CAPE 3301/5301M Separation Processes, Distillation

Self-study questions

Objectives: To develop problem solving skills and provides a continuous self-assessment of

students’ understanding of the course materials. Encourage the use of computation tools for
solving problems.

1. For a benzene-toluene system, the vapour pressure is shown in Table 1 for the system at
101.32 kPa. Do the following.
a. Using Raoult’s law, calculate y A and x A at 95 °C.
[ x A=0.411, y A =0.632]
b. Using Raoult’s law, calculate y A and x A at 378.2 K.
c. If a mixture having x A = 0.40 and at 358.2 K is brought to its boiling point by
heating, what will be the composition of the vapour that comes off first?

2. Using the data from Table 1, calculate the relative volatility for the benzene-toluene
system at 85 °C (358.2 K) and 105 °C (378.2 K)
[α =2.54 , and α =2.38 ]

3. The vapour-pressure data for a hexane-octane system are shown in Table 2. Using
Raoult’s law, calculate and plot the x-y data at a total pressure of 101.32 kPa. Also plot
the bubble point diagram.

4. A vapour at the dew point and 101.32 kPa containing a mole fraction of 0.40 benzene (A)
and 0.60 toluene (B) and 100 kg mol total is brought into contact with 110 kg mol of a
liquid at the boiling point containing a mole fraction of 0.30 benzene and 0.70 toluene.
The two streams are contacted in a single stage, and the outlet streams leave in
equilibrium with each other. Assume constant molar overflow. The equilibrium data are
shown in Table 1. Calculate the amounts and compositions of the exit streams.

Liquid out Liquid in

Vapour in Vapour out

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 [ x A=0.25, y A =0.455]

5. A mixture of 100 mol containing 50 mol % n-pentane and 50 mol % n-heptane is distilled
under differential conditions at 101.32 kPa until 40 mol are distilled. What is the average
composition of the total vapor distilled and the composition of the liquid left? The
equilibrium data are given in Table 3, where x and y are mole fractions of n-pentane.

[ y av =0.835 , x=0.277 ]

6. A mixture of 100 mol containing 60 mol % n-pentane and 40 mol % n-heptane is

vaporized at 101.32 kPa absolute pressure until 40 mol of vapour and 60 mol of liquid in
equilibrium with each other are produced. This occurs in a single-stage system and the
vapour and liquid are kept in contact with each other until vaporization is complete. The
equilibrium data are given in Table 3. Calculate the composition of the vapour and the
liquid.

7. A mixture of 100 kg mol that contains 60 mol % n-pentane and 40 mol % n-heptane is
vaporized at 101.32 kPa pressure under differential conditions until 40 kg mol are
distilled. User the equilibrium data given in Table 3, find:
(a) the average composition of the total vapour distilled and the composition of the
remaining liquid. [ y av =0.892, x=0.405 ]
(b) if the same vaporization is done in an equilibrium or flash distillation and 40 kg mol
are distilled, the composition of the vapour distilled and of the remaining liquid. [
y 2=0.854 , x 2=0.430 ]

8. A mixture containing 70 mol % benzene and 30 mol % toluene is distilled under

differential conditions at 101.32 kPa. A total of one-third of the moles in the feed is
vaporized. Calculate the average composition of the distillate and the composition of the
remaining liquid. The equilibrium data is shown in Table 1.

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9. A liquid mixture of benzene-toluene is to be distilled in a fractionating tower at 101.32
kPa pressure. The feed of 100 kg mol/h is liquid, containing 45 mol % benzene, and
enters at 327.6 K. A distillate containing 95 mol % benzene and a bottoms containing 10
mol % benzene are to be obtained. The average heat capacity of the feed is 159 kJ/kg
mol.K and the average latent heat 32099 kJ/kg mol.
A reflux ratio of 4 is used. Equilibrium data for this system are given in Table 1. Calculate
the flow rate of the distillate and the bottoms (in the kg moles per hour), and the
number of theoretical trays needed.

[ D=41.2 kg mol /h, W =58.8 kg mol /h, 8 theoretical trays including a reboiler]

Determine the minimum reflux ratio Rm , and the minimum number of theoretical plates
at total reflux.

