UNI-FIQT

PI 144/A. PERIOD: 2015-3

DISTILLATION PROBLEMS Mc CABE-THIELE METHOD
1. The following are the equilibrium data of the Isopropanol (IPA) - water system (in
mole fractions), to atmospheric pressure:
T (ºC) 100,00 93,00 84,02 82,12 81,25 80,32 80,21 80,66 82,5
x 0 0,0118 0,0841 0,1978 0,3496 0,6030 0,6810 0,8567 1,00
y* 0 0,2195 0,4620 0,5242 0,5516 0,6422 0,6826 0,8270 1,00
The Isopropanol-water system forms an azeotrope. The boiling point of the
The azeotrope is 80.22 ºC and the composition of the azeotrope is: x = y* = 0.6854 mol fraction.
of the IPA.
It is desired to treat two streams (feeds) IPA - water in the same column.
distillation, to obtain a distillate whose composition is 0.6 mole fraction of IPA
and a residue containing 0.025 mol fraction of the same compound. A is used
total condenser, and the distillation will be carried out using live steam (steam exposed to the open air.
open). The first feed with a flow of 100 kmol/h containing 0.5
The molar fraction of IPA is a superheated vapor and enters the column under the condition
cited thermal, in such a way that for every 2 moles of that feeding plate,
This feeding method vaporizes 1 mole of liquid that falls from the upper plate.
second feed with a flow of 100 kmol/h, containing 0.35 mole fraction
The IPA enters as a saturated liquid. It will work with a reflux ratio R = 2.
Rmín. The two feed separately into their respective plates.
optimal.
What are the molar flows of liquid and vapor in each of the zones of the
Column? What is the water vapor flow used?
2. Propane is separated from propylene by distillation. These compounds are closely related.
boiling point and a low value of relative volatility (1.1). For a
composition of feed of 10% weight of propane, estimate the number of plates
theoretical necessary to produce a distillate of 99.5% molar of the component most
volatile. The column operates with a reflux ratio of 20. The feed is
find its bubble point. The residue has a composition of 0.06
molar fraction of the more volatile component. Both the condenser and the reboiler are total.
3. It is desired to calculate the number of ideal trays of a distillation column for
separate benzene and toluene. Two separate feeds will be processed in the
same column: one whose composition is 0.4 molar fraction of benzene (which
finds like a mixture of 30% vapor, 70% liquid) and the other supply which
The composition is 0.7 molar fraction of benzene, which is found as cold liquid.
(q = 2.8). The molar flows of both feeds are equal. The distillate has
a mole fraction of 0.98 and the residue 0.03 mole fraction of benzene. The
the condenser is total and the reboiler is partial. The reflux ratio is 1.5 times the
minimum. Consider constant molar flows and that the benzene-toluene mixture
ideal solutions form. The constants of the Antoine Equation are:
Antoine equation: log Pº = A - B / (T + C) Pº: mm Hg °C
Compound A B C
Benzene 6,90563 1211,033 220,790
Toluene 6,95464 1344,800 219,482
4. It is desired to design a plate distillation column to separate the mixture
Benzene-toluene present in two feed streams. It is desired to recover 95% of
benzene from these two feedings. The distillate must contain 0.9 mole fraction
of benzene. The mole fraction of benzene in the two feeds is 0.4 and 0.6
 respectively. The first feed is a liquid at its bubble temperature.
and the second feed is a liquid-vapor mixture (50% liquid phase). The
The flows of the two feedstocks are 400 and 100 kmol/h, respectively.
The typical Murphree efficiency for all stages can be considered equal to 70%. It
operates with a reflux ratio R = 3 Rmin. The condenser is total and the
the heater is partial.
a. In what balance plates should each of the two feed?
feedings, considering optimal feedings?
b. What is the value of the boiling ratio?
The equilibrium data for this system at a pressure of 1 atm are:
x, mol fraction 0 0.13 0.26 0.4 0.58 0.79 1
C6H6in liquid
y*, mol fraction 0 0.26 0.46 0.63 0.78 0.9 1
C6H6in steam
5. It is desired to separate a mixture consisting of 75% mol of ethanol and 25% mol of
propanol with a flow rate of 556 mol/h and is found as saturated vapor. The
The composition of the distillate must be 99% molar and the residue must contain 10%.
ethanol molar. A partial reboiler and a total condenser are used. The reflux
it is a saturated liquid, and it can be considered that the molar flows are constant.
The system has a constant relative volatility equal to 2.1, and ethanol is the most
volatile. The boiling ratio (V/W) is 2.0. The composition of the
liquid that comes out of the second stage.
6. It is desired to separate the methanol-water mixture in a distillation column using
vapor alive (see: Treybal, page 460 and class notes, slides 26 and 27) and a
partial condenser. The feed is a superheated vapor, such that at the plate of
feeding, for every 2 moles fed into the column, 1 mole is vaporized.
liquid that descends from the enrichment zone. The flow of the feed is
250 mol/h, the molar fraction of the feed is 0.8 that of the distillate andDis 0.96 and the
the bottom is 0.1. Use a reflux ratio R = 2 Rmin. Find the plate of
nutrition and the number of balanced plates required.
Liquid-vapor equilibrium data for methanol-water, in % mol (P = 1 atm):
Liq 0 4 8 15 30 50 70 90 100
Vapor 0 23.0 36.5 51.7 66,5 77.9 87.0 95.8 100
T (ºC) 100 93.5 89.3 84.4 78.0 73.1 69.3 66.0 64.5
A continuous distillation column equipped with a condenser is used.
total reheater for treating two equimolar feedings F1y F2whose
The compositions are 40 and 50% molar of acetone, respectively.1it is a steam
saturated and F2it is a saturated liquid. In addition, a side flow is desired
20% molar acetone as saturated liquid, whose flow is half of F1(o F2).
Determine the number of theoretical stages, as well as the optimal feed trays.
and the side outlet plate. The reflux ratio is equal to 2.
The vapor-liquid equilibrium data (in molar fraction) at 1 atm abs. are:
x 0.010 0.05 0.10 0.20 0.50 0.60 0.70 0.80 0.90 0.95
y 0,253 0,624 0,755 0,815 0,849 0,859 0,874 0,898 0,935 0,963
UNI, February 24, 2016
Ing. Rafael J. Chero Rivas
Course professor