Separation Processes

INSTRUCTIONS: Provide the correct answer for each of the following questions on the answer sheets provided

1. Two ideal cross-current stages operate to extract P from a feed containing P and Q. The mass flowrates of P and Q fed to stage 1
are 1000 kg/h and 10000 kg/h, respectively. Pure solvent (S) is injected at mass flowrates of 5000 kg/h and 15000 kg/h to stages
1 and 2, respectively. The equilibrium relation is given by Y* = 1.5X, where X is the mass of P per unit mass of S in the extract,
which is in equilibrium with the raffinate. The mass flowrate of P (in kg/hr) in the raffinate from stage 2 is _____

2. A fractionator recovers 95 mol% n-propane as the distillate from an equimolar mixture of n-propane and n-butane. The condensate
is saturated liquid at 550C. The Antoine equation is of the form, ln (P sat in bar) = A – B / (T in K + C), and the constants are
provided below:
A B C
n-propane 9.1058 1872.46 -25.16
n-butane 9.0580 2154.90 -34.42

Assuming Raoults’ law, the condenser pressure (in bar) is _____.

3. 100 kg of a feed containing 50 wt% of a solute C is contacted with 80 kg of a solvent containing 0.5 wt% C in a mixer-settler unit.
From this operation, the resultant extract and raffinate phases contain 40 wt% and 20 wt% of C, respectively. If E and R denote
the mass of the extract and raffinate phases, respectively, the ratio E/R is

4. Powdered limestone (CaCO3) containing 10000 ppm NaOH is to be washed in a two-step continuous counter current
washing system to remove most of the NaOH. Two cells and 100000 L of water per 10 MT/day of limestone feed are used.
The slurry discharged and removed from the underflow contains 0.091 MT of water per MT CaCO 3. Assuming complete
mixing and washing, calculate the NaOH content of the washed and dried limestone in ppm.

5. Identify the WRONG statement amongst the following:

a. Steam distillation is used for mixtures that are immiscible with water
b. Vacuum distillation is used for mixtures that are miscible with water.
c. Steam distillation is used for mixtures that are miscible with water.
d. Vacuum distillation column have larger diameters as compared to atmosphere columns for the same throughput.

6. Ten kg of a solid containing 45% of soluble material were treated with 15 kg of a solvent containing the same solute at 2%
concentration in a vessel under constant agitation. After a long time, the solution and the solid were separated by pressing.
The solid analyzed 0.8 kg of solvent per kg of inert solid. The extract quantity obtained in kg was therefore

7. A binary mixture with components A and B is to be separated in a distillation column to obtain 95 mol% A as the top product. The
binary mixture has a constant relative volatility of 2. The feed is a saturated liquid containing 50 mol% A. Under the usual
simplifying assumptions such as constant molal overflow, negligible heat loss, ideal trays, the minimum reflux ratio for this
separation is ____.

8. The vapor phase composition and relative volatilities (with respect to n-propane) on an ideal tray of a distillation column are:

Component Methane Ethane n-propane

Mole fraction in vapor 0.12 0.28 0.6
Relative volatility 10 4 1

The mole fraction of n-propane in the liquid phase is _____.

For numbers 9 to 10:

One hundred kg of a solid containing 40% solute A and 60% inert B is treated with solvent C in a single stage single contact
extraction. The extracted solids are then screw pressed. The pressed solids contain 1.2 kg solution per kg of inert.
Entrainment of solids in the extract may be neglected.
9. The mass fraction of the solute in the extract if 90% of the solute in the feed is to be recovered in a single stage contact is

10. The percent recovery of the solute if the extraction is carried out in two crosscurrent stages if 50% of the solvent amount in
problem no. 9 is used in each stage is

11. It is desired to reduce the concentration of pyridine in 500 kg of aqueous solution from 20 percent weight to 5 percent weight in a
single batch extraction using chloro-benzene as solvent. Equilibrium compositions (end points of the tie line) in terms of weight
percent of pyridine - water - chlorobenzene are (5, 95, 0) and (11, 0, 89). Calculate the amount of raffinate and the amount of pure
solvents required for the extraction.