[ Rm =1.17, 6 theoretical trays including a reboiler]

10. A rectification column is fed 100 kg mol/h of a mixture of 50 mol % benzene and 50 mol
% toluene at 101.32 kPa abs pressure. The vapour pressure data are given in Table 1.
The feed is a saturated liquid. The distillate is to contain 90 mol % benzene and the
bottoms 10 mol % benzene.
(a) Use a reflux ratio of 4.52. Calculate the flow rates for the distillate, the bottoms, and
the number of theoretical trays needed using the McCabe-Thiele method.
[6 trays including a reboiler]
(b) Use the graphical method, determine the minimum reflux ratio Rm [ Rm =0.91] and
find the minimum number of theoretical plates at total reflux [5 plate including a
reboiler]

11. A saturated liquid feed of 200 mol/h containing 42 mol % heptane and 58 mol % ethyl
benzene is to be fractionated at 101.32 kPa abs pressure to give a distillate containing 97
mol % heptane and a bottoms 1.1 mol % heptane. The equilibrium data are given Table
4.
(a) Use a reflux ratio of 2.5. Calculate the flow rates of the distillate and the bottoms,
and use the McCabe-Thiele method to find the number of idea trays and the feed
tray number.
[ D=85.3 mol/h , W =114 mol /h ,11 trays inc. a reboiler, feed try 6th from top]
(b) Use the graphical method, determine the minimum reflux ratio Rm [ Rm =0.91] and
find the minimum number of theoretical plates at total reflux

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12. A total feed of 200 mol/h having an overall composition of 42 mol % heptane and 58 mol
% ethyl benzene is to be fractionated at 101.32 kPa pressure to give a distillate
containing 97 mol % heptane and a bottoms containing 1.1 mol % heptane. The feed
enters the column partially vaporized so that 40 mol % is liquid and 60 mol % is vapour.
The equilibrium data are given in Table 4. Find the following.
(a) Flow rates of distillate and bottoms
(b) Minimum reflux ratio Rm
(c) Minimum number of theoretical trays at total reflux
(d) Number of theoretical trays for an operating reflux ratio of 2.5.

Repeat the problem, but use a feed of saturated vapour and find
(a) Minimum reflux ratio Rm
(b) Minimum number of theoretical trays at total reflux
(c) Number of theoretical trays for an operating reflux ratio of 1.5( Rm ).

13. A mixture of 50 wt % ethanol and 50 wt % water is fed as a saturated liquid to a

distillation column operating at 101.32 kPa and is to be fractionated to give a distillate
containing 85 wt % ethanol and a bottoms containing 3 wt % ethanol. The feed rate is
453.6 kg/h. The equilibrium and enthalpy data are given in Table 5. Use a reflux ratio of
1.5, and find the following.
(a) The amounts of distillate and bottoms
(b) The number of theoretical trays needed, using Ponchon-Savarit method.
(c) The condenser and reboiler loads.

[ D =260.0 kg/h, W =193.6 kg/h, 5 trays inc. a reboiler, Q c =698.75 MJ/h, Q h=704.77
MJ/h]

Repeat the problem, but use a reflux ratio of 2.0 and find
(a) The amounts of distillate and bottoms
(b) The number of theoretical trays needed, using Ponchon-Savarit method.
(c) The condenser and reboiler loads.

14. A feed of ethanol-water containing 60 wt % ethanol is to be distillated at 101.32 kPa

pressure to give a distillate containing 85 wt % ethanol and a bottoms containing 2 wt %
ethanol. The feed rate is 10,000 kg/h and its enthalpy is 116.3 kJ/kg. The equilibrium and
enthalpy data are given in Table 5. Determine the following.
(a) The amounts of distillate and bottoms
(b) The minimum reflux ratio ( Rm ) using Ponchon-Savarit method
(c) Using a reflux ratio of 2( Rm ), the number of theoretical trays needed.
(d) The condenser and reboiler loads.

