Distillation

Column
CHEMIST : Mohamed Somaa 01065935744
 Definition

Distillation
is the process of separating the component substances of a liquid mixture of two or more
chemically discrete substances
the separation process is realized by way of the selective boiling of the mixture and the
condensation of the vapors in a still.

Distillation Column
A distillation column (tower) is an essential item used in the distillation of liquid mixtures to
separate the mixture into its component parts, or fractions, based on the differences in
volatilities.

CHEMIST : Mohamed Somaa

Distillation In Lab The process goes through three stages.
1. Heating
Simple distillation 2. Evaporation
3. Condensation

It is a separation
technique that can be
used to either increase
the concentration of a
particular component in
the mixture or to obtain
(almost) pure
components from the
mixture.

CHEMIST : Mohamed Somaa Products are not 100% pure.

 Distillation Uses
1. It is useful in a laboratory for performing experiments. The results obtained
from this are not directly used but it helps in chemical and pharmaceutical
research.
2. It is useful to purify water as it contains various impurities that distillation
can remove. To obtain clear water from the seawater distillation process is Desalination of water
in use to desalination plants. Parents use distilled water when preparing
baby food.
3. Alcohol beverages like rum, whisky, etc are produced by distilling ferment
material which is a mixture of fruit and animal materials that result in
produces ethyl alcohol.
4. When crude oil undergoes distillation, the number of products separate at
different boiling points such as gasoline, wax, fuel oil, lubricating oil, and
other petrochemical products.
Crude oil distillation
CHEMIST : Mohamed Somaa
 1 Simple Distillation
❑ Simple distillation involves heating the liquid mixture to

the boiling point and immediately condensing the

resulting vapors.

❑ This method is only effective for mixtures wherein the

boiling points of the liquids are considerably different (a

minimum difference of 25oC).

❑ The purity of the distillate is low.

CHEMIST : Mohamed Somaa

 2 Single-stage and multi-stage distillation
Re-distillation

❑ Redistillation is the process of distilling

a liquid again to make it stronger or

purer. Mixture

❑ It is useful for separating miscible

liquids with different boiling points.

❑ That type of distillation is over cost.

CHEMIST : Mohamed Somaa

 3 Fractional Distillation
❑ Fractional distillation is often used to separate mixtures of liquids that have
similar boiling points.
❑ It involves several vaporization-condensation steps (which takes place in a
fractioning column).
❑ This process is also known as rectification.

A fractional distillation setup includes an additional column that sits vertically on top of the
boiling flask and to which the condenser is connected.
Its purpose is to increase the distance that the vapor must travel to reach the condenser.
The columns are typically packed with glass beads or pieces of ceramic to increases the
surface area the vapor must come into contact with as it transports to the condenser.
During normal distillation, a substantial amount of the higher-boiling liquid also will
vaporize and transport to the collection flask, essentially becoming an impurity in the
distilled product.
This is especially problematic when the liquids being separated have similar boiling points.
The more surface area the higher-boiling liquid contacts along the way, the more likely it is
to condense back to a liquid and return to the boiling flask.
Fractional distillation uses this increased surface area to improve the efficiency of the
distillation.

CHEMIST : Mohamed Somaa

 Fractional Distillation Towers Types

Sieve Tray

Trayed Bubble Cap

Staged
Valve Tray
Distillation
Towers

Random
Packing

Packed
Structured
filling Packing

CHEMIST : Mohamed Somaa

 Sieve Tray
In sieve trays, vapor flowing up through the tower contacts the liquid by passing
through small perforations in the tray floor.
Sieve trays rely on vapor velocity to exclude liquid from falling through the
perforations in the tray floor.

❑ Advantages
1. Sieve trays are simple in design and lower in cost, than both bubble cap and
valve-type trays.
2. Sieve trays have easy operation, maintenance, and cleaning.
3. Pressure drop across the sieve trays is lower as compared to the other trays.
❑ Disadvantages
1. Sieve trays show poor performance at turndown rates because there is no
positive vapor-liquid seal, and at low flow rates liquid will ‘‘weep’’ through the
holes, reducing the tray efficiency.
2. The vertically exiting vapors in sieve trays create higher froth heights, thus
increasing the potential for liquid entertainment.

CHEMIST : Mohamed Somaa

 Bubble Cap Tray
A bubble cap tray has riser or chimney fitted over each hole, and a cap
that covers the riser. The cap is mounted so that there is a space
between riser and cap to allow the passage of vapor.

❑ Advantages
1. Excellent Mixing since gas/vapor travels through the pool of liquid.
2. The bubble cap tray has a built-in seal that prevents liquid drainage at
low gas-flow rates. The bubble cap tray is able to operate at low vapor
and liquid rates because liquid and foam are trapped on the tray to a
depth at least equal to the weir height.
3. There is no weeping phenomenon (where the gas flow rate is very low
and the liquid flow rate is very high due to which, the liquid simply runs
through the plate downwards without any mixing with the gas) in bubble
cap trays.
❑ Disadvantages
1. High-pressure gradient through the trays.
2. Bubble cap trays are costly as compared to sieve and valve-type trays.
3. Bubble cap trays require more space on the trays thus the lower number
of openings on the single trays deck.
4. Extensive labor and more materials are required to manufacture bubble-
cap trays.

