Unit Operation Schematic Representation Comments

1 Distillation

(a) Batch Used for intermittent operation

and handling small volumes of
feed and product
 20

- ORIBNT.~A~TI~O=N------~::::~----.. . .
- - -Unit
--- Operation
- - - - - ; : : : ; Schematic -
;~ep~r~ee·ss,entatio,i
: : : : ; :.~-R - - - - - - - -Comments
- - - - - ~---

(b) Continuous f·or

Used high .volume
fractionator contmu. ous. separation or
cornp I c x ,n i x r.u res s u ch as
O

petroJeunl fractions

Connecr these with appropnatt

pumps, reboilers, condensen
_J
and automatic controls

2 Drying of Solids

(a) Spray drier

Suitable for large capacity

operation on liquid feed to give
powdered, spherical, free -
flowing product; used ir
production of pigments
detergents, synthetic resins, anc
misc. inorganic salts
 Suitable for drying tree-flowing
lb) Rotary dri~r granular solids which do no1
du st or stick; high-tetnp.
versions are kilns for calcining
cement. lime, etc.

tc > Tunne\ drier Applicable to drying pastes or

--- - powders in trays; also used to
- dry pottery, lumber, leather,
l l
\ { l { "l l l {1 etc., in sheet or shaped form ~
 UNIT OPERATION AND UNIT PROCESS CONCEPTS 21

Unit Operation Schematic Representation Comments

J Evaporation

(a) Open pan Used for small batches; often

of viscous mat'ls; such designs
are easy to clean

used to achieve max . heat

(b) Multiple effect economy in evap'n of paper
mill black liquor, sugar syrups
and sol' ns of inorganic
chemicals
4 Extrac tion

(a) Liquid-liquid Used to contact solvent and

feed to give raffinate and
extract~ widely adapted to
removal of naphthenes from
lube oil fractions using solvents
such as furfural

(b) Solid- liquid (leaching) - - . -. Involves removal of a solute

- . ---
--- -.
.- ..
.. --
from a solid by means of a
liquid solvent~ often used in ore
treatment to recover metal
values
22 ORIENTATION
Cof11f1lt'l_l_f.\-' --------- 1
. Repres entation
Schen1at1c -
Unit Op e ration

5 Fluid Handling for I iqu ids

-d ly use d .
Most w1 e ·. s i n1 p 1e 1 n
cypes. · _
( a ) Centrifugal pump of a ll . d n1aintenance
construction an

Generally used for higher

. - . may be used
( h) Re~iprocat1ng pump or pressure de It very. . :
compressor for metering or proport1on1ng

Used for low pressure operation

(c ) Jet ejector or production of vacuum; steam
often used as motive fluid
 - I used type o{
6 Fluid-solid Contacting Mo st wide Y . ed with
· reactor.. us
cat al _Ytt c ta 1 cat a\ y st s to
(a ) Fixed bed rec1ou s me . .
p . . ttrit1on losses,
mt· 0 ,mize a . · form of
catalyst usually in
pellets

(b) Fluid bed

Used to contact finely divided
solids with reactant gases, e.g.,
cracking catalyst with oil
vapors and then with air; also
.
...... .. .. -
.'
,,____... .' used in roasting of sulfide ores
. .. to give oxides and SO 2
. . , .. . .
 UNIT OPERA llON AND UNIT PROCESS CONCEPTS 23

Unit Operation Schematic Represeritatiori Comments

(c) Moving bed Combines virtues of fix.ed bed

reactor with ability to
regenerate catalyst by
movement to separate
regeneration zone

7 Fluid-solid Separation

(a) Centrifugation Used to separate very finely

divided solids from liquid or
liquids from liquid emulsions
 I <f: I
(b) Settling tank Simple device used to remove
large particles from gas stream
by simple settling in low-
velocity zone

(c) Wet scrubber Effective means of removing

suspended particles from gas
stream by contact with liquid
shower
 ■
N-------;:;~~;----~
:
:::~~~~~~:~~~~~~~~~~~:~~~~~~-~~~~i~~,•~rrr:in~u~it~io:11:._~:~:;.;~;~~:~:.~~
ORIENTA TIO..
Srhe.mallc Rrpr . - Comment,t ·"""'
( d) Unit Operation
CrysraJlizer ly s·tturated solutions .._
Hot. near -. • .. . .. ·
- . •d c111 d rnolcd to etteq ,
.are srirrc
nuc Ie,1. ,.,•c~,
' 1 '·and crystal growth·
. '
WJ.deyI tJt:,.-~"-•<.J wirh inorganic salts

Vacuum applit•d lo interior of

drum pulls filtr,11c our of ca~e;
U!>ed 10 \eparate minerals fro,n
slurries, pulp fibers from Wafer,
Ch: .

