Principles of Chemical Engineering | Dr.

Alnaseri, Hayder Part IV

Ex;

A mixture containing 50.0 wt% acetone (A) and 50.0 wt% water (W) is to be separated into two streams—one rich in
acetone and the other in water. The separation process consists of extraction of the acetone from the water into methyl
isobutyl ketone (MIBK or M), which has a much higher affinity for acetone than it does for water. The process is shown
schematically below.

The acetone (solute)–water (diluent) mixture is first contacted with the MIBK (solvent) in a mixer that provides good
contact between the two liquid phases. A portion of the acetone in the feed transfers from the aqueous (water) phase to the
organic (MIBK) phase in this step. The mixture passes into a settling tank, where the phases separate and are separately
withdrawn. The phase rich in the diluent (water, in this process) is referred to as the raffinate, and the phase rich in the
solvent (MIBK) is the extract. The mixer–settler combination is the first stage of this separation process.

The raffinate passes to a second extraction stage where it is contacted with a second stream of pure MIBK, leading to
the transfer of more acetone. The two phases are allowed to separate in a second settler, and the raffinate from this stage
is sent to a waste-treatment operation. The extracts from the two mixer–settler stages are combined and fed to a distillation
column. The overhead effluent is rich in acetone and is the process product. The bottom effluent is rich in MIBK and in a
real process would be treated further and recycled back to the first extraction stage, but we will not consider recycle in this
example.

In a pilot–plant study, for every 100 kg of acetone–water fed to the first extraction stage, 100 kg of MIBK is fed to the
first stage and 75 kg is fed to the second stage. The extract from the first stage is found to contain 27.5wt% acetone. (All
percentages in the remainder of this paragraph are weight percents.) The second-stage raffinate has a mass of 43.1 kg and
contains 5.3% acetone, 1.6% MIBK, and 93.1% water, and the second-stage extract contains 9.0% acetone, 88.0% MIBK,
and 3.0% water. The overhead product from the distillation column contains 2.0% MIBK, 1.0% water, and the balance
acetone.

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Principles of Chemical Engineering | Dr. Alnaseri, Hayder Part IV

Taking a basis of calculation of 100 kg acetone–water feed, calculate the masses and compositions (component weight
percentages) of the Stage 1 raffinate and extract, the Stage 2 extract, the combined extract, and the distillation overhead
and bottoms products.

V
IV
P

II

III
𝑚4

VI
I

Solution;

Basis: 100 kg of acetone-water feed

Material Balances over two-extraction subsystem (II):

Total M.B.;

𝐹 + 𝑀1 + 𝑀2 = 𝑃 + 𝑚1 + 𝑚3

100 + 100 + 75 = 43.1 + 𝑚1 + 𝑚3 (1)

Component M.B. (A);

𝐹 (0.5)𝐴 + 𝑀1 (0.0)𝐴 + 𝑀2 (0.0)𝐴 = 𝑃(0.053)𝐴 + 𝑚1 (0.275)𝐴 + 𝑚3 (0.09)𝐴

𝐹 (0.5)𝐴 = 𝑃 (0.053)𝐴 + 𝑚1 (0.275)𝐴 + 𝑚3 (0.09)𝐴

50 = 2.284 + 0.275 𝑚1 + 0.09 𝑚3 (2)

Equations 1 and 2 solved simultaneously

𝑚1 = 145 𝑘𝑔

𝑚3 = 86.8 𝑘𝑔

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Principles of Chemical Engineering | Dr. Alnaseri, Hayder Part IV

Component M.B. (M);

𝐹 (0.0)𝑀 + 𝑀1 (1.0)𝑀 + 𝑀2 (1.0)𝑀 = 𝑃(0.016)𝑀 + 𝑚1 𝑥𝑀1 + 𝑚3 (0.88)𝑀

(100 + 75)𝑘𝑔𝑀 = (43.1) ∗ (0.016) + 𝑚1 𝑥𝑀1 + 𝑚3 (0.88)𝑀

𝑥𝑀1 = 0.675 𝑘𝑔 𝑀𝐼𝐵𝐾/𝑘𝑔

Material Balances over extract mixing point subsystem (III):

Total M.B.;

𝑚1 + 𝑚3 = 𝑚4

𝑚4 = 145 + 86.8 = 231.8 𝑘𝑔

Component M.B. (A);

𝑚1 (0.275) + 𝑚3 (0.09) = 𝑚𝐴4

𝑚𝐴4 = 39.875 + 7.812 = 47.7 𝑘𝑔 𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑒

Component M.B. (M);

𝑚1 𝑥𝑀1 + 𝑚3 𝑥𝑀1 = 𝑚𝑀4

𝑚1 = 145 𝑘𝑔, 𝑥𝑀1 = 0.675 𝑘𝑔 𝑀⁄𝑘𝑔 , 𝑚3 = 87 𝑘𝑔, 𝑥𝑀1 = 0.88

𝑚𝑀4 = 174 𝑘𝑔 𝑀𝐼𝐵𝐾

Component M.B. (W);

𝑚1 (0.725 − 𝑥𝑀1 ) + 𝑚3 (0.03) = 𝑚𝑊4

𝑚𝑊4 = 9.9 𝑘𝑔 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟

Material Balances over first extractor subsystem (IV):

Component M.B. (A);

100(0.5)𝑘𝑔 𝐴 = 𝑚𝐴2 + 𝑚1 (0.275)

𝑚1 = 145 𝑘𝑔

𝑚𝐴2 = 10.1 𝑘𝑔 𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑒

Component M.B. (M);

