DISTILLATION

Distillation is defined as:

a process in which a liquid or vapour
mixture of two or more substances is
separated into its component fractions of
desired purity, by the application and
removal of heat.
Distillation is based on the fact that the
vapour of a boiling mixture will be richer in
the components that have lower boiling
points.
When this vapour is cooled and condensed,
the condensate will contain more volatile
components. At the same time, the original
mixture will contain more of the less volatile
material
most common separation technique
it consumes enormous amounts of energy,
both in terms of cooling and heating
requirements
it can contribute to more than 50% of plant
operating costs

DISTILLATION
eg. Ethanol-water:
vapour phase = higher conc. of ethanol
liquid phase = higher conc. of water
2 methods of distillation:
rectification/fractional/distillation with reflux
(returned) part of the vapour is condensed &
returned as liquid back to the vessel
-Reflux ratio: indicate the amount of product to be
recycled back to the top of the column. The recycle is
strictly needed to keep constant the internal flowrate
inside the column and to enhance the separation
process.
Eg: 80% reflux ratio: 20% product
80% recycled
all of the vapour is removed or is condensed as
product

Azeotropic

Azeotropic point

An azeotrope is a liquid mixture which when vaporised, produces the same

composition as the liquid. (E.g.: Methanol and Methyl Acetate mixture).
A mixture of two or more liquid in such a way that its components cannot be
altered by simple distillation
This happens because, when and azeotrope is boiled, the vapour has the same
propertions of constituents as the unboiled mixture.
The azeotropic point must be shifted by using vacuum distillation or by adding
additional substance.

DISTILLATION
Types of distillation:
simple
fractional
steam
immiscible solvent
azeotropic
extractive
vacuum
molecular
Distillation tower at an oil refinery.

entrainer sublimation

EXTRACTION

Removal of one or more components (solutes) from solids or liquids

using liquid solvent
LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTION/SOLVENT EXTRACTION
Separation of two miscible liquids using another liquid (solvent)
Eg. Vitamin A and D (solute) from fish oil (inert liquid) using liquid
propene (solvent)
SOLID-LIQUID EXTRACTION/LEACHING
Separation of solutes from solid using liquid solvent
Eg. Soya milk (solute) from soya bean (inert solid) using water (liquid
solvent)

LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTION
takes advantage of the relative solubilities of solutes in immiscible or
nearly immiscible liquids
solute dissolves more readily in the solvent in which it has a higher solubility
Distribution Coefficient, K, determines the ratio of the concentration of the
solute in each liquid.
Separation by distillation is ineffective or difficult
Boiling points of mixtures are close
Flexibility in operation conditions choice is desired
More than two components are present
The material is heat sensitive

COUNTER CURRENT EXTRACTION

Two immiscible fluids, usually
one light and one heavy fluid,
flowing continuously in opposite
directions are brought together
and allowed to separate
lighter liquid flows upward while
the heavier liquid flows downward
extract is the exit solvent rich
stream containing the desired
extracted solute
raffinate is the exit residual stream
containing little solute

SOLID-LIQUID EXTRACTION/LEACHING
Separation of solutes from solid using liquid solvent
Eg. Soya milk (solute) from soya bean (inert solid) using water (liquid
solvent)
In the metal industry - leaching of copper salts from ground ores
using sulfuric acid or ammoniacal solutions

Leaching of toxic materials into groundwater is a major health concern

Mechanism of evaporation
removing a liquid

by boiling off some of the liquid

thermal separation/concentration
vapour removed as top product
concentrated solution as bottom product
desired products
concentrated solution eg. Milk
vapour usually water vapour
crystal eg. Salt crystal

(a) Falling-film evaporator

(b) Climbing-film evaporator

ABSORPTION
mass transfer process
separating a solute (A) or several solutes from a
gas phase by contacting the gas with a liquid
phase
eg. absorbing NH3 from air using liquid water,
Acetone from air using liquid water
liquid phase is immiscible in the gas phase

STRIPPING/DESORPTION
solute is removed from a liquid by contacting it
with a gas

HUMIDIFICATION PROCESSES

Humidification
Transfer of water from the liquid phase into a gaseous mixture of
air & water vapour
Air &water vapour

water

Dehumidification
Water vapour is transferred from the vapour state to the liquid state

HUMIDIFICATION PROCESSES
Water-cooling tower packed tower

evaporation of warm water when in contact with unsaturated air

latent heat of vaporisation given off cools water
only small amount of water is lost

Natural draft water cooler

Dehumidification tower
Humidification/ cooling tower
Operating line lies below the equilibrium line
Water is cooled & air humidified

Dehumidification tower
Operating line lies above the equilibrium line
humidity & temperature of air reduced

CRYSTALLIZATION PROCESSES

CRYSTALLIZATION PROCESSES

Heating and Cooling (Heat Exchanger)

Task of heat exchanger: to transfer the heat (Q) in the systems
Why we transfer the heat:

Reactant A
T = 30 oC

HEATING

COOLING

HEATING

BOILING

CONDANCE

Reactant B
T = 40 oC
REACTOR
T = 250 oC

FLASH
DISTILLATION
T = 80 oC
COOLING