Distillation Design-2

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4.3.3 Equilibrium or Flush Distillation
4.3.3.1 Introduction to distillation methods

Distillation has two main methods in practice.

1. Production of vapor by boiling the liquid mixture to be separated in a

single stage and recovering and condensing the vapors. No liquid
is allowed to return to the single-stage still to contact the rising
vapors.
2. Returning of a portion of the condensate to the still. The vapors
rise through a series of stages or trays, and part of the condensate
flows downward through the series of stages or trays
countercurrently to the vapors (“fractional distillation, distillation with
reflux, or rectification”).

There are 3 important types of distillation that occur in a single stage or

still: Equilibrium or flash distillation, Simple batch or differential
distillation and simple steam distillation

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4.3.3.2 Equilibrium or Flush Distillation

yA

Separator

heater

xA
Flash distillation is a single stage separation technique.
1. A liquid mixture is pumped through a heater to raise the temperature
and enthalpy of the mixture.
2. It then flows through a valve and the pressure is reduced, causing
the liquid to partially vaporize.
3. Once the mixture enters a big enough volume (the “flash drum”), the liquid and
vapor separate.
4. Because the vapor and liquid are in such close contact up until the “flash” occurs,
the product liquid and vapor phases approach equilibrium. 3
4.3.3.2 Equilibrium or Flush Distillation

Total mass balance: F V  L

yA
Separator
Component A balance: FxF V y A  Lx A

heater
where
xA
F, V and L are flow rate of feed, vapor and liquid phases.
xF, yA and xA are mole fraction of component A in feed, vapor and liquid.

Material balance for more volatile component :

V F V
xF ( ) y A  (  ) x A x F  f y A  (1  f ) x A
F F F
Where
f = V/F = molal fraction of the feed that is vaporized and withdrawn continuously as vapor.
1-f = one as liquid

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 Ex 4.4 A mixture of 50% mole normal heptane and 50% normal
octane at 30ºC is continuously flash distilled at 1 standard
atmosphere so that 60 mol% of the feed is vaporized. What will be
the composition of the vapor and liquid products?

xA 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9

yA 0.247 0.453 0.607 0.717 0.796 0.853 0.898 0.935 0.968

Solution: Given: xF = 0.5, f = 0.6

Find: xA, yA
Basis: F = 100 mols
F V yields:
Applying the mass balance L
f V / F
Since V  fF 0, .6(100) 60
L F  V 100  60 40

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 Material balance for more volatile component,
V F V
xF ( ) y A  (  ) x A
F F F
x F  f y A  (1  f ) x A

Subtituting value of f =0.6 and xF =0.5 we get,

0.5 0.6y A  (1  0.6) x A

0.5 0.6 y A  0.4 x A

Assuming that xA = 0.5 and solving yA = 0.5.

Next, assuming that xA=0 and solving, yA = 0.83.
(These point are plotted on the graph.)
At the intersection of this line with the equilibrium curve,
yA = 0.58 and xA = 0.39. Answer

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 x=0
2nd
y-intercept= 0.834

yA

xA
3th xA =0.39 xF =0.5
1st
yA = 0.58 yF = 0.5

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4.3.4 Simple Batch or Differential Distillation

The pot is filled with liquid mixture and heated.

Vapour flows upwards though the column and
condenses at the top.
Part of the iquid is returned to the column as
reflux, and the remainder withdrawn as
distillate.
Nothing is added or withdrawn from the still
until the run is completed.

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4.3.4 Simple Batch or Differential Distillation

The total moles of component A left in the still

nA will be
nA = xn
where
n is the moles of liquid left in the still at a given
time
y and x is the vapor and liquid compositions

If a small amount of liquid dn is vaporized, the change in the moles of component A is ydn, or
dnA. Differentiating equation gives

dn A d ( xn) ndx  xdn dn dx


ndx  xdn  ydn n y x

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4.3.4 Simple Batch or Differential Distillation

n1 x1
dn dx dn dx n1
n

y x 
n0
n
 
x0
y x
 ln
n0

dx/(y-x) can be integrated graphically or numerically using tabulated equilibrium data

or an equilibrium curve.
For ideal mixture:
yA x
 AB A
yB xB nA n
ln  AB ln B
n0 A n0 B
dn A dn dn A n
  AB A Integrating
dn B dn dn B nB 1 /  AB
nB  n A 
dn A dn
 AB B  
nA nB n0 B  n0 A 

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 Ex 4.5 A batch of crude pentane contains 15 mole percent n-
butane and 85 percent n-pentane. If a simple batch distillation at
atmospheric pressure is used to remove 90 percent of butane,
how much pentane will be removed? What will be the
composition of the remaining liquid?

Solution: An average value of 3.5 is used for αAB.

Basis: 1 mol feed
nOA 0.15 n A 0.015
(butane) nOB 0.85 (pentane)

From equation:
1 /  AB
nB  n A 
 
n0 B  n0 A 

nB = total mole of B left in still, nA = total mole A left in still.

n0B = total initial mole of B in still, n0A = total initial mole A in still. 11
 nB
0.1 0.518
1 / 3.5

0.85

nB 0.518(0.85) 0.440

Total mole of liquid left in still:

n 0.44  0.015 0.455 mol

Mole fraction of butane in liquid left:

0.015
xA  0.033
0.455

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4.3.5 Simple Steam Distillation

Note that by steam distillation, as long as water is present, the high-

boiling component B vaporizes at a temperature well below its normal
boiling point without using a vacuum. The A and B are usually
condensed in condenser and the resulting two immiscible liquid
phases separated.
Disadvantage: large amounts of heat must be used to simultaneously
evaporate the water with high-boiling compound. 13
4.3.5 Simple Steam Distillation

When the sum of the separate vapor pressures equals the total pressure,
the mixture boils and
PA  PB P
Where
PA is vapor pressure of pure water A
PB is vapor pressure of pure B

Then the vapor composition is

P P
yA  A yB  B
P P
The ratio moles of B distilled to moles of A distilled is

nB PB

n A PA

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 Ex 4.6 A mixture contains 100 kg of H2O and 100 kg of
ethyaniline (mol wt = 121.1 kg/kg mol), which is immiscible with
water. A very slight amount of nonvolatile impurity is dissolved in
the organic. To purify the ethyaniline it is steam-distilled by
bubbling saturated steam into the mixture at a total pressure of
101.32 kPa (1 atm). Determine the boiling point of the mixture
and the composition of the vapor. The vapor pressure of each of
the pure compounds is as follows (T1):

Temperature PA(water) PB(ethylaniline)

K ºC (mm Hg) (mm Hg)

353.8 80.6 48.5 1.33

369.2 96.0 87.7 2.67
372.3 99.15 98.3 3.04
386.4 113.2 163.3 5.33

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 PA  PB P Solution:

Temperature PA PB P=PA+PB
K ºC (water) (ethylaniline) (kPa)
(kPa) (kPa)

353.8 80.6 48.5 1.33 49.83

369.2 96.0 87.7 2.67 90.37
372.3 99.15 98.3 3.04 101.34
386.4 113.2 163.3 5.33 169.23

The boiling temperature = 99.15ºC since total pressure in this temperature

is equal to atmospheric pressure.
The vapor composition are:

P 98.3kPa PB 3.04
yA  A  0.97 yB   0.03
P 101.32kPa P 101.32

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