.
1. Draw the distillation system and specify the given flow rate of
each stream.
2. Calculate the feed rate in mole/h.
a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. none of these
3. Calculate the slope of the rectifying section operating line.
4. Calculate the slope of the intermediate operating line.
a. 2.6 b. 0.615 c. 0.38 d. none of these
MRII Problem
• A distillation column with a partial condenser is composed
of 7 theoretical stages in the rectifying section and 8
theoretical stages in the stripping section. If the overall plate
efficiency is 60% then the actual feed plate is the _____
from the top.
• A. 11th
• B. 13th
• C. 12th
• D. 8th
MRII Problem

• The actual number of plates of the

distillation column of the last
problem is ______.
• A. 24
• B. 22
• C. 25
• D. 15
MRII Problem

• If the HETP of the column of the last problem is 2

ft then the height of an equivalent packed
column is____
• A. 30 ft
• B. 43 ft
• C. 26 ft
• D. none of these
 Exercise 1
Consider a distillation column with a
partial condenser, (graphical data on
the side →)
a. If the overall plate efficiency is 60%
then the actual feed plate is the
_____ from the top.
b. The actual number of plates of the
distillation column is ______.
c. If the HETP of the column of the
last problem is 2 ft then the height
of an equivalent packed column
is____
Open steam rectification
Exercise 2
Problem 11.12 Coulson
Problem 11.5 Coulson
Plate efficiency
Plate efficiency
Plate efficiency