12. To plan a liquid–liquid extraction we need to know the solute’s distribution ratio between the two phases. One approach is to
carry out the extraction on a solution containing a known amount of solute. After extracting the solution, we isolate the
organic phase and allow it to evaporate, leaving behind the solute. In one such experiment, 1.235 g of a solute with a molar
mass of 117.3 g/mol is dissolved in 10.00 mL of water. After extracting with 5.00 mL of toluene, 0.889 g of the solute is
recovered in the organic phase. How many extractions will we need to recover 99.9% of the solute?

13. A plant produces 8640 MT per day of titanium dioxide pigment (100 kg/s of TiO 2) which must be 99.9% pure when dried. The
pigment is produced by precipitation and the material, as prepared, is contaminated with 1 kg of salt solution, containing 0.55 kg of
salt per kg of pigment. The material is washed counter currently with water in a number of thickeners arranged in series. How
many thickeners will be required if water is added 17400 MT per day (200 kg/s of H 2O) and the solid discharged from each
thickener removes 0.5 kg solvent per kg of pigment?

14. Streptomycin is used as an antibiotic to fight bacterial diseases, and is produced by the fermentation of a bacterium in a biological
reactor with a nutrient of glucose and amino acids. After the fermentation process, Streptomycin is recovered by contacting the
fermentation broth with an organic solvent in an extraction process. The extraction process is able to recover the Streptomycin
because Streptomycin has a greater affinity for dissolving in the organic solution than in the aqueous solution.

Determine the mass fraction of Streptomycin in the exit organic solvent assuming that no water exits with the solvent exits with the
aqueous solution. Assume that the density of the aqueous solution is 1 g/ml and the density of the organic solvent is 0.6 g/ml.

15. A binary feed consisting of 25 mol% liquid and 75 mol% vapor is separated in a staged distillation column. The mole fraction of the
more volatile component in the distillate is 0.95. The molar rate of distillate is 50% of the feed flowrate and the McCabe-Thiele
method can be used to analyze the column. The q-line intersects the operating line of the enriching section at (o.35, 0.5) on the x-
y diagram. The slope of the stripping section operating line is ____.

16. In the extraction of acetic acid from an aqueous solution with benzene in a packed column of height 1.4 m and of cross-sectional
area 0.0045 m2, the following are the concentrations measured at the inlet and outlet of the column:
Acid concentration in water inlet phase = 0.690 kmol/m3
Acid concentration in outlet water phase = 0.685 kmol/m3
Flowrate of benzene phase = 5.7 cm3/s
Inlet benzene phase concentration = 0.0040 kmol/m3
 Outlet benzene phase concentration = 0.0115 kmol/m3
The equilibrium relationship for this system is CBenzene/CWater = 0.0247.
Calculate the height of transfer unit.

17. A counter current leaching system is to treat 10 kg/h of crushed sugar stalks with impurity-free water as solvent. Analysis of the
stalks is as follows: 385 by mass water, 10% sugar, 52% pulp. If 95% of sugar is to be recovered and the extract phase leaving
the system is to contain 12% sugar, determine the number of actual stages required if each kilogram of dry pulp retains 2.5 kg of
the solution. Assume an over-all efficiency of 85%.

18. A binary distillation column is operating under conditions specified below:

Feed rate = 350 kmol/hr
Overhead product rate = 150 k mol/hr
Mole fraction of more volatile component in
Overhead product = 0.97
Bottom product = 0.02
Bottom product rate = 200 kmol/hr
Reflux ratio = 3.5
In the stripping section it was that the mole fraction of the volatile component in the vapor leaving a plate is 0.33 while it’s mole
fraction in the liquid coming to the same plate is 0.25. Assuming constant molal counter flow, determine the feed condition.

For numbers 19 to 20:

An ideal mixture of A and B is to be distilled continuously. If the relative volatility is constant at 1.75 and
feed = saturated liquid with 50 mol% A
feed rate = 200 lbmol/hr
distillation composition = 90% A
bottoms composition = 10% A

19. Find the minimum number of theoretical stages

20. What is the minimum reflux ratio?