Assignment Problems

Batch I (R.No. 102117001 to 102117011)

1. A binary mixture of A and B has a relative volatility of 3, when mole fractions are used
to express compositions. If the molecular weights are 78 and 92 respectively for A and B,
find the relative volatility if compositions are in mass fraction.

2. A binary distillation column is operating under conditions specified below:

Feed Rate = 350 kmol/hr, overhead product rate = 150 kmol/hr, Molefraction of more
volatile component in overhead product, XD = 0.97, Bottom product, XW = 0.02, Bottom
product rate = 200 kmol/hr, R = 3.5
In the stripping section, it was found that the molefraction of more volatile component in the
vapour leaving a plate is 0.33 while its molefraction in the liquid coming to the same plate is
0.25. Assuming constant molal overflow, determine the condition of feed.

3. 1000 kilograms per hour of a solution of C in A containing 30%C by weight is to be

cross-currently extracted with solvent B in three stages and the solvent used in each
stage is exactly equal to the feed /raffinate entering that stage. The components A and B
are insoluble. Estimate the final raffinate concentration and percentage recovery. The
equilibrium distribution of component C between A and B are as follows:

Wt. of C/Wt. of A 0.05 0.20 0.30 0.45 0.50 0.54

Wt. of C/Wt. of B 0.25 0.40 0.50 0.65 0.70 0.74

4. A solution of washed raw cane sugar is colored by the presence of impurities . It is to be

decolorised by treatment with activated carbon .The original solution has a color
concentration of 9.6 measured on an arbitrary scale and it is desired to reduce the color to
1.0. Calculate the necessary dosage of fresh carbon per 2000 kg solution for (a) a single
stage and (b) three stage counter current operation.
Equilibrium data:
______________________________________________________
Kg carbon/
Kg solution 0 0.001 0.004 0.008 0.02 0.04

Eqm.colour 9.6 8.6 6.3 4.3 1.7 0.7

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 Batch II ( R.Nos.1021170012- 102117022)

1. A feed mixture of 100 kmol/hr containing 0.16 mole fraction ethanol and rest water is
continuously distilled in a fractionating column to yield a product containing 0.77 mole
fraction alcohol and a waste containing 0.02 mole fraction alcohol. It is proposed to
withdraw 8 kmol/hr as a side stream with a mole fraction of 0.5 alcohol in the rectifying
section. Determine the number of theoretical plates required and locate the plate from
which the side stream should be withdrawn. Use reflux ratio as 2.0 and feed is a liquid at
its boiling point. Equilibrium Data as follows:

x 0 0.05 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0
y 0 0.325 0.4 0.51 0.57 0.6 0.65 0.72 0.78 0.83 0.9 1.0

2. Nicotine in a water solution containing 2% nicotine is to be extracted with kerosene at

25oC. Water and kerosene are immiscible. 100 Kg of a feed solution is to be treated with
kerosene in 3 stage crosscurrent extraction using equal quantity of solvent in each time. If
70% of nicotine removed from the entering feed , determine the quantity of solvent
required. Equilibrium data:
x’ 0 0.00101 0.0025 0.00502 0.0075 0.0099 0.0204
y’ 0 0.00081 0.0019 0.00456 0.0069 0.0091 0.0187

3. The equilibrium water adsorbed by a silica gel in contact with moist air varies linearly
with the humidity of air
Y = 3.4435 × 10 -2 X
Where X = kg water adsorbed/kg of dry gel and Y = kg moisture/kg dry air
0.5 kg of silica gel containing 5% (dry basis) adsorbed water is placed in a collapsible vessel
in which there are 10 m3 of moist air, the partial pressure of water being 15 mm Hg. The total
pressure and temperature are kept at 1 atm and 298 K respectively.
What is the amount of water picked up from the moist air in the vessel by the silica gel?
Also, calculate the final partial pressure of the water vapour in the vessel and final total
pressure in the vessel.

4. The following information is available from the records of a binary fractionating column:
The feed rate = 180 kmol/hr and 60 % vapourised
Distillate rate = 100 kmol/hr with xD =0.98
Residue rate = 308 kmol/hr with xW = 0.05
Determine the Reflux ratio

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 Batch III (R.Nos. 102117023 – 102117034)

1. It is desired to separate 100 kg of a feed mixture containing 60 % heptane and 40% ethyl
benzene by weight such that 60 kgs of the feed is distilled out. Determine the
composition of residue and distillate if the distillation is Differential distillation.

x 0 0.08 0.185 0.251 0.335 0.489 0.651 0.79 0.914 1.0

y 0 0.233 0.428 0.514 0.608 0.729 0.814 0.91 0.963 1.0
x, y is the mole fraction of heptane in liquid and vapour phase respectively.

