Rectification of a Heptane—Ethyl Benzene Mixture.

A saturated liquid feed of 200 mol/h at the boiling point

containing 42 mol % heptane and 58% ethyl benzene is to be fractionated at 101.32 kPa abs to give a distillate
containing 97 mol % heptane and a bottoms containing 1.1 mol % heptane. The reflux ratio used is 2.5 : 1.
Calculate the mol/h distillate, mol/h bottoms, theoretical number of trays, and the feed tray number.
A distillation column with a total condenser and a partial reboiler is separating ethanol from
water. Feed is a saturated liquid that is 25 mol% ethanol. Feed flow rate is 150 mol/h. Reflux is a
saturated liquid and CMO is valid. The column has three equilibrium stages (i.e., four equilibrium
contacts), and the feed stage is second from the condenser. We desire a bottoms composition that
is 5 mol% ethanol and a distillate composition that is 63 mol% ethanol. Find the required external
reflux ratio.
Solution is by trial and error/. Assume a reflux ratio. Plot the ROL, the q-line and the SOL. For 4 stages should
end at a bottoms composition of 0.05. If not assume another R
Final answer is R=0.636 and slope of ROL=L/V=0.389

Note: Feed stage is not optimum

Rectification of a Benzene—Toluene Mixture
A liquid mixture of benzene—toluene is to be distilled in a fractionating tower at 101.3 kPa pressure. The
feed of 100 kg mol/h is liquid and it contains 45 mol % benzene and 55 mol % toluene and enters at 327.6 K
A distillate containing 95 mol % benzene and 5 mol % toluene and a bottoms containing 10 mol % benzene
and 90 mol % toluene are to be obtained. The reflux ratio is 4: 1. The average heat capacity of the feed is
159 kJ/kg mol.K and the average latent heat 32 099 kJ/kg mol. Calculate the kg moles per hour distillate, kg
moles per hour bottoms, and the number of theoretical trays needed.
The boiling point of the feed is 366.7K and its heat capacity is 150 J/kmol.K
 A continuous fractionating column is to be designed to separate 30,000 kg/h of a mixture of 40 percent
benzene and 60 percent toluene into an overhead product containing 97 percent benzene and a bottom
product containing 98 percent toluene. These percentages arc by weight. A reflux ratio of 3.5 mol to I mol of
product is to be used. The molal latent heats of benzene and toluene are 7360 and 7960 cal/g mol,
respectively. Benzene and toluene form an ideal system with a relative volatility of about 2.5; the
equilibrium curve is shown in the Figure. The feed has a boiling point of 95°C at a pressure of I attn. (a)
Calculate the moles of overhead product and bottom product per hour. (b) Determine the number of ideal
plates and the position of the feed plate (i) if the feed is liquid and at its boiling point; (ii) if the feed is liquid
and at 20oC (specific heat 0.44 cal/g-°C); (iii) if the feed is a mixture of two-thirds vapour and one-third
liquid. (c) If steam at 1.36 atm gauge (λs=522 cal/g) is used for heating, how much steam is required per
hour for each of the above three cases, neglecting heat losses and assuming the reflux is a saturated liquid?
(d) If cooling water enters the condenser at 25oC and leaves at 40°C, how much cooling water is required, in
cubic meters per hour?
A distillation column is separating a 30% methanol–70% water feed. The feed rate is 237 kmol/h and is a saturated
liquid. The column has a partial reboiler and a partial condenser. We desire a distillate mole fraction of yD = 0.95
and a bottoms mole fraction of xB = 0.025.
a. Find Nmin.
b. Find (L/V)min and (L/D)min.
c. If L/D = 2.0 (L/D)min, find the optimum feed plate location and the total number of equilibrium
stages required.
d. Determine the boilup ratio used.

a) Step of stages using 45o line. Nmin=5