NUMBER OF EQUILIBRIUM STAGES

IN BINARY DISTILLATION

GRAPHICAL METHOD

McCABE-THIELE METHOD
• This method is based on the Lewis modification of
the Sorel method.
• It assumes equimolal overflow in the rectifying
section, in the stripping section, and equimolal latent
heats.
• L0 is a saturated liquid
• Column pressure and reflux ratio are fixed.
 qD
D
L0 xD Overall mass balance:
Lm
m
Vm+1
F=D+B
F

Lp
p

Vp1
qB
B
 A v1 ENVELOPE A
qD
v1 D
L0 xD Vm+1 = Lm + D (1)
v2 L1
m
Vm+1
Vm+1 ym+1 = Lm xm + D xD (2)
Lm
F Lm D
y m 1  xm  xD (3)
Vm1 Vm1

This is an equation of a straight line on a plot of vapor

composition versus liquid composition, where (Lm/Vm+1) is
the slope and (DxD/Vm+1) is the intercept which passes
through the point (xD, xD) and (xm, ym+1).
Since all L values are equal and all V values are equal (due
to constant molal overflow assumption:

Lm D
y m 1  xm  xD (4)
Vm Vm

Equation (4) is the operating line or material balance line

for the rectifying section.
Since:
Lm
R
D Lm Lm Lm D R
  
Vm Lm  D Lm D  1 R  1
V m = Lm + D
D D 1 1
  
Vm Lm  D Lm D  1 R  1

In term of R, equation (4) can be written as:

R xD
y m1  xm  (5)
R1 R1
 R
slope 
R1

xD
intercept 
R1

x xD
ENVELOPE B

Vp1  Lp  B (6)

Lp (7)
p Vp1 yp1  Lp xp  B xB
Vp  1
p+1
Lp B
VN  1
y p1  xp  xB (8)
Vp1 Vp1
qB
LN
B
Since all L values are equal and all V values are equal (due
to constant molal overflow assumption:
Lp B
y p1  x p  x B (9)
Vp Vp

Equation (9) is the operating line or material balance line

for the stripping section.

This is an equation of a straight line with slope Lp Vp

and intercept  Bx B Vp passing through (xB, xB) and
(xp, yp+1).

This line can be drawn from point (xB, yB) to point

0,  Bx B Vp  or with slope Lp Vp
 The problem is, how to calculate Vp and Lp ?
Vp and Lp is calculated by material and enthalpy balance
relationship around the feed plate.

Lp  Lm  qF (10)
Vm Lm Lp  Lm
F
Lp q (11)
Vp F

Vm  Vp   1  q F (12)

Vp  Vm   1  q F  Vm  F  qF  Vm   B  D  qF

Vp  Lm  qF  B (13)
q is the number of moles of saturated liquid formed on
the feed plate by the introduction of 1 mole of feed:

• q=1 : saturated liquid feed, xF = xi

• q=0 : saturated vapor feed, xF = yi
• q>1 : cold liquid feed, xF < xi
• q<1 : superheated vapor, xF > xi
• 0 < q < 1 : two-phase feed, xF  xi
Substituting eqs. (10) and (13) to eq. (9) yields:

Lm  qF B xB
y p1  xp  (14)
Lm  qF  B Lm  qF  B

This equation gives the slope of the operating line in

the stripping section as  Lm  qF   Lm  qF  B 

There is an easier way to draw the operating line in the

stripping section, i.e. by using the q-line, which started
from point (xF, yF = xF).
Component material balance of the feed:

F xF   Lp  Lm  x i   Vm  Vp  y i

xF 
 Lp  Lm 
x 
 Vm  Vp 
y
i i
F F
xF  q x i   q  1 y i

xF  q x i   q  1 y i

q xF
yi  xi  (15)
q1 q1
 Eq. (12) is the equation of the q line having a slope of
q/(q – 1) and terminating at xF on the 45 line and at
point (xi, yi).

