Question 1: Distillation and Extraction (30 pts)

Answer the following conceptual multiple choice questions by placing an X in box

with the correct choice and add a short comment (max 1-3 lines) to explain your
choice (only for your choice). Answers without comments do not count.

1a) In a distillation column where is the hottest position? Hint: This is also where
the heavy i.e. low boiling point components are collected.
Choice X Comment
Top
Bottom
Feed stage
Not enough information

1b) Which of the following is not true about a distillation tower?

Choice X Comment
The vapor and liquid
leaving an ideal
tray/stage are in
equilibrium.
Some of the vapor
leaving the reboiler is
eventually returned as
liquid to the top of the
tower.
All of the material in the
feed stream is eventually
transferred to the
distillate stream.
Distillation requires a
temperature gradient
between top and bottom
sections of the tower.

1c) Which of the following is a reason why a large reflux ratio is needed in a
distillation column?
Choice X Comment
The feed is dilute in the
distillate component
The separation is
between very close
boilers.
A very high distillate
concentration is needed
To reduce the number of
stages
 All of the above

1d) Ideally, the extraction solvent used in a liquid-liquid extraction process

should...

Choice X Comment
have the same density as
the carrier solvent
have a very low boiling
point
have a high affinity for
the solute
be mostly miscible with
the carrier.

1e) What is the composition of point

A? Fill in the dotted section. No
comment required.

…..%MEK, …..% Water, …..% Ethyl

Butyrate

1f) Methyl-ethyl ketone (MEK) is

being extracted from water using
the extraction solvent ethyl butyrate
(EtBu). If the mixture marked "K"
on the diagram below settled into
two distinct phases, approximately
how much MEK would be in the
extract and the raffinate? Fill in the
dotted section. No comment
required.

Extract: …. wt% MEK

Raffinate: …. wt% MEK
Question 2. Distillation (35 pts)

A well-known technique for the separation of ethanol and water is distillation. The
feed stream contains 60% water. In appendix below you can see an x-y diagram
of an ethanol (1) – water (2) separation at atmospheric pressure. The x and y
refer to ethanol.

a. Up to what purity can this mixture theoretically be separated using a

distillation column at atmospheric pressure?
b. Why will this purity never be reached in reality?

It is decided that in this case the desired purity of the top product is 70% and that
of the bottom product 98%. The vapor-to-feed ratio in the feed is 0.25.

c. What are the bottom and feed flow rates when the distillate flow rate from the
top of the column is 450 kmol/hr?
d. What is the minimum reflux ratio according to the McCabe-Thiele method?
e. Calculate the relative volatility (α1,2) at xethanol = 0.4.
f. What is the minimum number of stages required for this separation according
to McCabe-Thiele?
g. What is the reflux ratio in this case described in sub question f?
Appendix 1 Name …………………………… Student number………………
 1

0.9

0.8

0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4

y 0.3

0.2

0.1

-5.55111512312578E-17
.1 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1
-0 -0.1E-1 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.
78
125
3
512
1
511
.5
-5