[ Rm =0.373, 6 trays inc. a reboiler, Q c =3634 kW, Q h=4096 kW]

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15. A liquid feed of 40 mol % n-butane, 25 mol % n-pentane, 20 mol % n-hexane, 15 mol %
n-heptane is fed to a distillation tower at 405.3 kPa at a rate of 100 mol/h. The feed is to
be fractionated so that 90% of n-pentane is recovered in the distillate and 90% of the n-
hexane is recovered in the bottoms. The K value of the hydrocarbons is shown in Fig. 1.
Calculate the following:
(a) The flow rates (moles per hour) and composition of distillate and bottoms
(b) Top temperature (dew point) of distillate and bubble point of bottoms
(c) Minimum stages for total reflux and distribution of other components in the
distillate and bottoms.

Hint: assume there is no n-butane in the bottoms, and find α av by the geometric mean of
the relative volatilities at the top and bottom of the column ( √ α D α B ).

16. A liquid feed at its bubble point is to be distilled in a tray tower to produce the distillate
and bottoms as follows: feed, x AF = 0.047, x BF = 0.072, x CF = 0.881; distillate, x AD =
0.1260, x BD = 0.1913; bottoms, x BW = 0.001, x CW = 0.999. Average α values to use are α A
= 4.19, α B = 1.58, α C = 1.00.
(a) For a feed rate of 100 mol/h, calculate D and W , the number of stages at total
reflux.
(b) Calculate Rm and the number of stages at 1.25( Rm).

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 Table 1. Vapour-pressure data for Benzene-Toluene system

Vapour pressure
Temperature
Benzene Toluene
K °C kPa mmHg kPa mmHg
353.3 80.1 101.32 760
358.2 85 116.9 877 46.0 345
363.2 90 135.5 1016 54.0 405
368.2 95 155.7 1168 63.3 475
373.2 100 179.2 1344 74.3 557
378.2 105 204.2 1532 86.0 645
383.8 110.6 240.0 1800 101.32 760

Table 2. Vapour-pressure data for hexane-octane system

Vapour pressure
Temperature
n-Hexane n-Octane
°F °C kPa mmHg kPa mmHg
155.7 68.7 101.3 760 16.1 121
175 79.4 136.7 1025 23.1 173
200 93.3 197.3 1480 37.1 278
225 107.2 284.0 2130 57.9 434
258.2 125.7 456.0 3420 101.3 760

Table 3. Equilibrium data of n-pentane and n-heptane system

x y
1.000 1.000
0.867 0.984
0.594 0.925
0.398 0.836
0.254 0.701
0.145 0.521
0.059 0.271
0 0

Table 4. Equilibrium data of heptane and ethyl benzene system at 101.32 kPa

Temperature
K °C xH yH
409.3 136.1 0 0
402.6 129.4 0.08 0.230
392.6 119.4 0.250 0.514
383.8 110.6 0.485 0.730
376 102.8 0.790 0.904
371.5 98.3 1.000 1.000

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 Table 5a. Equilibrium data for ethanol-water system at 101.32 kPa

Temperature Mass fraction, ethanol

°F °C xA yA
212 100.0 0 0
208.5 98.1 0.020 0.192
203.4 95.2 0.050 0.377
197.2 91.8 0.100 0.527
189.2 87.3 0.200 0.656
184.5 84.7 0.300 0.713
181.7 83.2 0.400 0.746
179.6 82.0 0.500 0.771
177.8 81.0 0.600 0.794
176.2 80.1 0.700 0.822
174.3 79.1 0.800 0.858
173.0 78.3 0.900 0.912
172.8 78.2 0.940 0.942
172.7 78.1 0.960 0.959
172.8 78.2 0.980 0.978
173.0 78.3 1.00 1.00

Table 5b. Enthalpy data for ethanol-water system at 101.32 kPa

Mass fraction Enthalpy (kJ/kg) Mass fraction Enthalpy (kJ/kg)

xA HL yA HV
0 418.9 0 2675
0.1 371.7 0.1 2517
0.3 314.0 0.3 2193
0.5 285.9 0.5 1870
0.7 258.4 0.7 1544
0.9 224.7 0.9 1223
1.0 207.0 1.0 1064

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Figure 1. Equilibrium K values for light hydrocarbon systems at 405.3 kPa (4.0 atm)
absolute

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