Numericals

• A continuous fractionating column is to be designed to separate 14000 kg/h of a

mixture of 40% benzene and 60% toluene at 1 atm into an overhead product
containing 97% benzene and a bottom product containing 98% toluene. These
percentages are by weight. The feed is available at 293 K (20 °C) and 1 atm. A
reflux ratio of three times the minimum is used.
Determine: (a) The quantities of overhead and bottoms in kmol/h.
(b) The number of real/actual plates required and the optimum position of feed
plate.
• Given :
• Benzene and tolune form an ideal system with a relative volatility of 2.5
• The molal latent heats of benzene and tolune are 30800 and 33300 kJ/kmol
respectively.
• The bubble point of feed at 1 atm is 368 K (95 °C) and its specific heat is 1.85
kJ/(kg.K).
• Overall efficiency of 60% can be assumed.
 2.1-Mc cabe thiele
• A rectification column is fed 100kgmol/h of a mixture of 50 mol
% benzene and 50 mol% toluene at 101.32kpa abs pressure.
The feed is a liquid at its boiling point. The distillate is to contain
90mol% benzene and the bottoms 10mol% benzene. The reflux
ratio is 4.5:1
Benzene and toluene form an ideal system with a relative
volatility of 2.5
(i) Calculate the kg mol/h distillate, kg mol/h bottoms
(ii) The number of theoretical trays using McCabe Thiele
method
(iii) Minimum reflux ratio
(iv) Minimum number of theoretical plates at total reflux
 1. A binary mixture of methanol (30% by weight) and ethanol(70% by weight) is to be
separated by fractionation to obtain each of 95% purity by weight. Calculate the
minimum reflux and the number of ideal plates at total reflux if the feed is 30%
vaporised. Also calculate the actual number of plates if a reflux ratio of twice the
minimum is used when the overall plate efficiency is 60%
The system follow raoult's law. The following vapour pressure data are available
Temperatu 64 67 70 73 76 78
re °C
Methanol 760 820 920 1020 1150 1260
mmHg
Ethanol 420 430 470 610 690 760
mmHg
A binary distillation column is operating under the conditions given
below:
Feed rate = 400 kmol/hr
Overhead product rate = 200 kmol/hr
Mole fraction of more volatile component in overhead product = 0.97.
Mole fraction of more volatile component in bottom product = 0.02.
Bottom product rate = 200 kmol/hr
Reflux ratio = 3.5
In the stripping section, it was found that the mole fraction of the volatile
component in the vapour leaving a plate is 0.33 while its mole fraction in
the liquid coming to the same plate is 0.25. Assuming constant molal
counter flow, determine whether the feed is vapour, liquid or partially
vapourized