CH411 Simultaneous Heat and

Mass Transfer

Dr Khurram Imran Khan

Multicomponent Distillation Lecture

GIK Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology

Faculty of Materials & Chemical Engineering
Fall Semester 2018
 Multicomponent Distillation
• Equilibrium Stages
• Mass balance and enthalpy balance
• Complex concentration systems depends on
temperature of every stage
• Vapour-Liquid Equilibria-----K-Value---Distribution
Coefficient-------K-factor
• Relative Volatility
• Flash calculations
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 Example 22.1 and 22.2
• Find the bubble point and the dew point
temperatures and the corresponding vapour and
liquid compositions for a mixture of 33 mole percent
n-hexane, 37 mole percent n-heptane and 30 mole
percent n-octane at 1.2 atm total pressure.
• The mixture is subjected to a flash distillation at 1.2
atm pressure, and 60 percent of the feed is
vaporized. (a) Find the temperature of the flash and
the composition of the liquid and vapour products.
(b) To what temperature must the feed liquid be
heated for 60% vaporization on flashing
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 yie Pi  Pi yi
K i Pi
Ki   Ki  αij   
xi

xie P P yj
xj K j Pj
1 2 3

Nc Nc
Nc Nc yi
 y  K x
i i i  1.0 
i 1
xi  
i 1 K i
 1.0
i 1 i 1
4 5

Nc Nc
xFi
x
i 1
Bi 1 
i 1 f  K i  1  1 6
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 Fractionation of Multicomponent
Mixtures
• Fenske equation for minimum number of
plates
 xDi   xDj 
ln    
  x Bi   x Bj  
N min  1
ln αij
αij  3 αDij  αFij  αBij

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 Example 22.3
• A mixture of 33 mole percent n-hexane, 37 mole
percent n-heptane and 30 mole percent n-octane
is to be distilled to give a product distillate with
0.01 mol. Frc. N-heptane and a bottom product
with 0.01 mole fraction n-hexane. The column
will operate at 1.2 atm total pressure with 60%
vaporized feed. Calculate the product
composition and the minimum number of ideal
plates.

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 Calculations of Minimum Reflux RDm xD  y 
Ratio for Binary System and as per 
RDm  1 xD  x
diagram develop in Last lecture
xD  y 
RDm 
An alternate equation for a y   x
saturated liquid feed
Lmin  DxDA / FxFA   α AB  DxDB / FxFB 

F α AB  1
D xDi
Compositions in
 yi  1.0  V  1 L / V K
   i
respective invariant
B xBi
zones
 yi  1.0  V  L / V K 1
   i
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Underwood Method for  i xFi
Determining Minimum
1  q        fi
i
Reflux Ratio, RDm
Vmin  i xDi
Ki  RDm  1  
i  K ref D i  
Example 22.4. A mixture with 4 percent n-pentane, 40
percent n-hexane, 50 percent n-heptane, and 6 percent n-
octane is to be distilled at 1 atm with 98 percent of the
hexane and 1 percent of the heptane recovered in the
distillate. (a) What is the minimum reflux ratio for a liquid
feed at the boiling point? (b) What are the temperature
and compositions in the upper and lower invariant zones?

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 Example 22.5
• A mixture of 33 mole percent n-hexane, 37 mole
percent n-heptane and 30 mole percent n-octane
is to be distilled to give a distillate product with
0.01 mole fraction n-heptane and a bottom
product with 0.01 mole fraction n-hexane. The
column will operate at 1.2 atm pressure, and 60
percent of the feed is vaporized. Estimate the
number of ideal plates required for the separation
specified if the reflux ratio is 1.5RDm.

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