Separation Processes (CHEG 485)

Dr. Mohammad Abu Zahra

(Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering)

Lecture 4: Flash distillation

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Balances over flash drum

Overall mole balance

Mole balance of most

volatile compound:

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 Equilibrium in flash drum

• Separation factor of flash of binary mixture (where

component 1 is the most volatile compound):
K1 y1 / x1  1 P1sat
12   
K 2 y2 / x2  2 P2sat
• with x1 = x, x2 = 1–x, y1 = y and y2 = 1–y:
y/x
12 
(1  y ) /(1  x)
• Flash equilibrium line:
12 x
y
12  1 x  1
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 Flash calculations

• Overall balance: F = V + L
• Mole balance of most volatile compound: Fz = Vy +Lx
• So far, 6 variables, 2 equations
• y/x ratio is physically determined (K=y/x) and
dependent on temperature
• If F and z are given, one additional equation is needed:
• Two options:
• Choose T (determines K and thus α) and L/V
• Choose T (determines K and thus α) and P

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 Fixing L/V

• Total balance:

• Component balance:

• Result: Operating line

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 Fixing L/V

Liquid fraction:

Flash operating line:

12 x
Recall, Equilibrium line: y
12  1 x  1
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 Example 2

• Benzene has to be removed from water by flashing

• Benzene mole fraction in feed: z = 0.0005
• Isothermal flash at 70 oC
• Antoine parameters for water: A=8.0713, B=1731, C=233.4
• Antoine parameters for benzene: A=7.4787, B=1701, C=294.0
(10log Psat (in mmHg) = A – B/(T + C) with T in oC)
• Activity coefficient of benzene in water at infinite dilution:
ln(γ) = 6.43
• Determine the compositions of the vapor (y) and the liquid
(x) leaving the flash drum in case that 0.5% of the feed is
evaporated

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 Example 2

• Solution:
• Calculate relative volatility at 70 oC:
PBsat  638 mmHg
 233 mmHg  B PBsat
  o sat  1700
sat
Pw
 w Pw
 B  exp(6.43)  621
 w0  1
• Equilibrium line:
1700 x
y
1699 x  1

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 Example 2

• Flash operating line:

q z
y x
1 q 1 q
• with q = 0.995 (Fixing q is like fixing L/V)
(because 0.5% of the feed evaporates)

• Solving:
1700 x 0.995 0.0005
 x
1699 x  1 0.005 0.005
x = 5.2.10-5
Using Eq Line equation, y = 0.081 9
 Flash calculations

• Overall balance: F = V + L
• Mole balance of most volatile compound: Fz = Vy +Lx
• So far, 6 variables, 2 equations
• y/x ratio is physically determined (K=y/x) and
dependent on temperature
• If F and z are given, one additional equation is needed:
• Two options:
• Choose T (determines K and thus α) and L/V
• Choose T (determines K and thus α) and P

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 Fixing P

• Fixing T and P → xeq and yeq are known

(Alternatively, fixing P and xeq → T and yeq are known)
• However, q is unknown

• Boundary conditions:
• xeq < z < yeq
• 0<q<1
• Σ xi = Σ yi = 1

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 Fixing P
q z
• Flash operating line: y   x with: y = Kx
1 q 1 q

q zi zi
• Gives: xi Ki   xi  xi 
1 q 1 q Ki  (1  Ki )q
Ki zi
yi  Ki xi 
Ki  (1  Ki )q
• Boundary condition:
zi (1  Ki )
x  y
i
i
i
i 0 i K  (1  K )q  0
i i

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 Fixing P

zi (1  Ki )
i K  (1  K )q  0
i i

KB KA
• Solve for q: q  z  (1  z )
1 KB 1 KA
• where KA is the distribution coefficient of the most volatile compound
and KB is the distribution coefficient of the least volatile compound

• Solve for x:
zi 1 KB
xi  x
Ki  (1  Ki )q K A  KB

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 Example 3

• Benzene has to be selectively removed from a mixture with

toluene using a flash distillation:
• Benzene mole fraction in the feed: z = 0.40
• Desired benzene mole fraction in the liquid phase leaving the flash:
x = 0.30
• P = 1 bar (=750 mm Hg)
• Antoine parameters for benzene: A=7.4787, B=1701, C=294.0
• Antoine parameters for toluene: A=7.4195, B=1738, C=273.5
(10log Psat (in mmHg) = A – B/(T + C) with T in oC)

• Determine the ratio of the vapor and liquid stream (V/L)

leaving the flash drum

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 Example 3

• Mixture of benzene (A) + toluene (B) is ideal: γ = 1

• Calculate flash temperature: P  xPAsat  (1  x) PBsat
 A T BC   A T BC 
750  0.30  10   0.70  10
 

 T = 95.7 oC
 A  B
• Calculate benzene partition coefficient:
y P 95.7  10
sat A C B95.7

KA   A
  1.73
x P 750
• Calculate toluene partition coefficient:
1  y P 95.7  10
sat A C B95.7

KB   B
  0.687
1 x P 750
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 Example 3

• Calculate liquid fraction in the flash:

KB KA
q  z  (1  z ) q = 0.54
1 KB 1 KA
• Determine V/L ratio:
L L V 1 V
q   1  0.843
F L V L q L

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 Stacked flash drums

Top is 3x enriched

Bottom is 3x depleted
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From flash drums to column

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Distillation columns

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