4I

-
-
Simplest type of pressure tilter;
Widely used; plates and fabric
filter rnedia n:iay be made of ~
- variery of corrosion-rc.\israni
rnareriah

U\ed ro ~eparate s:ilid partide•

or liquid droplets from ga\e,
to permit Drod, ,,., ... ...
 widely
filter n,edio ~•Y ~ ma~ o1 d
U~"-v~ I .
J_I --
. · t"' of ~orros1(ln•res1stan\
~

I
\ane J
-
-
' '
-
-
,....._
-
materials
u~ ,o separate solid particl~,
or 11qu1J droplets from gase~
w permit product recovery or
cu cut down product loss and
air p<11lutu>n

U1ed 10 reffk>Ve f ,nc Justs or

m,, , ~ ~u~pendcd 1n ga ~e~.
f ca I u re , h I g h c ,, 11e~110 n
cff u; acn~y at w1Je variety uf
,,pcratang c,1nd11a,,ns

l 1) Bag Iti ter Batten~ of tubular fabnc bag,

arc mounted Ml M>l1ds may bt
rcmt,~ed
. cont muou~ly by flov-
re, cr\al and m,. r h !I n i , .. ~ I
 UNIT OPERATION AND UNIT PROCESS CONCEPTS 25

Unit Operation Schematic Representation Comments

(j) Thickener-classifier + L Used to separate slurry into

·-1:~~'
~1,,!t,.P
-- ·;
~-Sl·C!:' 2
:!:!'
,...
-cs:::i===----•~
1
sludges and clear liquid~ used
widely in mineral industries and
in sewage effluent clarification

8 Fluid Storage

(a) Gas holders Used for low pressure storages

of gases at constant pressure
using liquid seal (usually water)
I

---
-
--
(b) Tanks
Widely used for storage of
liquids of all types, usually at
atmospheric pressure; may have
floating roof

(c) Pressurized spheres Used for pressurized storage of

liquefied gases or high vapor
pressure liquids to permit safe
storage with no vapor losses

(d) Underground Used for large volume storage

caverns of liquids or of liquefied gases
26
ORIENTATION
-
Comments
--·--~U~n~i~t~O~p~e~r,~a~ti~o~n~---~S~c~h~e~ma~tz~·c~R~ep~re~s~e:n:ta:t:io:_n~----------------.........
9 Gas-liquid Contacting
-
-
(a) Absorption
Used for taking up a soluble
gas in a solvent liquid and
-7 producing a solution plus a lean
exit gas; e.g., used in· H S
I removal from hydrocarbons
2

I
I
(b) Stripping
(Solution)
t
(Solvent) Used for removing a soluble
t I gas from solution by counter-
current contact with an inert
I gas; used to recover solute gas
I and regenerate sol vent for
subsequent absorption step
t
I
I
I
10 Heat Exchange

{a) Fired heater

Used to heat petroleum

fractions to distill~tio? or
cracking temperatures in direct-
fired tubes

(b) Reboiler

Uses natural circulation to

circulate fractionating tower
bottom in heat exchange with
steam, e.g., to pro v ide
necessary heat for fracti onation
 UNIT OPERATION AND UNIT PROCESS CONCEPTS

Unit Operation Schematic Representation Comment.s

(c) Condenser Usually water-cooled tubu lar

constru.crion to provide reflux
and overhead prod uct fr om
fractionatinQ column
~

(d) Shell and tube Common ty pe of dev ice for

exchanger process heat exchange

(e) Jacketed kettle _ _fl n Com1non (onstruction for

 ♦

(e) Jacketed kettle

' i

Common construction for

reaction kettles; water or brine
may be used for cooling; hot
water, oil or Dowtherm for
heating

(f) Direct mixing

(quenching) Features intimate contact of
coolant fluid (e.g., water) ,..,ith
process gases to give quick
quench, e.g., in hydrocarbon
pyrolysis to acetylene
 - _..--- Jllefll~
~ Co ttt
-------------~
Unit Operation Schematic Representation
at'\S \n so\'n
atate t-o t roo\e.
11 Membrane Separation ~, ed to sel) dtffeten .
uS . ~\oe\'j sug,at Ot
(a) Dial)'sis na\1\ni cau~t1c ttotn
@@ wts., e.g.,
ee ce\\u\ose N\J
. otous (e.g.,
uses m1cto\) . e 0 ~rat1on~ .
(b) Gaseous diffusion batne-cs \n mu\w1,ta~ \J1'~~"F J
5f to seva-cate \\gbt (e.g., UBi"f6 J
J3Sf~ ~ - ttom neav'j (e.g., 6
• coml)onent~
f

