Lecture

Multicomponent Distillation: Principles and Applications

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Description

This lecture covers the fundamentals of multicomponent distillation, a crucial process in the petrochemical industry. The instructor begins by explaining the significance of distillation in separating various components from crude oil, highlighting the different fractions obtained based on their boiling points. The discussion includes key concepts such as light keys and heavy keys, which are essential for understanding component separation. The instructor introduces the Gilliland correlation for estimating the minimum number of stages required in a distillation column, emphasizing the importance of reflux ratios. Several practice problems are presented to illustrate the application of these concepts, including identifying light keys among given components. The lecture also addresses the concept of fractional recovery, explaining how to calculate the amount of a component collected in the distillate versus the feed. Finally, the instructor introduces Fenske's equation, which relates the number of stages to the relative volatility of components, providing a comprehensive overview of the principles governing multicomponent distillation.

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Physics

Condensed matter physics: Phase transitions

Related concepts (32)

Distillation

Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heating of solid materials to produce gaseous products (which may condense into liquids or solids); this may involve chemical changes such as destructive distillation or cracking.

Fractionating column

A fractionating column or fractional column is equipment used in the distillation of liquid mixtures to separate the mixture into its component parts, or fractions, based on the differences in volatilities. Fractionating columns are used in small-scale laboratory distillations as well as large-scale industrial distillations. A laboratory fractionating column is a piece of glassware used to separate vaporized mixtures of liquid compounds with close volatility.

Continuous distillation

Continuous distillation, a form of distillation, is an ongoing separation in which a mixture is continuously (without interruption) fed into the process and separated fractions are removed continuously as output streams. Distillation is the separation or partial separation of a liquid feed mixture into components or fractions by selective boiling (or evaporation) and condensation. The process produces at least two output fractions.

Fenske equation

The Fenske equation in continuous fractional distillation is an equation used for calculating the minimum number of theoretical plates required for the separation of a binary feed stream by a fractionation column that is being operated at total reflux (i.e., which means that no overhead product distillate is being withdrawn from the column). The equation was derived in 1932 by Merrell Fenske, a professor who served as the head of the chemical engineering department at the Pennsylvania State University from 1959 to 1969.

Boiling point

The boiling point of a substance is the temperature at which the vapor pressure of a liquid equals the pressure surrounding the liquid and the liquid changes into a vapor. The boiling point of a liquid varies depending upon the surrounding environmental pressure. A liquid in a partial vacuum, i.e., under a lower pressure, has a lower boiling point than when that liquid is at atmospheric pressure. Because of this, water boils at under standard pressure at sea level, but at at altitude.

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