2024 SEPARATION PROCESS: UNIT OPERATIONS (SPU260S)

TUTORIAL 3
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Distillation

Question 1

A distillation column is fed with a mixture of benzene and toluene, in which the mole fraction
of benzene is 0.35. The column is to yield a product in which the mole fraction of benzene is
0.95, when working with a reflux ratio of 3.2, and the waste from the column is not to exceed
0.05 mole fraction of benzene. If the plate efficiency is 60 per cent, estimate the number of
plates required and the position of the feed point. The relation between the mole fraction of
benzene in liquid and in vapour is given by:

Question 2

A feed mixture consisting of 40 per cent of benzene by mass and 60 per cent of toluene at the
rate of 4 kg/s enters a distillation column which separates the feed into a product containing
97 per cent of benzene and a liquid containing 98 per cent toluene. The feed is liquid at its
boiling-point.

(a) Calculate the mass flows of distillate and waste liquor.

(b) If a reflux ratio of 3.5 is employed, how many plates are required in the rectifying part
of the column?
(c) What is the actual number of plates if the plate-efficiency is 60 per cent?
2024 SEPARATION PROCESS: UNIT OPERATIONS (SPU260S)
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Question 3

A liquor of 0.30 mole fraction of benzene and the rest toluene is fed to a continuous still to give a
top product of 0.90 mole fraction benzene and a bottom product of 0.95 mole fraction toluene.

If the reflux ratio is 5.0, how many plates are required

(a) if the feed is saturated vapour?

(b) if the feed is liquid at 283 K?

Question 4

A mixture of benzene and toluene containing 40 mole per cent benzene is to be separated to
give a product containing 90 mole per cent benzene at the top, and a bottom product
containing not more than 10 mole per cent benzene. The feed enters the column at its boiling
point, and the vapour leaving the column which is condensed but not cooled, provides reflux
and product. It is proposed to operate the unit with a reflux ratio of 3 kmol/kmol product. Using
sorel-Lewis method, It is required to find the number of theoretical plates needed and the
position of entry for the feed.

Question 5

A fractionating column is required to separate 100 kg/h a liquid containing 25% benzene and
75% toluene by mass, to give a distillate product of 98 mass% benzene. 90% of the benzene
by mass should be recovered in the distillate. A reflux ratio of 3.5 is to be used and the feed
will enter at its bubble point.
2024 SEPARATION PROCESS: UNIT OPERATIONS (SPU260S)
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If the plates used are 50% efficient, calculate by McCabe-Thiele method, the composition of
the liquid on the third plate from the bottom of the column.

Question 6
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
o o
kPa (PA ) kPa (PB ) 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 Raoult’s 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 7

A saturated vapour feed, which is 35 mol% benzene and the rest toluene is fed to a continuous
fractionating column. A top product of 95 mol% benzene and a bottom product of 90 mol%
toluene is required. The reflux ratio used is twice the minimum reflux ratio.

a. How many ideal plates are required and what is the position of the feed tray?
b. Redo Q3 for a saturated liquid instead of a saturated vapour feed. Comment on the
number of ideal plates required.

Question 8
2024 SEPARATION PROCESS: UNIT OPERATIONS (SPU260S)
TUTORIAL 3
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A liquid feed mixture of benzene and toluene is separated in a continuous fractionating

column operating at atmospheric pressure. The feed is 45 mole% benzene and is at
a temperature of 40 deg C. The distillate product is 95 mol% benzene while the
bottoms product is 10 mol% benzene. The relevant physical constants are supplied.
(a) What is the minimum number of ideal stages that will accomplish the required
duty?
(b) What is the minimum reflux ratio, Rmin, and how many ideal stages are
required for the above duty if R = 1,5 Rmin?
(c) What is the optimum position of the feed tray?
(d) If two real plates do the duty one ideal plate, how many real plates would be in
the column?
Given for the feed:
Bubble point: 108 deg C
Heat capacity: 162 J/gmol.K
Molar heat of vaporisation: 40 500 J/gmol

Question 9

Reflecting upon your answers to the above questions, fully discuss the effect of reflux ratio, R,
on the number of ideal plates required in a distillation column. What effect would the reflux
ratio have on the diameter of the column required for the distillation?

Question 10

Starting with the slope of the q-line, q/(q-1), and the definition of q fully discuss the
effect of the condition of the feed, on the number of ideal plates required in a distillation
column.

Question 11
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
2024 SEPARATION PROCESS: UNIT OPERATIONS (SPU260S)
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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

(a) Sketch the schematic diagram of the system.

(b) Determine the number of theoretical trays.
(c) If the reflux ratio were increased, explain the effect to the number of
theoretical stages.

Question 12
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%.
2024 SEPARATION PROCESS: UNIT OPERATIONS (SPU260S)
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xA 0 0.080 0.250 0.485 0.790 1.000

yA 0 0.230 0.514 0.730 0.904 1.000

Hand in Tutorial
Hand in Questions 4, 6, 8 and 12