liquid mixture, and therefore a is always 21.0. If a2 is high, component 1 has a greater tendency to vaporize (i. is more volatile than component 2) and it will be easy to achieve separation by vaporizing one from the other distillation. However, when component 2 has as high a tendency to vaporize as component 1, the relative volatility will approach unity; the compo- nents will then be difficult to separate by distillation If under the specific conditions «2 = 1, the compo- nents cannot be separated by distillation. The greater the value of a the easier will be the desired separation, Relative volatility can be calculated between any two components in a mixture; binary or multicomponent One of the substances. chosen as the reference to which the other component is compared. Definition of Relative Volatility: Relative Volatility of Component | with respect to component 2: 1,2 = (Prx2)/(P2x1) = (¥12)/(72"1) (10-186) where 1, 2, ete. are component identification vapor pressure of a component liguid mol fraction of a component vapor mol fraction of a component system total pressure, absolute Partial pressure (10-36) When temperature is constant and at equilibrium for a homogeneous mixture (such as an azeotrope), the ‘composition of the liquid is identical with the composi- tion of the vapor, thus x; = y,, and the relative volatility is equal to 1.0 ‘mol fraction of i in vapor phase ‘nol fraction of tin Hiquid phase (10-38) isi that is KK, relative volatility of components a to b (10-39) where = compound identification reference compound As previously discussed, the charts of K values that are available, apply primarily to hydrocarbon systems. Ref- erence 79 presents other important data on K value re- lationships. Refer to Figures 10-I1a and 10-11 for Distitation | charts with pressure effects included. (These are aot ideal, but practical charts.) Ki/K2 =Pi/r (10-39) a, For multicomponent mixtures (79, 59] aR ae ata OR (10-187) where 1, 2, 3,4, .. are components in a multicomponent snixture aya = relative volatility of component 1 with respect to component 2. 43/2 = relative volatility of component 3 with respect to component 2, salva =pabain) (10-188) vi apm(Soe) 0.189) ys = 93/2%/ (So ax), ete (10-190) xy ate y, Sein _ Yalta Loe Vola) Lois (10-191) For a binary system with constant relative volatilities: yi (= y)/G xa) (10-192) a, "TF etal one) Winn [99] proposes a modification to allow for tem= perature variation effects on relative volatility. The method does not apply to mixtures forming azcotropes or at conditions near the critical point. Kister [94] proposes: Ky = 112K fase (ese) TnBiashk Nas (10-194) can vary with temperature, so an average a value should be used between top and bottom temperature 75— istitation ‘When by: and Bune are constants ata fixed or constant pressure, but evaluated for the light (1) and heavy (h) keys at top and bottom temperatures, their relationship is [94]: Bunk = Ky /(Kig)*,at fixed pressure Winn’s equation reduced to Fenske’s at by = 1.0 and (20-195) Braj = ik (10-196) Example 10-14: Determination of Minimum. Number of Trays by Winn’s Method (used by permission (99) ‘The minimum number of trays necessary to debutanize the eflluent from an alkylation reactor will be calculated. ‘The feed, products, and vapor-liquid equilibrium con- stants of the key components at conditions of tempera- ture and pressure corresponding to the top tray and reboiler are shown in Table 10-23, ‘The constants 8 and b are evaluated using Equation 10-195 as follows: 09. (0.70) 3.55 = B (3.00) Divide to solve for value of b. Then: 3.78 = (429)* b 913 B= 1301 By use of Winn’s Method [99] for product rates: = (@) Ge () ’ 0.197) for liquid overhead product w= (Gy) ee” (20-198) for vapor overhead product exponent in Equation 10-195 otal mols of overhead product minimum number of equilibrium trays in tower //x = vapor-liquid equilibrium ratio for ‘component L_= mols of a component in liquid phase P= vapor pressure, psia T absolute temperature, °R ols of a component in vapor phase W = total mols of bottoms product x = mol fraction of a component in liquid phase y_ = mol fraction of a component in vapor phase a = relative volatility B= constant in Equation 10-194 = total pressure, psia L_ = total mols in liquid phase V = total mols in vapor phase ee ee tat Equilibrium K's Component Feed, moles ‘Over-head, moles Bottoms, moles Top tray Reboiler tyler 1 1 thane z z Propane 8 8 Isobutene 368 on 16 094 355 Butane 132 n 6 070 3.00 Isopentane 3 3 r-Pentane 5 5 ‘Alkyate aT an 1361 970 ‘31 Use by permission, Winn ML, Pe AV. 97, Na, S (1958), P26. Gu Pb. co. 76