11.

4-1 Distillation Using McCabe-Thiele Method

A rectification column is fed 100 kg mol/h of a mixture of 50 mol% benzene and 50 mol% toluene at
101.32 kPa abs pressure. The feed is liquid at the boiling point. The distillate is to contain 90 mol% benzene
and the bottoms 10 mol% benzene. The reflux ratio is 4.52:1. Calculcate the kg mol/h distillate, kg mol/h
bottoms, and the number of theoretical trays, and the theoretical trays needed using the McCabe-Thiele
method.
11.4-2 Rectification of a Heptane-Ethyl Benzene Mixture

A saturated liquid feed of 200 mol/h at the boiling point containing 42 mol% heptane and 58 mol% ethyl
benzene is to be fractionated at 101.32 kPa abs to give a distillate containing 97 mol% heptane and a
bottoms containing 1.1 mol% heptane. The reflux ratio used is 2.5:1. Calculate the mol/h distillate, mol/h
bottoms, theoretical number of trays, and the feed tray number. Equilibrium data are given below at
101.32 kPa abs pressure for the mole fraction n-heptane 𝑥𝐻 and 𝑦𝐻 .
11.4-3 Graphical Solution for Minimum Reflux Ratio and Total Reflux

For the rectification given in 11.4-1, where an equimolar liquid feed of benzene and toluene is being
distilled to give a distillate of composition 𝑥𝐷 =0.90 and a bottoms of composition 𝑥𝑊 =0.10, calculate the
following using graphical methods:

a) Minimum reflux ratio 𝑅𝑚

b) Minimum number of theoretical plate at total reflux
11.4-4 Minimum Number of Theoretical Plates and Minimum Reflux Ratio

Determine the minimum reflux ratio 𝑅𝑚 and the maximum number of theoretical plates at total reflux for
the rectification of a mixture of heptane and ethyl benzene as given in problem 11.4-2. Do this by using
the graphical method of McCabe Thiele.