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CHMT 3037 Tutorials

Five questions were posed regarding separation process design and distillation column configurations for purifying mixtures. Question 1 asked how many distillation columns would be needed to separate five components into pure products. Question 2 addressed separating a binary azeotrope using pressure as a variable. Question 3 compared thermodynamic models for separating an azeotrope between methanol and formal. Question 4 addressed purifying a diethyl ether and water mixture. Question 5 addressed separating a multi-component mixture containing diethyl ether, ethanol and dimethyl ether. Question 6 addressed using benzene as an entrainer to break the ethanol-water azeotrope.

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134 views2 pages

CHMT 3037 Tutorials

Five questions were posed regarding separation process design and distillation column configurations for purifying mixtures. Question 1 asked how many distillation columns would be needed to separate five components into pure products. Question 2 addressed separating a binary azeotrope using pressure as a variable. Question 3 compared thermodynamic models for separating an azeotrope between methanol and formal. Question 4 addressed purifying a diethyl ether and water mixture. Question 5 addressed separating a multi-component mixture containing diethyl ether, ethanol and dimethyl ether. Question 6 addressed using benzene as an entrainer to break the ethanol-water azeotrope.

Uploaded by

Abdulsalam Jibril
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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University of Witwatersrand Course: Process Design

School of Chemical Engineering Code: CHMT3037


Johannesburg, 16.07.2018, Prof. J. Mulopo

Tutorial : Separation processes Design

Question 1.

How many simple distillation columns are required to purify a stream contain­ing five
components into five "pure" products? Sketch all possible sequences.

Question 2.

lliustrate a system (Txy or Pxy diagrams) to purify two components (A and B) from a binary,
homogeneous, minimum-boiling azeotrope that is pressure sensitive. The feed concentration of A
is greater than the azeotropic composition at the pressure of the column receiving the feed. The
azeotropic composition of A decreases with increasing pressure.

Question3.

In the production of dimethyl carbonate from methanol, it is necessary to separate methanol from
formal (also known as methylal-C3H8O2). However, an azeotrope exists between these two
components. Using Aspen Plus, examine the equilibrium curves (x-y plots) between 100 kPa and
1000 kPa to determine a strategy for purifying these two components. Compare your results for the
following thermodynamic packages for the K-value:
a. Ideal
b. NRTL
What do you learn from this comparison?
Questions 4
In the production of diethyl ether, it is necessary to purify a stream of equimolar diethyl ether and
water that is available at 1500 kPa. Suggest a method for achieving this separation. Use the
UNIQUAC model for the
K-value. Would your answer be different if, for example, only 99 mole% purity were needed
instead of 99.9 mole%? What do you learn and how does your answer change if the 2 models for K-
values in question 3 are used?What do you learn from this comparison?
Question 5

In the production of diethyl ether, assume that it is necessary to purify a stream at 1500
kPa containing 75 mole % diethyl ether, 20 mole % ethanol, and 5 mole% dimethyl ether.
Assume that the UNIQUAC model adequately predicts the thermodynamics of this
system.

a. Use the residue curve plotting routine on your simulator to plot the residue curves.

b. Suggest a method for separating this mixture into three relatively pure
components.

c. How would your answer to Part (b) change if the stream contained 85 mole %
diethyl ether, 10 mole % ethanol, and 5 mole % dimethyl ether?

d. Examine the effect of changing the pressure of the distillation columns. Suggest a
much simpler method for achieving the necessary separation.

Question 6.

When your parents or grandparents were in college, it was not uncommon to "borrow"
some "pure" ethanol (grain alcohol) from the university to add to a party punch. However,
because of the azeotrope between ethanol and water, "pure" ethanol is not easy to
manufacture. At that time, it was not uncommon for benzene to be added as an entrainer
to break the azeotrope. Of course, this means that all "pure" ethanol contained trace
amounts of benzene, which was later identified as a carcinogen. By plotting both residue
curves and TPxy diagrams for the ethanol-water system, suggest a method for purifying
ethanol by adding benzene as an entrainer. Assume that the UNIQUAC model applies and
that the feed stream of ethanol and water is equimolar and at atmospheric pressure.

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