MASS TRANSFER EXPERIMENT-2

SAYAN MAITY-19CH10048

VERIFICATION OF RAYLEIGH’s EQUATION FOR BATCH

DISTILLATION PROCESS

Objectives:
1. To perform batch distillation for a binary liquid mixture
2. To verify rayleigh’s equation for batch distillation

Theory:
The batch distillation is also known as differential or simple distillation. In this
distillation, a batch of liquid is charged to a kettle fitted with a heating device. The
charge is slowly boiled and the vapours are condensed and collected as distillate. If
this distillation proceeds infinitely slowly, then the vapour issuing from the liquid
would be in equilibrium with the liquid, If the heating is rapid, the later condition
would never be achieved.

For a binary liquid mixture in a batch reactor rayleigh’s equation is defined as,

Experimental Details:

Experimental Set-Up:
The set-up consists of a round-bottomed flask, a condenser, distillate receiver and
other accessories like a thermometer, heating mantle, etc.
Procedure:
● The plot between toluene concentration and refractive index is plotted and the
volume fractions at the residue and distillate are calculated corresponding to
acetone(volatile component).
● The distillate and residue concentrations are found by the material balance
equation and hence, we find the L.H.S part in rayleigh’s equation.
● For the R.H.S we find the area under the equilibrium plot under certain
necessary requirements and conditions.

Experimental Data:
1. Calibration data:

Toluene concentration (%Volume) Refractive Index

0 1.352

20 1.3692

40 1.394

60 1.4323

80 1.4537

100 1.782

2. Equilibrium data:

x y*

0.10 0.456403

0.15 0.566851
 0.20 0.64358

0.25 0.7

0.30 0.743453

0.35 0.778237

0.40 0.807

0.45 0.831463

0.50 0.842784

0.55 0.871774

0.60 0.889015

Results And Discussions:

Calculations:
Conclusions:
Rayleigh’s Equation and material balance equations based on conservation of mass
principles are valid.

Relevant Points:
Plot to determine Vw and Vf
Plot for finding out the area under the curve from equilibrium data

Code for finding out the area under the curve

 Error analysis between L.H.S and R.H.S values

Sources Of Error:
1. Take an adequate amount of mixture feed so that the temperature sensor
remains dipped in the solution throughout the experiment. This caused some
of the errors.
2. While taking sample solution for measuring the refractive index, if we took
more amount than optimally required as we had to do it manually using a
pipette which can be improved by the help of micropipette.
3. Constant heat flux should be provided for the distillation of the binary mixture
of acetone and toluene.

Precautions:
● The distillation flask should be handled with care and the thermocouple
should be placed in a vertical direction.
● The weight of residue and distillate should be measured when the subsystem
cools down little which prevents the wrong calculation of mass.