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Introduction To Unit Operations-3

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22 views24 pages

Introduction To Unit Operations-3

Uploaded by

kclassenie
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Unit Operation

• This process of conversion of raw material to useful product


comprises many steps.
• Some steps are required to make raw materials ready for
processing.
• Some steps are required to bring the final product to desired
form.
• These steps are called UNIT OPERATIONS.
Introduction

What the chemical industries do?


Chemical industries use chemistry and
technology to turn raw materials into usable
products, such as medicine, petrochemicals,
plastics, paints etc.
Unit Operation

• These physical steps are called unit operations.


• The chemical step is called unit process or simply “process”.
Properties of Unit Operations

• They are physical in nature.


• They are used invariantly in all chemical industries (approximately)
• For a specific unit operation basic concept and principle behind it
as same in all industries.
• But may be differ in method of application
• Unit operation may also be called separation process.
• The separation is generally based on any specific property called
driving force.
Driving force and Equilibrium

• This driving force is the deviation of that property from the equilibrium.
• When the driving force is high i.e. deviation from equilibrium is large
separation is easy.
• When equilibrium achieved separation stops as equilibrium is the
condition in which net flow of the property across the system is zero.
• for example if the separation is based on concentration and the
concentration of the species is same on both the side there will no
movement meaning thereby no separation.
Explanation of driving force with a simple example

• Lets we have two tanks A & B


• Both are filled with water but up to different
levels.
• If we connect both the tanks, what will happen? A B

“They came to the same level”


• This difference in level is the driving force and
the condition of same level is equilibrium.
• When the difference in level is high the flow
from one side to other is high whereas if
difference is low flow is slow.
Classification of Unit Operations

• Heat Transfer Operation: Unit operations where temperature


difference is driving force.
• Mass Transfer Operations: Unit operations where concentration
gradient is driving force.
• Fluid Flow Operations: Unit operations where momentum
gradient is driving force.
• Mechanical Operations: Operations based on some external
mechanical force.
Unit Operation

Some important unit operations carried in chemical industries are:


• Distillation
• Drying
• Evaporation
• Gas Absorption & Desorption
• Liquid-Liquid Extraction
• Solid-Liquid Extraction (Leaching)
• Crystallization
• Adsorption
Distillation

• It is used to separate component of a mixture on the basis of


difference in volatility.
• All components should be volatile.
• Vapour phase contains more % of more volatile component and
liquid contains less volatile component in high proportion.
• These phases are created on the expense of heat energy.
• Different methods of carrying out distillation are:
• Simple distillation
• Flash distillation
• Fractional distillation
• Steam distillation etc.
Distillation
Drying

• Removal of small amount of solvent (generally water).


• Finishing step of the process.
• Improves shelf life and various other properties.
• Extensively used in food industries.
• Generally performed by applying heat via hot air, heating
conveyer drum, heating surface, convection etc.
• Can be done by freezing and lowering pressure (vacuum drying)
also.
Dryers
Evaporation

• Used to produce thick liquor by evaporating


excessive amount of solvent (generally water)
• Here the amount of water is very much high as
compared to the drying.
• The solvent is removed by converting it to
vapour by applying heat.
• Generally performed by making the liquor to
flow through set of narrow pipes being heated by
steam flowing over through them.
• Some times the vapour is discarded some other
time it is used as heating medium in the next
evaporator (also called effect)
Evaporators
Gas Absorption & Desorption

• This operation is based on the solubility of gas in a liquid or vice


versa.
• The driving force behind the separation is solubility
• Absorption and stripping are conducted in tray (or plate or stage)
columns, packed columns, spray towers, bubble columns etc.
• This operation is mass transfer type unit operation.
• Very commonly used in chemical industries.
Gas Absorber
Liquid-Liquid Extraction

• This operation is also based on the selective solubility of a liquid.


• To separate mixture of two or more liquid another liquid is added
to mixture so that only one component of the mixture is soluble in
this added liquid.
• These two liquid further separated using another unit operation
generally distillation.
• Solvent should have high recoverability
Extractor
crystallization

• This operation is based on the temperature dependent solubility


of component to be separated.
• If a component have higher solubility at high temperature and we
cooled the mixture the extra amount comes of the mixture as
crystals.
• It is carried out achieving super saturation.
• It is generally final step of the processes.
• It is not all about the production of crystals but also their shape
and size.
Crystallizer
Adsorption

• Adsorption is the adhesion of atoms, ions or molecules from a gas,


liquid or dissolved solid to a surface.
• This process creates a film of the adsorbate on the surface of the
adsorbent.
• Adsorbate: Substance which is deposited on the surface of
another substance. For example, H2, N2 and O2 gases.
• Adsorbent: Surface of a substance on which adsorbate adsorbs.
For example, Charcoal, Silica gel, Alumina.
conclusion

• Unit operation are physical steps to accomplish transformation of


raw material into useful products.
• They are used in almost all chemical industries.
• They property behind the separation is called driving force.
• Basic concept behind a unit operation as always same but the
method of application may varies due the prevailing conditions.
Thanks!!!

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