CHEMIST : Mohamed Somaa

 Valve Tray
Valve Tray uses valve (moveable disc) which almost closes off completely
at low vapor rate, thus minimize tray open area. When lifted, as vapor
rate increases, the open area increases for vapor flow between the valve
disc and the tray deck.

❑ Advantages
1. Valve trays are flexible and can be used at varying rates and feed compositions.
2. As the area for vapor flow varies with the flow rate, valve plates can operate
efficiently at lower flow rates than sieve plates, with the valves closing at low
vapor rates.
3. Valve trays are cheaper than bubble cap trays and slightly more costly than sieve
trays.
4. In valve trays, the pressure drop is lower than in bubble cap trays. Higher vapor
rates mean high differential pressure.
❑ Disadvantages
1. On a moving-valve tray, some of the valves begin to close when the vapor flow rate
decreases, thus reducing the effective area of the tray.
2. As moving valves open and close, the valve legs can contact the edges of the
orifice, which can cause erosion and increase corrosion.

CHEMIST : Mohamed Somaa

 Packed Towers
The packed tower (packed bed) consists of a vertical vessel containing
packing materials such as rings, saddles, or tellerettes . Water is sprayed
across the top of the bed and trickles through the packing material. Gas
enters near the bottom and contaminants are removed as the gas
stream moves upward through the water-washed packing.

Random packing uses a random distribution of small packing materials to assist in the
separation process, while structured packing uses larger, fixed packing structures. These
more formal materials guide the liquid materials through complex structural channels into
a specific, fixed shape.

❑ Principal Requirements for Packing Materials

1. Chemically inert to the fluids.
2. Strong but without excessive weight.
3. Contain adequate passages (void volume) for both streams
without excessive liquid hold-up or pressure drop.
4. Provide good contact between the liquid and the gas.
5. Reasonable in cast.
CHEMIST : Mohamed Somaa
 Packed Columns or Packed Tower Plate Column or Tray Tower
Plate column is used for relatively large diameters & a large
Packed columns are generally used in a smaller diameter (less than 600 mm)
number of stages.
Plate columns can handle a wider range of gas and liquid
A packed column is suitable for low-capacity operation.
flow rates.
Handling corrosive liquid-packed columns is more economical as cheap
ceramic packing material or chemical-resistant packing elements which is Handling corrosive liquid-packed columns is less economical.
available can be easily used.

It is appropriate for accommodating the handling of foaming liquid. It is not appropriate for handling foaming liquid.

It is much more accessible for the maintenance of plate

For packed column maintenance work or cleaning cannot be performed easily.
columns by installing maintenance holes on the plates to
It consumes time and manpower.
maintain fouling.
For vacuum service, a packed column is more feasible as the pressure drop per For vacuum service plate column is not economical as it
stage is smaller. causes high-pressure drop.

For side stream applications, a packed column is not suitable. For side stream application plate column is best suited.

Packed columns are differential contractors where transfer of mass happens

In plate columns, equilibrium is reached between stages
across the length of the contactors & equilibrium is not reached at any point
where the mass transfer occurs intermittently.
between the phases.
In a plate column, the plate is used as a gas-liquid-containing
In-packed column packing is used as a gas-liquid contacting device.
device.
The design of a packed tower basically involves the height of the transfer unit For designing plate columns, the number of theoretical
(HETP) calculation for a given separation. stages is to be calculated to effect a given separation.

Packed towers are simple to construct. Plate columns are complex in construction.

Different types of packings are used for gas-liquid contacting like Raschig As a gas-liquid contactor, different types of trays are used
rings, Pall rings, Berl saddles, Intalox saddles, etc. like sieve trays, bubble cap trays, and valve trays.

CHEMIST : Mohamed Somaa

 Distillation Towers Types
based on the characteristics of the mixture being processed.

❑ Batch Distillation Column:

a fixed amount of mixture is loaded into the column, processed, and then the products are collected. It’s suitable for small-
scale operations, research, and when dealing with mixtures that are difficult to separate.
❑ Continuous Distillation Column:
Continuous distillation columns manage an uninterrupted flow of feed. Only in the event of an issue with the column or
adjacent process equipment do interruptions occur. These columns excel at accommodating substantial throughput and
represent the more prevalent than batch distillation columns.
❑ Reactive Distillation Column:
chemical reactions occur simultaneously with the separation process. This integration of reaction and separation allows for
higher product yields, reduced equipment footprint, and improved energy efficiency. Reactive distillation is commonly used
in the production of chemicals, such as esters and biodiesel.
❑ Vacuum Distillation Column:
Vacuum distillation operates at reduced pressure to lower the boiling points of components, making it suitable for
separating heat-sensitive materials or reducing thermal degradation. Vacuum distillation is commonly used in the refining
of crude oil and in the production of high-quality products, such as essential oils.
❑ Steam Distillation Column:
This method involves the introduction of steam into the distillation process. Steam distillation is particularly useful for
separating volatile compounds from heat-sensitive materials, such as extracting essential oils from plants.

CHEMIST : Mohamed Somaa