Introduction to Chemical

Engineering
(ENCE611001)

Lecture 4 : Chemical Unit Operations

Ir. Dewi Tristantini, M.T., Ph.D.

Dr. Ir. Dijan Supramono, M.Sc.

Departemen Teknik Kimia

Universitas Indonesia
Table of contents Unit Processes and
Lecture 4 - 2022 Unit operations

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Onion Model Raw Products
of materials

Process
Design

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 Unit Operations and Unit Processes
▪ One or some unit operations and one or some unit processes potentially
evolve in a multiple-step process described as a flowsheet.
▪ A unit operation is defined as a process which does not involve any
chemical reaction, but only deals with physical changes of the materials
involved in the process. They are units which cause the materials to
undergo physical changes.
▪ A unit process is defined as a process in which chemical changes take
place to the material present in the reaction and result in the chemical
reaction. This basically consists of a reaction between two or more
chemical which results in another chemical.

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There are 5 classifications of unit operation as follows
1. Particulate handling, fluid flow operations: pumping,
compression, fluidization
2. Mechanical unit operations: size reduction, size enlargement,
physical separations, mixing, and grinding, filtration, classification-
separation etc
3. Mass transfer operations: evaporation, distillation, absorption,
extraction, leaching.
4. Heat transfer operations: conduction, convection, radiation

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 Unit Operations and Unit Processes

▪ The subjects related to unit operations in Chemical Engineering are

Transport phenomena, Fluid and Particle Mechanics, Heat Transfer,
Mass Transfer.
▪ The subjects related to unit processes in Chemical Engineering are
Chemical Reaction Engineering and Chemical Engineering
Thermodynamics.

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 Phases, One phase: Liquid (L), Solid (S),
Chemical States Gas (G);Two or three phase mixture: G-L,
in Unit G-S, L-S, L-L, G-L-S)
Operations and Conditions: Temperatures and pressures
Unit Processes

Equipment to Chemical Reaction : Reactors

Separations/Phase separation : Separators
execute
Movers : Compressors, Pumps,
processes or (mechanical operations) Turbine, Expander, Valves
operations Heat exchange : Heat Exchanger,
Process Heaters
Mixing and splitting : Mixers, Splitters

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 Product3

feed1 Separation4
cooling utility
feed2
separation1
heat exchange3
Pyrolysis
reactor
heat exchange2
separation3 combustion
reactor mover
heat exchange1
mover
separation2
Product1
Product2

A process flow
diagram of pyrolysis
of green waste to
make bio-oil. 8
 REACTOR is the heart of any chemical plant. You
Unit Process need to define complete chemical reactions with
their full operating conditions.
Reactor

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Unit Process You need to separate undesired chemical
components before the reactions occur and to
Reactor separate any by-product from reactor outlet
which may be recycled

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Unit Operation

Distillation ▪ Distillation (separation between less

(separation by volatile and more volatile components)
difference of - Relative volatility of components to be
volatilities or separated should be > 1.2
boiling points) - Products are thermally stable
- Rate is > 5,000-10,000 lbs/day
- No corrosion, precipitation or explosion
problems

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 More volatile
component goes to Laboratory display of
Unit receiving flask, while
distillation: 1: A source of
Operation less volatile
heat 2: Bottom rounded
flask 3: Still head 4:
component remains in Thermometer/Boiling point
the rounded flask
Distillation temperature 5: Condenser
6: Cooling water in 7:
(laboratory Cooling water out 8:
scale) Distillate/receiving flask 9:
Vacuum/gas inlet 10: Still
receiver 11: Heat control
12: Stirrer speed control
13: Stirrer/heat plate 14:
Heating (Oil/sand) bath
15: Stirring means e.g.
(shown), boiling chips or
mechanical stirrer 16:
Cooling bath
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Unit
Operation

Distillation DISTILLATE
(plant scale) FEED
More volatile
component mostly in
distillate or overhead
product

Less volatile
component mostly in
bottom product
BOTTOM

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Unit
Operation

Distillation
(plant scale
with its
components)

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Unit - Extraction (separation of liquid A - liquid B
Operation components in the presence of external
component C as a solvent of component A)
Extraction - The solubility selectivity of solvent to
(separation component A is higher than to component
by difference B. The selectivity > 1.5-2.0
of solubilities - Solvent can be selected to solve a low-
in a solvent) concentration component.
- Easy solvent recovery.

