Activity 3: Distillation with side stream

Problem

A rectification column is fed 1000 kmol/h of a mixture of 50 mol% benzene and 50 mol% toluene at 101.325
kPa absolute pressure. The feed enters the tower at 95 degrees Celsius. The distillate is to contain 90 mol%
benzene and the bottoms 5 mol% benzene. The reflux ratio is 2.5 times the minimum reflux.

1. Determine the minimum reflux ratio.

2. Determine the feed condition and the value of q.
3. If a side stream with a composition of 70 mol% benzene is withdrawn from the column as a
saturated liquid at the same rate with that of the distillate,
a. How many equilibrium stages are required?
b. At what stage should the side stream be withdrawn?
c. What is the optimal feed stage?
4. If an additional side stream with a composition of 20 mol% benzene is withdrawn as a saturated
vapor at half the rate of the bottom’s flow rate,
a. How many equilibrium stages are required?
b. At what stage should the side stream be withdrawn?
c. What is the optimal feed stage?

Given:

D
XD = 0.9

Xf = 0.5 benzene
1000 kmoll/h

B
XB = 0.05
1. Determine the minimum reflux ratio.

Benzene-Toluene Equilibrium Data

Mole Fraction Temperature

xA yA K °C
1.0000 1.000 353.3 80.1
0.780 0.900 358.2 85
0.581 0.777 363.2 90
0.411 0.632 368.2 95
0.258 0.456 373.2 100
0.130 0.261 378.2 105
0.000 0.000 383.8 110.6

390

385

380
Temperature, K

375

370 0.632
0.5
365 0.411

360

355

350
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
x_A or y_A of Benzene

nliq nvap b  a 0.5  0.411 89

q   
nvap  nliq nliq c  b 0.632  0.5 132

n vap saturated liquid b  a 132

  q  0.5973
nliq saturated vapor c  b 89  132

Where:
a = 0.411
b = 0.5
c = 0.632
Equation of the q-line

 q  x
y    x  F
 q  1 q 1
 0.5973  0.5
 x 
 0.5973  1  0.5973  1
y  0.635x  1.24

1.2

0.8
y_A

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
x_A

At x = 0.4, y = 0.648
x = 0.6, y = 0.35

y D  y A 0.9  0.63 27
mmin   
x D  x A 0.9  0.41 49

Rmin
mmin 
Rmin  1
27 Rmin

49 Rmin  1
Rmin  1.227

Ractual  2.5 Rmin

 2.5(1.227)

Ractual = 3.0675 Ans.

2. Determine the feed condition and the value of q.
q = 0.5973
Partially flashed feed: 0 < q < 1 Ans.

3. If a side stream with a composition of 70 mol% benzene is withdrawn from the column as a saturated
liquid at the same rate with that of the distillate,

a. How many equilibrium stages are required?

b. At what stage should the side stream be withdrawn?
c. What is the optimal feed stage?

D
XD = 0.9

S
Xf = 0.5 benzene
XS = 0.70
1000 kmoll/h

B
XB = 0.05
Enriching line equation:

R x
y x D
R 1 R 1
3.0675 0.9
y x
3.0675  1 3.0675  1
y  0.75415x  0.22127
Equating q-line and enriching line:
x = 0.456
y = 0.565
Overall Mass Balance (OMB):
F=B+D+S D=S
1000 = B + 2S
B = 1000 – 2S (1)
Benzene Balance:

FxF  Bx B  Dx D  Sx S
(1000)(0.05)  0.05B  0.9 D  0.7S

500  0.05B  1.6S (2)

Equating (1) and (2):

500  0.05(1000  2 S )  1.6S

S = 300 kmol/h
B = 400 kmol/h

Sx S  Dx D
x
SD
300(0.70)  300(0.9)
x
300  300
x  0.8
 a. Number of equilibrium stages: 11 stages
b. Stage 2 ANS.
c. Stage 4

4. If an additional side stream with a composition of 20 mol% benzene is withdrawn as a saturated vapor
at half the rate of the bottom’s flow rate,

a. How many equilibrium stages are required?

b. At what stage should the side stream be withdrawn?
 c. What is the optimal feed stage?

D
XD = 0.9
S1
XS1 = 0.70

Xf = 0.5 benzene
S2
1000 kmoll/h
XS2 = 0.20

B  400
1
S2  B B
2 XB = 0.05

1
S 2  (400)
2
S 2  200

Sx S  Bx B
xs2 
SB
(200)(0.2)  (400)(0.05)
xS 2 
400  200
 0.1
a. Number of equilibrium stages = 10.8 stages
b. Stage 2 and stage 9.7 ANS.
c. Stage 4