MASS BALANCES IN NON-REACTIVE SYSTEM

Balance de Materia y Energía 2024-1

EXERCISES
Each student should:
• Create a flowsheet for the process.
• Perform a degree of freedom analysis.
• Solve the system.
• Develop a matrix for streams and compositions.
• Verify the mass balance using any equation.

1. Fresh feed containing 55 wt% A and 45 wt% B flowing at 100 kg/h enters a separator that
removes a portion of pure component A only as a bottom product. The top product stream
of the separator contains 10 wt% of component A and the balance is B. A small part of
the separator product stream is recycled and joined in the fresh feed stream. The other
portion is purged. The separator is designed to remove exactly two-thirds of component
A fed to it (not the fresh feed). The recycle loop is used to achieve this goal. Compute all
unknown stream flow rates and compositions.
2. The raw feed to a sulfur removal process contains 15 wt% CO2, 5% H2S, and 1.5% CO,
and the balance is CH4. The original absorber design placed a maximum flow rate limit
of 80 kg/h. The product stream of the whole process contains 1% H2S, 0.3% CO, and the
balance is carbon dioxide and methane. Any feed flow rate in excess of 80 kg/h is
bypassed. The absorber absorbs hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide only. If the fresh
feed to the unit is 100 kg/h, perform a degrees of freedom analysis and find the flow rates
of the product streams.
3. Fresh feed stream flowing at 100 kg/h contains 20% by weight KNO3 (K) in H2O (W).
The fresh feed stream is combined with a recycle stream and is fed to an evaporator. The
concentrated liquid solution exited the evaporator contains 50% KNO3 is fed to a
crystallizer. The crystals obtained from the crystallizer are 96% KNO3 and 4% water.
The liquid from the crystallizer constitutes the recycle stream and contains 0.6 kg KNO3
per 1.0 kg of H2O. Calculate all stream flow rate values and compositions.
4. The absorber–stripper system shown in Example Figure 4.7.1 is used to remove carbon
dioxide and hydrogen sulfide from a feed consisting of 30% CO2 and 10% H2S in
nitrogen. In the absorber, a solvent selectively absorbs hydrogen sulfide and carbon
dioxide. The absorber overhead contains only 1% CO2 and no H2S. N2 is insoluble in
the solvent. The rich solvent stream leaving the absorber is flashed, and the overhead
stream consists of 20% solvent, and contains 25% of the CO2 and 15% of the H2S from
the raw feed to the absorber. The liquid stream leaving the flash unit is split into equal
portions, one being returned to the absorber. The other portion, which contains 5% CO2,
is fed to the stripper. The liquid stream leaving the stripper consists of pure solvent and
is returned to the absorber along with makeup solvent. The stripper overhead contains
 30% solvent. Calculate all flow rates and compositions of unknown streams. The gas feed
rate is 100 mol/h.

5. A solution containing 15.0 wt% NaCl, 5.0 wt% KCl, and 80 wt% water is fed to an
evaporator–crystallizer process. The fresh feed stream mass flow rate is 1000 kg/h, the
fresh feed is combined with the recycle stream, coming from the crystallizer stream, and
enters an evaporator. In the evaporator, pure NaCl is collected at the bottom of the
evaporator, and the top stream is pure water vapor. The evaporator outlet stream
composition is 17 wt% NaCl and 22 wt% KCl, and 61% water enters the crystallizer unit.
Pure KCl is collected as bottom product from the crystallizer. The crystallizer outlet
stream is entirely recycled and joins the fresh feed stream. The recycle stream contains
20 wt% NaCl, the balance is water and KCl (i.e., both components are 80 wt%). The
bottom products of the evaporator and the crystallizer consist of dry and pure NaCl and
KCl, respectively. Draw the process flow sheet and calculate the mass fraction of KCl in
the recycle stream. ( R // 0.082).
6. A process consists of two distillation columns. The composition of the feed to the first
tower is 30.0 mol% benzene (B), 30.0 mol% toluene (T), and 40.0 mol% xylene (X). The
overhead stream from the first tower contains no xylene (X). The benzene content of the
overhead stream from the first tower is 55.0 mol%. The bottoms stream from the second
tower has a flow rate of 100 mol/h and contains 15.0 mol% toluene and no benzene.
While the overhead stream from the second tower contains 50.0 mol% benzene, there are
also other components, T or X, or both, in this stream. The flow rate of the overhead
stream from the first tower is twice the flow rate of the overhead stream from the second
tower. Determine the molar flow rates of the fresh feed stream and the overhead stream
leaving the first column. (R // 228, 85.8 mol/h)
7. Contaminated air containing 3% acetone and 2% water is fed to an absorber column as
shown in Example Figure 4.10.1. The mass flow rate of air is 100 kg/h. Pure water is
used as an absorbent to absorb acetone from air. The air leaving the absorber should be
free of acetone and contains 0.5% water. The bottom liquid of the absorber is fed to a
distillation column to separate acetone from water. The bottom stream of the distillation
column was found to contain 4% acetone and the balance is water. The vapor from the
overhead of the distillation column was totally condensed and split into two portions, one
portion is recycled to the column and the second fraction forms the distillate product
stream. The concentration of the condensate is found to be 99% acetone. All percentages
are in weight percent. Calculate the flow rate of all unknown streams.
8. It is proposed to separate CaCO3 (solid) from slurry via crystallization. The feed slurry
contains equal mass fractions of CaCO3 precipitate in a solution of NaOH and H2O. The
slurry is washed with a dilute solution of 5 wt% NaOH in H2O and of an equal flow rate
as the slurry. The washed slurry, after leaving the unit, contains 2 kg solution per 1 kg of
solid (CaCO3). The clear solution (free of solid) withdrawn from the unit can be assumed
to have the same concentration in NaOH and water as the solution withdrawn with the
solid crystals. On the basis of 100 kg/h of feed slurry, draw and label the process flowchart
and calculate the composition of sodium hydroxide in the clear solution. ( R // 0.23)
Good luck!