12 Mixing
(a) Agitation Ma'jbeu~ed tor \1(\\l\U-\\quid ot
~o\1d-\i(\\l1d m1x.1ng 1n ~ing\e ot
,_ mu\t\~\ecoml)artments·, v.iide\~
u~ed \n l)roce~~ 1ndu~trie~
~
(b) Solids blending
 tf-'JF6 - 1rv~ .. • nts
comPone
J'f

12 Mixing
beuse d for liquid-liquid
. . or ,.
(a) Agitation May . .d mixing m smgJe Ot
solid-hqut
. Ieco mpartments; Widely
multip
_,.. used · proc ess industries
in

(b) Solids blending The dev1c. e shown divides and

recom b in
. es a granular
• rnass
over an d over again to effect
uniformity
13 Size Reduction and
Enlargement

(a) Crushing

Used typically in 4 : I size

reduction of hard materials
from -5 to -20 mesh or - I to
-4 mesh

(bJ Grinding
 vi·ce .!',a•v . . .
. ··. - ., ~~4tI·
1

,rne de . . s a granular 111 .

bJ ne· . q~
recofll nd over again to ef ft!l
ov.,er a . )'
·•orrrut
un 11 '
(h) Solids blending

· JJy in . 4 ·· J s11,\
d cyp,ca ·
1..1 Size Reduction and
Enlurge1nent
use . n of hard materi al
reduc tJO -20. mesh or - 1 t
10
(a) Crushing from - 5 c
_4 rnesh

Wet or dry grinding may bt'

(b) Grinding
carried out in presence of ball\
pebbles or rods; feed may bt
- 4 to - J(JO mesh and reducti<,~
ratio J 0-1 5 to J
 UNIT OPERATION AND UNIT PROCESS CONCEPTS 29

Unit Operation Schematic Representation Comments

(c) Pelletizing Used to make tablets from

powders of medicinals,
catalysts, etc .

14 Solids Handling

(a) Pneumatic conveying Used originally for grain~ now

•
• used widely for cement,
• catalysts, coke and powdered
•
• _ chemicals
•

(b) Bucket elevators ll sed for elevating materials

can be used for movini
powdered or granular 1nat' ls ti
and from storage or betwee
 gl am : now
- - ~ -- -., . •e•uuuy 1,J 1
, used widely for cemcn t.
•. catalysts, coke and powdered
• . chemicals
•

(b) Bucket elevators Used for elevating materials;

can be used for moving
powdered or granular mat'ls to
and from storage or between
reaction vessels as in moving-
bed catalytic processes

(c) Screw conveyor .-6 X J\ KAr<X 6~

YSrYsrvY72
Versatile; can be used to mix
and heat or cool; can be
operated under pressure; useful
for powders or sticky materials

(d) Belt conveyor Can be used to handle large

volumes over long distances
economically; used near
horizontal; belting may be
fabric or rubber
15 Solid/solid Separation
. Pas
Wire, 1 tic or fa bric screens
.
(a) Screening are used to separate sohds of
varying sizes

(b) Elutriation May be used to remove fi~es

. "-

.. ,o .. . .
.. from a solid by passage of a
. . .o . gas to fluidize and transport the
0 . '
fines

(c) Froth fl otation

Finely ground (-50 mesh) ores
are suspended in water in
presence of flotation reagents
(e.g., RCOONa) and blown
with air; desired product

.
collects in froth
 p,~ - .
(e.g.,
RCOONaJ. c1uu u1uwn
with air; des.ired producr-
coUects in froth

Gas--...

(d) Jigging One of the oldest processes

t used for separation of heavy
minerals from lighter gangues
-_··-.·l t.
. ."--''""·..---
as well as for separating coal
.
--
.:.l, _.... --~-:l ..-·
• I
fron1 heavier contaminants

. . .t

J
- Unit Operation Schematic Representation Comments

(e) Magnetic Used to remove tramp iron

1s
f
separation
•
I
0.
from feed to subsequent
grinding and pulverizing steps;
0 0 e also used to concentrate
0 0 00
magnetic iron ores