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Unit Operation A schematic
representation of a
Extraction Soxhlet extractor 1:
(laboratory Stirrer bar 2: Still pot
scale) (the still pot should not
be overfilled) 3:
Components A and
Distillation path 4:
B and solvent
Thimble 5: Solid 6:
extracting
Siphon top 7: Siphon
component A are
exit 8: Expansion
put in the still pot,
adapter 9: Condenser
stirred and probably
10: Cooling water out
heated. The phase
11: Cooling water in
separation occurs
between (solvent +
component A) and
component B
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 ▪ Adsorption (gas or solute attraction from
Unit gas flow)
Operation - Adsorption is a unit operation that exploits
the attraction of a gas A or solute A
component to a solid surface driven by
Adsorption surface charge. This attraction allows the
(separation component A to be removed from other
by difference components.
of adsorption - Adsorbent selectivity to adsorb component A
levels of is higher than to adsorb other components.
components - e.g. cleaning water mist in gas flow by silica
gel
into a solid
adsorbent )
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Unit Most industrial adsorbents fall into one of three
classes:
Operation
▪ Oxygen-containing compounds – Are typically
hydrophilic and polar, including materials such
Adsorption as silica gel and zeolites.
▪ Carbon-based compounds – Are typically
hydrophobic and non-polar, including materials
such as activated carbon and graphite.
▪ Polymer-based compounds – Are polar or non-
polar functional groups in a porous polymer
matrix.

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Unit
Operation

Adsorption
(plant scale)

Example: adsorption of water mist from wet gas. When adsorption

(dehydration of wet gas) occurs, the adsorber is at low temperature.
When desorption (regeneration) occurs, the adsorber is at high
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temperature.
Unit ▪ Filtration is any mechanical or physical operations
Operation that separates solids from fluids (liquids or gases) by
Filtration adding a medium through which only the fluid can
pass.

Filtration ▪ The fluid that passes through is called the filtrate. In

physical filter, oversize solids in the fluid are retained
(separation
in the filter.
by difference
of particle
size)

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 wash water/solvent

Unit
Operations solid
feed suspension

Filtration

waste water filtrate

 5000 kg demineralised water

Unit
Operation
Impurity 55 kg F1
Water 2600 kg
Filtration API 450 kg Water 300 kg
API 448 kg
Impurity 5 kg

Water 7300 kg
Impurity 50 kg
API 2kg
Unit
Operation

Filtration

Diagram of simple filtration: oversize particles in

the feed cannot pass through the lattice structure
of the filter, while fluid and small particles pass
through, becoming filtrate.

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Unit
Operation

Filtration
(laboratory
scale)

Filter flask (suction flask, with sintered glass filter containing

sample). Note the almost colourless filtrate in the receiver
flask. 24
Unit ▪ Drying is a mass transfer process consisting
Operations of the removal of water or another solvent by
evaporation from a solid or semi-solid.
Drying ▪ “Dried“ product as the final product must be
(separation by solid, in the form of a continuous sheet (e.g.,
evaporating paper), long pieces (e.g., wood), particles (e.g.,
liquid from cereal grains or corn flakes) or powder (e.g.,
solid) sand, salt, washing powder, milk powder).

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Unit
Operations Evaporated water/solvent

Drying
Feed: water/solvent
+ material to be dried Dried product

Hot air
 W2

Unit
Operations F1
P3
E C F

Multi-Units
R4

E = evaporator; C = crystalliser; F=filter unit

F1 = fresh feed; W2=evaporated water; P3 = solid product;
R4 = recycle of saturated solution from filter unit
Unit
operations

Heat
exchanger
(heat
exchange
between hot
stream and
cold stream)
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Flowsheeting
of Chemical
Plant

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 Raw
Gaseous emissions
materials
Input- output
diagram for
unit processes Catalyst

and unit Unit Processes Products

Air/Water
and Unit
operations Operations By-products
Energy

Recycle Wastewater

Liquid waste

Reusable residues Solid waste

to another operation
Assignment 4 1. Make a list of 2 utilities that are often used in a chemical
plant such as water, steam, refrigerant, cooling water, or
flue gas and unit operations usually used by the utilities.
Hardcopy will be
submitted at next lecture Plant Unit
utility operation
Softcopy need to be sent Water ……….
to email in one zip file for
each class (H-1 Deadline)
(document in pdf.) 2. Make a block flow diagram of the process from the video
you’ve just watched
REG 01/02 PAR KKI:
Pengantartekkim.ui@gmail. 3. Explain functions of at least 2 unit operations from the
com video you’ve just watched.
(Name of unit operations, principal function)
Format Subject :
Assignment x – Name –
Reg01/Reg02/Par/KKI *Make the assignment in form of handwritten A4 paper
*Maximum 4 Pages.

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