2. A feed mixture containing 55 mol% heptane and 45 mol% ethylbenzene undergoes

equilibrium flash distillation. The molar enthalpy of partial vapor feed is 40,000
KJ/Kmol. The enthalpy –concentration data at equilibrium is given below:

x,mol% 0 8 18.5 25.1 33.5 48.7 65.1 78.8 91.4 100

y,mol% 0 23.2 42.8 51.4 60.8 72.9 83.4 90.4 96.3 100
HL 24787 23853 23112 22777 22442 22024 21647 21605 21454 21350
KJ/Kmol
HG 60795 59468 58283 58074 56985 56315 54891 54180 53527 53000
KJ/Kmol
Determine the composition of distillate and residue.

3. Water-dioxane solution is to be treated with extraction using benzene at 25oC. 1000 kg of

a 25% dioxane water solution to remove 95% of the solute. Benzene is dioxane free.
If the extraction is done in countercurrent manner, what is the minimum solvent
requirement in kg/hr?
Equilibrium data as follows:
Wt % dioxane in water 5.1 18.9 25.3
Wt % dioxane in benzene 5.2 22.5 32

4. A mixture of methanol-water system is fractionated in a distillation tower under total

reflux condition. If the distillate and residue compositions are 90mol% and 10 mol% of
more volatile component, then find Np. Take av = 2.2.

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 Batch IV (R.Nos. 102117036 – 102117045)

1. A mixture containing 50 mole %A and 50 mole % B is distilled in a packed column to

yield a top product containing 95 mole % A and a bottom product containing 95 mole %
B. The feed enters a saturated liquid. Estimate the height of the packing needed if the
height of a transfer unit is 0.5 m. A reflux ratio of 1.5 times the minimum is to be used.
The relative volatility of A with respect to B is 2.5. The overall resistance lies in the
liquid phase.

2. The following information is available from the records of a binary fractionating column:
Feed = 180 kmol/h and 60 % vapourised, Distillate = 100 kmol/h with xD = 0.98
Reboiler steam demand = 4200 kg/h
Latent heat of steam used in the reboiler = 2200 J/g
Latent heat of column liquid = 3 x 104 J/mol
Calculate : (i) The operating reflux ratio (ii) The vapor flow rate in rectifying and stripping
sections (iii) the liquid flow rate in rectifying and stripping sections (iv) The composition of
vapor entering that plate from which the liquid overflow contains 0.75 mole fraction of more
volatile component.

3. The adsorption of moisture using silica gel follows: Y = 0.04X 1.2 .where, X = Kg
adsorbed/kg dry gel and Y: Humidity of air kg/kg. 1.2 kg of silica gel is fed to the vessel
containing 2% by volume of moisture and is placed in a vessel of volume 4.5 m3. The
partial pressure of water vapor is 15 mm Hg. The total initial pressure and temperature
are 760 mm Hg and 298 K respectively in the vessel. Estimate the final concentration of
water vapor and final pressure in the vessel.

4. An equimolar mixture of A and B (A being more volatile) is flash distilled continuously

at a feed rate of 100 kmol/h, such that the liquid product contains 40 mol% of A. If the
relative volatility is 6.0, then calculate the vapour product in kmol/hr

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 Batch V (R.Nos. 102117046 – 102117055)

1. A binary mixture containing 50 mole% n – heptane and 50 mole% n – octane at 27°C is

subjected to differential distillation at atmospheric pressure with 60 mole% of the feed
liquid is distilled. Assuming a relative volatility of n – heptane with respect to n – octane
as 2.5, determine the composition of the charge in still and that of distillate.

2. A continuous rectification column is used to separate a binary mixture of A and B.

Distillate is produced at a rate of 150 kmoles/hr and contains 98 mole% A. The mole
fractions of A in the liquid (x) and in the vapor (y) respectively from the two adjacent
ideal plates in the enriching section are as follows:

x y
0.65 0.82
0.56 0.76

The latent heat of vaporization is same for all compositions. Feed is a saturated liquid.
Calculate the reflux ratio and the vapor rate in stripping section.

