SIMPLE DISTILLATION

I.

Theory
Distillation unit operation is also referred to as fractionation or fractional distillation. Separation of
constituents is based upon differences in volatility. The vapor phase contacts a liquid phase and mass is
transferred simultaneously. The liquid is at its bubble point while the vapor in equilibrium is at its dew
point. The net effect is an increase in concentration of the more volatile component in the vapor and of
the less volatile component in the liquid. Vaporization and condensation both involve the latent heats of
vaporization of the components and thus, heat effects must be considered in distillation calculations.
The feed enters the column somewhere in the middle and flows down to a sieve tray or stage. Vapor
enters the tray and bubbles through the liquid flows across. It continues up to the next tray where it is
again contacted with a down flowing liquid. The final vapor product coming overhead is condensed and a
portion of the liquid product (distillate) is removed. The remaining liquid from the condenser is returned
(refluxed) as a liquid to the top tray to provide liquid flow above the feed point. The liquid leaving the
bottom tray enters a reboiler, where it is partially vaporized and the remaining liquid is withdrawn as
liquid product. The vapor from the reboiler is sent back to the bottom stage or tray to provide the vapor
flow.

Figure 1 Process flow of a fractionating tower containing sieve trays

In equilibrium or flash distillation, which occurs in a single stage, a liquid mixture is partially
vaporized. The vapor is allowed to come to equilibrium with the liquid and then the vapor and liquid
phases are then separated. Flash distillation is used for separating components that boil at widely different
temperatures. It is not effective for components of comparable volatility since both the condensed vapor
and residual liquid are far from pure. Continuous distillation or rectification is then applied to address
this problem.

II.

Equations
Material Balances on Plate Columns with Reflux
Assumption: The McCabe-Thiele method of calculation for the number of theoretical stages assumes
that there must be equimolar overflow through the tower between the feed inlet and the top tray and the
feed inlet and the bottom tray.
Total Material Balance:
Component balance:

V n+1 + Ln1=V n + Ln

V n+1 y n+1 + Ln1 x n +1=V n y n+ L n x n

Enriching or Rectifying Section the upper part of the tower above the feed entrance where the binary
components A and B is enriched so that the distillate is richer in A than the feed. (F = Feed; D = Distillate;
W = Bottoms; all in mol/h). The theoretical stages are determined by starting at xD and stepping off the
first plate to x1. Then y2 is the composition of the vapor passing the liquid x1. The other theoretical trays
are stepped off down the tower in the rectifying section to the feed tray as shown in Figure 4.
Total MB about the tower:

F=D+W

Component MB about the tower:

F x F =D x D +W x W

Figure 3 Material balance for the rectifying

Figure 2 Material balance
diagram for plate n section

Total MB about the rectifying section:

V n+1 =Ln+ D

Component balance about the rectifying section:

Reflux ratio:

R=

V n+1 y n+1=L n x n + D x D

Ln
D

Slope of the rectifying -section operating line (OL):

y n+1=

Ln xn D x D
x
R
+
=
xn + D
V n +1 V n+ 1 R+1
R+1

Figure 4 Operating and equilibrium lines for

the rectifying section

Stripping Section the lower section of the tower where the volatile components are stripped from the
liquid. Since equimolal flow is assumed, then Lm = Ln and Vm+1 = Vn both are then constant. Again, the
theoretical stages for the stripping section are determined by starting at xw, going up to yw, and then across
to the operating line and so on.

Total
MB
about the
stripping
section:

Figure 5 Material balance for the

stripping section

Figure 6 Operating and equilibrium

lines for the stripping section

V m+ 1=LmW
Component balance about the rectifying section:

V m+ 1 y m +1=Lm x m W xW

Slope of the rectifying -section operating line (OL):

y m+1 =

Lm x m W x W

V m +1 V m+1

Effect of Feed Conditions

Feed Plate the condition of the feed entering the column determines the relation between the vapor Vm
in the stripping section and Vn in the rectifying section and also between Lm and Ln. Figure 7 shows the
streams entering and exiting the feed plate for various feed conditions.

Figure 7 Flow for various feed conditions: a) cold liquid feed;

b) saturated liquid feed; c) partially vaporized feed; d)
saturated vapor feed; e) superheated vapor feed

The condition of the feed is represented by the quantity, q where Hv, HF and HL are enthalpies of the feed
at dew point, entrance condition, and bubble point respectively.

q=

H v H F
H v H L

From q, the following equations hold:

V n=V m + (1q ) F
Lm=Ln +qF
For constant molal overflow, the material balance equations for two sections are

V n y=Ln x + D x D
V m y=Lm xW x W
Then q has the following numerical limits for the various conditions:

Cold feed

q>1

Feed at bubble point

(saturated liquid)

q=1

Partially vaporized
feed
Feed at dew point
(saturated vapor)
Superheated vapor
feed

0<q<1
q=0
q<0

To locate the point where the operating lines intersect, let yn = ym and xn+1 = xm+1 and simplifying, the qline equation is as follows

y=

x
q
x F
q1
q1

The intersection of the q-line equation with 45 line is y = x = xF. The slope of the q-line is
based on the various feed conditions given above. The feed plate location is
determined by the usual step-by-step construction as shown below. The feed plate
is represented by the triangle that has one corner on the rectifying line and another
on the stripping line.

Figure 8 Optimum feed plate location on plate 5

III. Worked Problems

1. A liquid mixture of benzene-toluene is to be distilled in a fractionating tower at 101.3 kPa pressure.
The feed of 100 kgmol/hr is liquid, containing 45% mol benzene and 55% mol toluene, and enters at
327.6 K. A distillate containing 95% mol benzene and 5% mol toluene and a bottoms containing 10%

mol benzene and 90% mol toluene are to be obtained. The reflux ratio is 4:1. The average heat
capacity of the feed is 159 kJ/kg mol K and the average latent heat is 32,099 kJ/ kg mol. Calculate the
kg moles per hour distillate and bottoms, and the number of theoretical trays needed.
Solution:

F=D+W
100=D+W

F x F =D x D +W x W
100 ( 0.5 )=0.95 D+0.1 ( 100D )

D=41.2

kgmol
hr

W =58.8

kgmol
For the enriching
hr

operating line,

y n+1=
q=

x
R
4
0.95
xn + D =
xn +
=0.80 x n +0.19
R+1
R+1 4+1
4 +1

H v H F H v H L +C pL ( T B T F ) 32099+159 ( 366.7327.6 )
=
=
=1.195
H v H L
H v H L
32099
For the slope of the q line,

Slope=

q
1.195
=
=6.12
q1 1.1951

The number of trays from the diagram is 7 minus a reboiler, therefore 6 theoretical trays