MTO-1 Assignment 4 due on March 4, 2019

1. 4000kg/h of an aqueous waste stream containing a toxic volatile organic compound (VOC)
has to be stripped with air. The waste stream has 0.1 kg of VOC per 100 kg of water and the
concentration has to be reduced to 50ppm.The air rate will be kept at 1500kg/h.The
equilibrium relation of VOC between air and water can be expressed as
Y = 4.35X (X,Y :kg VOC per kg water or air )

Determine ( graphically) the number of ideal trays required.

2.1000 kg of an aqueous solution has 0.12 kg solute per kg water. It is treated with an organic
solvent, immiscible with water, in a three-stage mixer-settler unit in cross-flow extraction in
order to recover 96% of the solute. In the first stage, 1200 kg of solvent is used, and equal
amounts of solvent are used in the next two stages so that the desired recovery of the solute is
achieved. The equilibrium relation is Ws= 1.25 Ww , where Ws is the kg solute per kg organic
solvent and Ww is kg solute per kg water. Calculate the total solvent requirement. Consider
the stages to be ideal.

3.A solution of C in A has to be treated with a solvent B in a two-stage crosscurrent

separation unit. The liquids A and B are immiscible and the equilibrium relation is Y=αX
where X is kg C per kg A and Y is kg C per kg B. For a fixed total amount of solvent used for
a two-stage contactor, show that for maximum removal of C from feed, half of the solvent
needs to be used in each stage. Consider the stages to be ideal.

4.The equilibrium adsorption of benzene vapour on a certain activated charcoal at 33.30C is

reported as follows:
Benzene 15 25 40 50 65 80 90 100
vapour
adsorbed cm3
(STP)/g
charcoal
partial 0.001 0.0045 0.0251 0.115 0.251 1.00 2.81 7.82
pressure of
benzene, mm
Hg
(a) A nitrogen –benzene vapour mixture containing 1.0% benzene by volume is to be passed
countercurrently at the rate of 4.72 x10-2 m3/s to a moving stream of the activated
charcoal so as to remove 95% of the benzene from the gas in a continuous process. The
entering charcoal contains 15 cm3 benzene vapour ( at STP) adsorbed per gram of
charcoal. The temperature and total pressure are to be maintained at 33.30C and 1 atm,
respectively.
Nitrogen is not adsorbed. What is the least amount of charcoal which can be used per unit
time? If twice as much is used, what will be the concentration of benzene adsorbed on the
charcoal leaving?
(b) Repeat part (a) for cocurrent flow of gas and charcoal.
(c) 45.4 kg/h of charcoal which has adsorbed upon it 100 cm3 ( at STP) benzene vapour per
gram is to be stripped of its benzene content to a concentration of 55 cm 3 adsorbed
benzene per gram of charcoal by continuous countercurrent contact with a stream of pure
nitrogen gas at 1 atm and 33.30C.What is the minimum rate of nitrogen flow? What will
be the benzene content of the exit gas if twice as much nitrogen is used? How many ideal
stages will be required for the separation?
.