CHE 246 MASS TRANSFER AND UNIT OPERATIONS

TUTORIAL-CHAPTER 2 (DISTILLATION)

Question 1

A liquid mixture of 150 mol/h propanol-water containing 30 mol% is fed into batch distillation to
obtain final propanol content of 10 mol%. The equilibrium data for the mixture is given below:

Mol fraction of
propanol in 0.00 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40
liquid, (xA)
Mol fraction of
propanol in 0.00 0.22 0.38 0.51 0.63
vapour, (yA)

i) By using the Raleigh equation, determine the amount of feed that has been distilled.
ii) Determine the average composition of the distillate.

Question 2

A liquid containing 50 mol% n-Hexane and 50 mol% n-Octane is required to be separated under
flash distillation until 65% of the liquid is distilled. The vapor pressure-equilibrium data for the
system n-hexane and n-octane at 101.32 kPa is given below:

Vapor-liquid equilibrium data for n-Hexane n-Octane mixture.

Tem, C Vapor Pressure, Vapor Pressure, Mol fraction of n- Mol fraction of
kPa (PAo) kPa (PBo) hexane in liquid n-hexane in
phase xA gas phase yA
68.7 101.3 16.1 1 1
79.4 136.7 23.1
93.3 197.3 37.1
107.2 284.0 57.9 0.19 0.53
125.7 456.0 101.3 0 0

a) By applying the Raoults Law and Dalton Law, determine the mol fraction of hexane in
liquid and vapor phase at temperature 79.4 to 93.3 oC

b) Determine the composition of vapor (yA) and liquid (xA) at an equilibrium stage.

c) Further the vapor stream from the flash distillation is subjected to a condenser before it
fed to a second flash distillation. Again 65 mol% of the liquid is distillated. Determine the
composition of the second overhead product (yA).

Question 3
 A mixture containing 40 mol% of benzene and 60 mol% of chlorobenzene is separated by
flash distillation until 70 % of the initial charge is taken off as overhead. Further the vapor
stream from the flash distillation is subjected to a condenser before it fed to a fractionation
distillation column. A distillated product from the fractionation column containing 95 mol% of
benzene and a bottom containing 90 mol% of chlorobenzene. The reflux ratio for this
process is 1.3 and the q value used is 0.6. Equilibrium data for benzene-chlorobenzene
system is given below.

Mol fraction
of benzene 0 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 0.9 1.0
in liquid, xA
Mol fraction
of benzene 0 0.37 0.57 0.78 0.89 0.95 0.98 1.0
in gas, yA

i) Sketch the schematic diagram of the system.

ii) Determine the number of theoretical trays.
iii) If the reflux ratio were increased, explain the effect to the number of theoretical stages.

Question 4

A saturated liquid feed of 200 mol/h at the boiling point containing 60 mol% n-heptanes and 40
mol% n-octane is to be fractionated at 101.32 kPa abs to give a distillate containing 97 mol% n-
heptanes and a bottoms containing 10 mol% n-heptanes. The reflux ratio used is 2.5:1.
Calculate the mol/h distillate, mol/h bottoms, theoretical number of trays, and the feed tray
number. The relative volatility of n-heptane-n-octane is given 2.5.

Question 5

A total feed of 100 mol/h having an overall composition of 55 mol% heptane and 45 mol% ethyl
benzene is to be fractionated at 101.3 kPa pressure to give a distillate containing 97 mol%
heptane and a bottoms containing 10 mol% heptane. The feed enters the tower partially
vaporized so that 40 mol% is liquid and 60 mol% vapor. Calculate:

a. Moles per hour distillate and bottoms

b. Minimum reflux ratio Rm.
c. Minimum steps and theoretical trays at total reflux.
d. Theoretical number of trays and feed tray number required for an operating reflux ratio is
1.6Rm.
e. Number of actual trays if the overall tray efficiency is 80%.
xA 0 0.080 0.250 0.485 0.790 1.000
yA 0 0.230 0.514 0.730 0.904 1.000

Question 6
A mixture containing 70 mol% of benzene and 30 mol% of toluene enter a fractioning tower at
101.32 kPa. The distillate is to contain 95 mol% of benzene while the bottoms is 92 mol%
toluene. The feed is entering the tower at its dew point. The relative volatility of benzene and
toluene is 1.5. Determine the number of theoretical stages and location of feed stage when the
reflux ratio is 4:1.

Question 7

A saturated liquid feed of 200 mol/h at the boiling point containing 42 mol% heptanes and 58
mol% ethyl benzene is to be fractionated at 101.32 kPa abs to give a distillate containing 97 mol
% heptanes and a bottoms containing 1.1 mol% heptanes. The equilibrium data are given below
at 101.32 kPa abs pressure for the mole fraction n-heptane.

Mol fraction of n-heptane in liquid phase (xA) 0 0.08 0.25 0.49 0.79 1
Mol fraction of n-heptane in vapor phase (yA) 0 0.23 0.51 0.73 0.90 1

a) Determine the minimum reflux ratio, Rm.

b) Determine the minimum number of theoretical plates at total reflux.
c) The reflux ratio used is 2.27Rm, determine:
a. The distillate and bottoms flow rate in mol/h.
b. The theoretical number of trays.
c. The feed tray number.

