1/2/2018 https://www.thegatematrix.com/today-dcb.php?

date=MjAxNy0xMS0wNQ==

Login (Login.Php) Registration (Registration.Php)

(index.php)

HOME (Index.Php) ABOUT US (About.Php) DCB (Dcb.Php)

WPM (Wpm.Php) MATRIX (Matrix.Php) ARCHIVE (Archive.Php)

GQB (Gqb.Php) CONTACT US (Contact.Php)

TODAY'S
CONCEPT

2017-11-05

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING : MASS TRANSFER

MASS TRANSFER
Distillation (Introduction and
Phase Diagram)
Distillation:
Distillation is a method of separation of the more volatile
component, separation of more volatile component from the
less volatile one of a solution by partial vaporization. So, this
partial vaporizations was done from the original solutions as

https://www.thegatematrix.com/today-dcb.php?date=MjAxNy0xMS0wNQ== 1/8
1/2/2018 https://www.thegatematrix.com/today-dcb.php?date=MjAxNy0xMS0wNQ==

another phase or the vapor phase is generated by partial

vaporization, and then there is condensation of the vapor to
get the desired product.

This distillation is most widely used separation method for

the liquid mixture. And the very common examples are
organic process industries process industries like ethanol
water separation, aniline and nitrobenzene separation. This is
also most common in petroleum re nery petroleum re nery,
and there are many other industries which uses the
distillation as a process for separations of the liquid mixtures,
where the liquid mixture contains the more volatile
components and the less volatile components.

https://www.thegatematrix.com/today-dcb.php?date=MjAxNy0xMS0wNQ== 2/8
1/2/2018 https://www.thegatematrix.com/today-dcb.php?date=MjAxNy0xMS0wNQ==

         

A typical distillation column is look like this.

1. Feed enters at some point of the tower below the top of the
column.
2. Reboiler heats up the liquid from the bottom of the tower and
liquid partially/completely vaporizes depending upon the

https://www.thegatematrix.com/today-dcb.php?date=MjAxNy0xMS0wNQ== 3/8
1/2/2018 https://www.thegatematrix.com/today-dcb.php?date=MjAxNy0xMS0wNQ==

type of reboiler used.

3. Vapor ows up through the trays or packing of the column.
4. Vapor leaves the column at the top into the condenser.
5. Condenser condenses the vapor partially/completely
depending upon the type of condenser used.
6. A part of the condensate is drawn out as top product while
the rest of it is returned back to the column as re ux.
7. An intimate contact between liquid and vapor occurs at each
tray or packing within the column.
8. More volatile component moves from liquid to vapor phase.
9. Less volatile component moves from vapor to liquid phase.
10. Concentration of less volatiles increases as it ows down the
column.
11. Top product is rich is more volatile and bottom product is rich
in less volatile.

 Phase/Equilibrium Diagram:
Now, the distillation process which is an equilibrium stage
operation process, it requires the vapor liquid equilibrium and
physical and chemical properties of the systems to solve this
equilibrium stage operation. The distribution of the two
components is governed by the vapor liquid equilibrium (VLE)
relationship, distribution of the components among the
phases depends on the VLE vapor liquid equilibrium
relationship.
Here we will only consider the binary mixtures. So, this
equilibrium data we can obtain from experiments, we can also
obtain from thermodynamics. It is typically represented by
the equilibrium diagram VLE data is represented by
equilibrium diagram and they are like T x y diagram
temperature mole fractions in the liquid phase and mole
fraction in the vapor phase of the more volatile components.
So, we call it T x y diagram or P x y diagram and the liquid and

https://www.thegatematrix.com/today-dcb.php?date=MjAxNy0xMS0wNQ== 4/8
1/2/2018 https://www.thegatematrix.com/today-dcb.php?date=MjAxNy0xMS0wNQ==

vapor compositions are related with the x y diagram and

enthalpy mole fractions relationship is represented by
enthalpy concentration diagram H x y diagram.

T-xy Curve compared with xy curve:

So, now we will consider T x y diagram. It is a constant

pressure binary equilibrium diagram. Its boiling point is
plotted versus liquid composition x is the liquid composition
then we call it bubble point curve. Now if we plot boiling point
versus y then it is dew point curve. A typical bubble point and
dew point curve is plotted over here so the upper curve here
this is the T y curve or the dew point curve that is each point
on this curve represents the saturated vapor and the below
line which is the T x or bubble point curve.