𝑀1 = 𝑚𝑀2 + 𝑚1 𝑥𝑀1

𝑀1 = 100, 𝑚1 = 145 𝑘𝑔, 𝑥𝑀1 = 0.675 𝑘𝑔 𝑀/𝑘𝑔

𝑚𝑀2 = 2.3 𝑘𝑔 𝑀𝐼𝐵𝐾

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Principles of Chemical Engineering | Dr. Alnaseri, Hayder Part IV

Component M.B. (W);

𝐹(0.5)𝑊 = 𝑚𝑊2 + 𝑚1 (0.725 − 𝑥𝑀1 )

𝐹 = 100 𝑘𝑔, 𝑚1 = 145 𝑘𝑔, 𝑥𝑀1 = 0.675 𝑘𝑔 𝑀/𝑘𝑔

𝑚𝑊2 = 42.6 𝑘𝑔 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟

Ex;

The flowchart of a steady-state process to recover crystalline potassium chromate (𝐾2 𝐶𝑟𝑂4 )from an aqueous solution of
this salt is shown below.

Forty-five hundred kilograms per hour of a solution that is one-third K 2 CrO4 by mass is joined by a recycle stream
containing 36.4% K 2 CrO4 , and the combined stream is fed to an evaporator. The concentrated stream leaving the
evaporator contains 49.4% K 2 CrO4 ; this stream is fed into a crystallizer in which it is cooled (causing crystals of K 2 CrO4 to
come out of solution) and then filtered. The wet filter cake consists of K 2 CrO4 crystals and solution that contains 36.4%
K 2 CrO4 by mass. The crystals account for 95% of the total mass of the filter cake. The solution that passes through the filter,
also 36.4% K 2 CrO4 , is the recycle stream.

1. Calculate the rate of evaporation, the rate of production of crystalline K2CrO4, the feed rates that the evaporator
and the crystallizer must be designed to handle, and the recycle ratio (mass of recycle)/ (mass of fresh feed).
2. Suppose that the filtrate was discarded instead of being recycled. Calculate the production rate of crystals. What
are the benefits and costs of the recycling? (this is your H.W.)
1. Solution

Basis: 4500 kg/h fresh feed

Let K denote K 2 CrO4 and W denote water. The flowchart is shown below; included on it are dashed boxes denoting the
overall system and subsystems about which balances may be written.

In terms of labeled variables, the quantities requested in the problem statement are 𝑚̇2 (kg W evaporated/h), 𝑚̇4 [kg
K(s)/h], 𝑚̇1 (kg/h fed to evaporator), 𝑚̇3 (kg/h fed to crystallizer),and 𝑚̇6 /4500 kg/h. (kg recycle/kg fresh feed).

Notice how the product stream is labeled to take maximum advantage of what we know about its composition. The
filter cake is a mixture of solid K crystals and liquid solution with known K and W mass fractions. Instead of labeling as
usual the mass flow rate and component mass fractions or the individual mass flow rates of K and W, we label the flow rates
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Principles of Chemical Engineering | Dr. Alnaseri, Hayder Part IV

of the crystals and the solution, along with the solution component mass fractions. To confirm that the stream is fully
labeled, we must verify that all component flow rates may be expressed in terms of labeled quantities. In this case, the total
flow rate of potassium chromate is 𝑚̇4 + 0.364 𝑚̇5 (𝑘𝑔 𝑲⁄ℎ) and the flow rate of water is 0.636 𝑚̇5 (kg 𝐖/h), so that the
labeling is complete.

We can therefore
determine 𝑚̇3 and 𝑚̇6 by writing and solving balances on the crystallizer/filter and then analyze either the mixing point or
the evaporator to determine the two remaining unknowns (𝑚̇1 and 𝑥1 ), thereby completing the solution. The calculations
follow, beginning with the analysis of the overall system.

Since the solids constitute 95% by mass of the filter cake:

𝑚̇4 = 0.95(𝑚̇4 + 𝑚̇5 )

𝑚̇5 = 0.05263 𝑚̇4 (1)

Overall M.B. for component 𝐊 𝟐 𝐂𝐫𝐎𝟒 ;

(0.333)(4500) = 𝑚̇4 + 0.364 𝑚̇5 (2)

Sub. eq. 1 in eq. 2

𝑚̇4 = 1470 kg K 2 CrO4 crystals/h

𝑚̇5 = 77.5 kg entrained solution/h

Overall total M.B.;

4500 = 𝑚̇2 + 𝑚̇4 + 𝑚̇5

𝑘𝑔 𝑘𝑔
𝑚̇4 = 1470 , 𝑚̇5 = 77.5
ℎ ℎ

𝑚̇2 = 2950 kg H2 O evapotated/h

M.B. around Crystallizer;

𝑚̇3 = 𝑚̇4 + 𝑚̇5 + 𝑚̇6

𝑚̇3 = 1470 + 77.5 + 𝑚̇6 (3)

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Principles of Chemical Engineering | Dr. Alnaseri, Hayder Part IV

Component M.B. (water);

0.506 𝑚̇3 = 0.636 𝑚̇5 + 0.636𝑚̇6

𝑚̇5 = 77.5 kg/h

0.506 𝑚̇3 = 49.29 + 0.636 𝑚̇6 (4)

sub. eq. 3 in eq. 4

𝑚̇6 = 5650 kg/h

kg
𝑚̇3 = 7200 fed to crystallizer
h

And hence,

The ratio of recycle to the fresh feed;

ṁ6 5650 kg recycle

= = 1.26
4500 4500 kg fresh feed

M.B. around the mix point (recycle-fresh feed);

4500 + 𝑚̇6 = 𝑚̇1

𝑚̇6 = 5650 kg/h

kg
𝑚̇1 = 10150 feed to evaporator
h

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