• Saturated liquid feed : q = 1 : slope = 

• Saturated vapor feed : q = 0 : slope = 0
• Cold liquid feed : q > 1 : slope = +
• Superheated vapor feed : q < 1 : slope = –
• Two-phase feed : 0 < q < 1 : slope = –
 q=1

q>1
0<q<1

q=0

xB xF xD
 q
slope 
q1
intercept
xD

R1

xB xF xD
 x1, y1

x2, y2
x1, y2

x3, y3
x2, y3

x4, y4 x 3, y 4

xB xF xD
 MINIMUM REFLUX

intercept
xD

R min  1

xB xF xD
 MINIMUM REFLUX

intercept
xD

R min  1

xB xF xD
TOTAL REFLUX

xB xF xD
EXAMPLE 2
Using the data of EXAMPLE 1, determine:
a. The number of equilibrium stages needed for
saturated-liquid feed and bubble-point reflux with R
= 2.5 using McCabe-Thiele graphical method
b. Rmin
c. Minimum number of equilibrium stages at total
reflux.
SOLUTION
(a) The slope of the operating line in the rectifying section:
R 2.5
slope    0.715
R  1 2.5  1
n yn xn
1 0.970 0.930
2 0.941 0.865
3 0.895 0.769
4 0.826 0.640
5 0.734 0.494
6 0.630 0.362
m ym xm
7 0.497 0.235
8 0.321 0.122
9 0.165 0.056
10 0.073 0.024
11 0.030 0.010
 1.0

0.9
N = 11
0.8

0.7

0.6

0.5
y 0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0.0
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0
x
(b)

xD
Intercept =  0.45
R min  1

Rmin = 1.18
(c)

N=8
SIDE PRODUCT
• If a product of intermediate composition is required, a
vapor or a liquid side stream can be withdrawn.
• This kind of column configuration is typical of the
petrochemical plants, where the most common running
unit operation is the fractional distillation.
• This consists in splitting a mixture of various components,
the crude oil, into its components. Because of their
different boiling temperatures, the components (or so-
called fractions) of the crude oil are separated at different
level (i.e. plate) of the column, where different boiling
temperatures are present.
• The fractions are then withdrawn from the plate where
they form, therefore the column presents numerous side
streams.
 D, xD
L0
Rectifying section L Vm
m

S, xS
Middle section
Ln Vn
F, xF

Stripping section
Lp Vp

B, xB
MATERIAL BALANCE IN RECTIFYING SECTION

Assuming constant
D, xD molar overflow, then
Lm L0 for the rectifying
m section the operating
line is given by:
Vm+1 S, xS

Lm D xD
y m1  xm  (16)
Vm Vm
 MATERIAL BALANCE IN MIDDLE SECTION

D, xD
L0
Rectifying section

S, xS

Middle section Vn1 Ln

F, xF
Overall: Vn1  Ln  S  D (17)

Component: Vn1 y n1  Ln x n  S x S  D x D

(18)
Ln S x S  D xD
y n 1  xn 
Vn1 Vn1 (19)

For constant molal overflow:

Ln S x S  D xD (20)
y n 1  x n 
Vn Vn
Since the side stream is normally removed as a liquid:
Ln  Lm  S Vn  Vm
Equation (20) represents a line of slope Ln Vn , which
passes through the point

S x S  D xD
yx
S D

which is the mean molar composition of the overhead

product and side streams.

Since xS < xD and Ln  Lm , this additional operating line

cuts the line y = x at a lower value than the operating line
though it has a smaller slope.
MATERIAL BALANCE IN STRIPPING SECTION

F, xF

Vp  1
Lp

B, xB
Overall: Vp1  Lp  B (21)

Component: Vp1 yp1  Lp xn  B xB

(22)
Lp B xB
y p1  xp 
Vp1 Vp1 (23)

For constant molal overflow:

Lp B xB (24)
y p1  x p 
Vp Vp
Equation (24) represents a line of slope Lp Vp , which
passes through the point (xB, xB)
 Ln
slope 
Vn

Lp Lm
slope
slope  Vm
Vp

xB xD