So, here the composition x or y; these are represented in

terms of the mole fractions, x, y represented in terms of the
mole fraction of the more volatile component; x is in the liquid
phase and y in the vapor phase. (1 - x) would be the liquid
mole fraction of less volatile component and (1 - y) would be
the vapour phase mole fraction of the less volatile
component.

https://www.thegatematrix.com/today-dcb.php?date=MjAxNy0xMS0wNQ== 5/8
1/2/2018 https://www.thegatematrix.com/today-dcb.php?date=MjAxNy0xMS0wNQ==

For any given temperature and composition for a given

temperature and composition this curves tells us the
composition of each phase of that mixture composition on
each phase of that mixture. Suppose the point L over here this
gives the equilibrium liquid phase composition T x and
corresponding vapor phase composition at V  and this line
LV  is known as the tie line. So, we can draw such an in nite
number of tie lines in this region.

And the region between this two bubble point and dew point
is known as the two phase region say a mixture point S on the
tie line of LV represents the two phase mixture which has the
liquid composition liquid composition at L. and vapor
composition at V  and the proportion can be obtained or the
relatives amount can be obtained from the segment of these
tie lines, segments S L and S V. Moles of L by moles of V we can
write line S V by line L S.

Mole fraction of the liquid continues to drop in the more

volatile component  as the vapor formed will have higher
content of more volatile component. Suppose we take liquid
represented with point O and we start heating at constant
pressure. The rst vapor will be formed at point L and the
vapor formed will be rich in more volatile component and the
vapor thus formed will have a composition of V. On increasing
the temperature the liquid will continue to sollow the bubble
point curve and vapors will have corresponding dew point
compositions. The liquid will be vaporised at the point S and
the corresponding vapor composition will be S'.
Heating beyond that will only super heat the vapor. So, we can
say that separation is only possible within a speci c
temperature range for a particular liquid. In thsi case the the
temperature corresponding to the points L and S are the
lower and upper limits of the separation range.

Cooling of the vapor follows the corresponding reverse path

for the liquid.

https://www.thegatematrix.com/today-dcb.php?date=MjAxNy0xMS0wNQ== 6/8
1/2/2018 https://www.thegatematrix.com/today-dcb.php?date=MjAxNy0xMS0wNQ==

X-Y curve is plotted by picking up the x value from the bubble

point curve and the corresponding y value from the dew point
curve using the tie lines. Each tie line in the T-x-y curve
represent a point on the x y curve.

Here, in the x y curve we can  see that y is greater than x

which shows that we are going to achieve higher mole
fraction of more volatile component in the vapor phase.
Similarly if we plot (1 - x) vs (1 - y) we will get the curve as
below.

                    

P-x-y Phase Diagram:

Now, we will see the constant temperature binary equilibrium
diagram. So, this is the plot where the total vapor pressure
exerted by the solution at equilibrium depends on its
composition. At a lower concentration of certain components
the mixture will exert lower vapor pressure, the typical plot is
so lower here where y axis represents bubble point or dew
point pressure and this x and y are the mole fractions of more
volatile component, the horizontal line LV  represents the tie
line, the terminal points L and V; these are the liquid and
vapor phase concentration of certain components and
equilibrium of more volatile components and equilibrium. The
region below this curve P x y curve, this is P x y curve at

https://www.thegatematrix.com/today-dcb.php?date=MjAxNy0xMS0wNQ== 7/8
1/2/2018 https://www.thegatematrix.com/today-dcb.php?date=MjAxNy0xMS0wNQ==

constant T below this blue line represents the vapor region,

above this red line represents the liquid region and in
between these two line represents the two phase region.

                                             

Q:1What will happen if in a tray distllation column if the

reboiler is removed then

(a) separation will reduce.

(b) there will be no vapor in the column thus no separation

will occur.

(c) number of tray required will increase.

(d) none of these.

https://www.thegatematrix.com/today-dcb.php?date=MjAxNy0xMS0wNQ== 8/8