3. Feed solution of 25% (weight) dioxane in water is to be continuously extracted with 250,
150 and 100 Kg/hr of pure benzene in each stage in a 3 stage cross current extraction
battery. The feed rate is 100 Kg/hr and if the extraction is carried out in 3 stages, estimate
the % recovery.
Equilibrium data:
Dioxane in water( wt.%) 5.1 18.9 25.2
Dioxane in Benzene (wt. %) 5.2 22.5 32.0

4. If external reflux ratio is 3.5, what is the value of internal reflux ratio?

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 Batch VI (R.Nos. 102117056-102117064)

1. It is desired to separate a feed mixture of 100 kmoles containing 60 % heptane and 40%
ethyl benzene such that 60 kmoles of the feed is distilled out. Determine the composition
of residue and distillate if the distillation is carried out in flash distillation
x 0 0.08 0.185 0.251 0.335 0.489 0.651 0.79 0.914 1.0
y 0 0.233 0.428 0.514 0.608 0.729 0.814 0.91 0.963 1.0

2. A liquid mixture of benzene and toluene is to be distilled in a tower at 101.3 kPa

pressure. The feed of 100 kmol/hr, liquid contains 45 mol % benzene and 55 mol%
toluene which enters at 327 K. A distillate containing 95 mol% benzene and bottoms
containing 90 mol % toluene are to be obtained. The reflux ratio is 4. The average heat
capacity of the feed is 159 kJ/kmol K and the average latent heat is 32099 kJ/kmol.
Calculate the molar flow rate of distillate and residue products and the number of plates
required. Take boiling point of benzene is 353 K and boiling point of toluene is 383.8 K.
Equilibrium data as follows:
x 1.0 0.78 0.58 0.41 0.26 0.13 0.0
y 1.0 0.9 0.78 0.63 0.45 0.26 0.0

3. NO2 produced by a thermal process for fixation of nitrogen is to be removed from a dilute
mixture with air by adsorption on silica gel in a continuous countercurrent adsorber. The
gas entering at the rate of 0.2 kg/s contains 1.5 % NO2 by volume and 95% of NO2 is to
be removed. Operation is isothermal at 25°C and 1 atm. pressure. The entering gel will
be free of NO2
Partial Pressure of 0 2 4 6 8 10 12
NO2
Kg NO2 / 100 kg 0 0.4 0.9 1.65 2.6 3.65 4.85
gel

(i) Calculate the minimum weight of gel required/hr

(ii) For twice the minimum gel rate, calculate the number of stages required.

4. If the liquid flow rate refluxed to the distillation tower is 300 kgmoles/hr and distillate
flow rate is 100 kgmoles/hr, then what would be the vapour flow rate in the enriching
section?

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 Batch VII (R.Nos. 102117065- 102117071 & 102116061)

1) A continuous fractionating column, operating at atmospheric pressure, is to be designed

to separate a mixture containing 30 % CS2 and 70 % CCl4 into an overhead product of
95% CS2 and a bottom product of 90 % CCl4 (all mole percent). A reflux ratio of twice
the minimum will be used and the overall efficiency of the column is estimated to be
65%. Feed enters at its boiling point. Determine the number of plates to be provided and
the correct location of the feed plate.
Equilibrium data:
x 0.0296 0.0615 0.258 0.390 0.532 0.663 0.758 0.860
y 0.0823 0.1555 0.495 0.634 0.747 0.830 0.880 0.932

2. A feed mixture 0.5 kg/s containing 10% by weight of C in A is used to treat with 1.5 times the
minimum amount of pure solvent, B in a continuous countercurrent extraction system to reduce
the final concentration in the raffinate to 2 %. Determine the theoretical number of stages
required. Assuming A and B are essentially insoluble.

x’ 0.05 0.1 0.15

y’ 0.069 0.159 0.258

Where x’ and y’ are weight ratios.

3. An aqueous solution containing a colored solute as an impurity is to be decolorized from

an impurity level of 9.6 units to 10% of its original value using adsorptive carbon. The
equilibrium data is as follows:
kg color/kg carbon 0 0.001 0.004 0.008 0.02 0.04
Equilibrium color 9.6 8.6 6.3 4.3 1.7 0.7
If 15 kg of carbon is used for 1000 kg of feed solution in a counter current adsorber, estimate the
number of stages needed.

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