Question 8
An outlet stream 50 mol/h of reactor consists of 40 mol% heptane and 60 mol% of ethyl
benzene is to be further fractionated at 101.32 kPa. A distillate contains 96 mol% heptane and a
bottoms of 94 mol% ethyl benzene are to be obtained. The equilibrium data for heptane-ethyl
benzene system is given in Table 1.

Mol fraction of heptane in liquid phase (xA) 0 0.08 0.25 0.485 0.79 1
Mol fraction of heptane in vapor phase (yA) 0 0.23 0.514 0.73 0.904 1
a) Determine the distilate and bottom flowrate in mol/h.
b) Determine the value of q when:
i) This stream enters the column as an equilibrium mixture at 20 mol/h of liquid and
30 mol/h of vapor.
ii) This stream enters as saturated liquid.
iii) This stream enters as saturated vapor.
iv) This stream enters as saturated mixture and the enthalpy values are given:
Enthalpy of feed at entrance condition: 150000 kJ/kgmol
Enthalpy of feed at boiling point: 8800 kJ/kgmol
Enthalpy of feed at dew point: 144500 kJ/kgmol

c) Determine the minimum number of stages of the column.

d) Use the q value when the stream enters the column as an equilibrium mixture at 20
mol/h of liquid and 30 mol/h of vapor. Determine:
i) The minimum reflux ration, Rmin.
ii) The number of the theoretical stages if the actual reflux ratio is 1.72Rmin.
iii) The actual number of the stages if the overall efficiency is 80%.
Question 9
A feed of 100 mol/h of mixture containing 60 mol% carbon tetrachloride and 40 mol% carbon
disulfide is fed to an intermediate point of a continuous distillation column. The column operates
at atmospheric pressure to give a distillate containing 91 mol% purity and contain 85% of the
more volatile component in the feed. The value of L/V in the stripping section is 1.6. The feed
enters the column as 40 mol% vapor. The equilibrium data for the solution is given in the table
below:

Mol fraction carbon tetrachloride in a liquid phase, xA 0 0.08 0.25 0.49 0.79 1
Mol fraction carbon tetrachloride in a vapor phase, yA 0 0.23 0.51 0.73 0.90 1

a) Calculate the molar flow rate at distillate and bottom.

b) Calculate the mole fraction of more volatile component in the bottom.
c) Calculate the q value.
d) Find the reflux ratio value.
e) Determine the number of theoretical stages and the location of feed stage.
f) Calculate the actual number of stage if the overall efficiency is 85%

Question 10

a. In continuous distillation, one of the parameter which used in McCabe-Thiele method is

the parameter feed line (q). By sketching a relevant x-y diagram, sketch and label the q-
line for five (5) different types of pahse in feed, namely, subcooled liquid, saturated
liquid, saturated mixture, saturated vapor and superheated vapor. State as well the velue
or range of feed line (q) for each feed condition.

b. A continuous distillation column handles a mixture consisting of 35 mol% of benzene and

65 mol% of toluene at the rate 160 kmol/h and separates it into a product containing 97
mol% of benzene in overhead and a liquid containing 98 mol% toluene. The feed enters
the column as 35 mol% vapor.

Table Vapor-liquid equilibrium data for benzene-toluene mixture

Mole fraction 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0
of benzene in
liquid, x
Mole fraction 0 0.22 0.38 0.51 0.63 0.70 0.85 0.85 0.91 0.96 1.00
of benzene in
vapour, y
i. Calculate the molar flow rate of distillate in kmol/h.
ii. Calculate the molar flow rate of bottom in kmol/h.
iii. Calculate number of theoretical plate required if reflux ratio of 2.7 is employed.
iv. Calculate the actual number of plate if the column efficiency is 85%.

Question 11
An equimolar mixture of acetone and water from the outlet stream of flash column is to be
further fractionated at 101.3 kPa, while entering the tower at its boiling point. The distillate is to
contain 95 mol% acetone and the bottoms 5 mol% acetone. During the process, 3 moles of
distillate is removed for every 4 moles returned to the unit as reflux. The equilibrium data for this
system can be represented by the following equation: y = 1.9(x). Determine:

i) The schematic diagram of the system.

ii) The molar flowrates of the distillate and bottoms products.

iii) The q value.

iv) The number of theoretical stages and the position of the feed stage.

v) The actual number of stage if the efficiency is 65%.

Question 12

As an assistant engineer, you have been assigned to analyze the problem that occurred in the
distillation column which cannot produce the desired product purification. Suggest four (4)
possible solutions to overcome this problem so that the distillation column achieved the desired
product purification.

Question 13

a. Describe the following terminologies in the distillation column process:

i) Volatility

ii) Reflux ratio.

iii) Total reflux ratio.

iv) Minimum reflux ratio.

v) Enriching column

vi) Stripping column

b. Explain the principle of distillation process with appropriate diagram.

c. Derive the equation for the simple batch distillation by Raleigh equation.