DEPARTMENT OF MINING AND MINERAL PROCESSING ENGINEERING MP
216: MATERIAL AND ENERGY BALANCE Tutorial
2: Steady state non-reacting mass balance: HW 2
1: A solution composed of 50% ethanol, 10% methanol, and 40% water is fed at the rate of 100
kg/hr into a separator that produces one stream at the rate of 60 kg/hr with the composition of
80% ethanol, 15% methanol, and 5% water, and a second stream of unknown composition.
Calculate the composition (in %) of the three compounds in the unknown stream and its flow
rate in kg/hr.
2: A liquid adhesive, which is used to make laminated boards, consists of a polymer dissolved in a
solvent. The amount of polymer in the solution has to be carefully controlled for this
application. When the supplier of the adhesive receives an order for 3000 kg of an adhesive
solution containing 13 wt % polymer, all it has on hand is 500 kg of a 10 wt % solution, a very
large quantity of a 20 wt % solution, and pure solvent. Calculate the weight of each of the three
stocks that must be blended together to fill the order. Use all of the 10 wt % solution.
3: A crystallizer is charged with 7500 kg of an aqueous solution at 104°C, 28.5% by weight which
is anhydrous sodium sulphate. The solution is cooled. During cooling operation 5% of water
originally present was lost. As a result, the crystals of Na 2SO4.10H2O crystallize out. The
mother liquor is found to contain 18.2% by weight of anhydrous salt. Calculate the yield of
crystals and quantity of mother liquor.
4: 2500 kg of wet solids containing 70% solids by weight are fed to tray dryer where it is dried by
hot air. The product finally obtained is found to contain 1% moisture by weight. Calculate:
a) Amount (in kg) of water removed from wet solids
b) Amount (in kg) of product obtained.
5: A crucial step in the production of aluminum from bauxite ore is the separation of alumina from
the remaining mineral impurities in the ore. In the Bayer process, this is accomplished by
treating bauxite with aqueous NaOH to produce NaA1O2. Since NaA1O2 is water soluble while
the residual mineral constituents of bauxite are not, a separation can be achieved by allowing the
minerals to settle out and decanting the aqueous solution of NaA1O 2 and unreacted NaOH. In
order to further recover any NaA1O2 entrained in the settled mineral solids, this "mud" is
repeatedly washed with water and allowed to settle, and the wash water is decanted. In this
stage, feed slurry consisting of 10% solids, 11% NaOH, 16% NaA1O 2, and the rest water is
washed with a wash water stream containing 2% NaOH to yield a decanted solids-free solution
containing 95% water and a settled mud containing 20% solids.
i) Sketch the flow-sheet of the process
ii) How much NaA1O2 is recovered in the decanted solution if slurry is fed at the rate of
1000 lb/h?
6: Titanium dioxide, TiO2, is a white hiding pigment manufactured in large quantities and used
heavily in the paint and paper industries. In a new pigment plant that is to produce 4000 lb/h dry
TiO2 product, an intermediate stream consisting of TiO 2 precipitate suspended in an aqueous salt
solution, is to be purified of salt so that the final product contains, on a water-free basis, at most
100 parts per million of salt. The salt removal is; to be accomplished by washing the precipitate
with water. If the raw pigment Stream contains 40% TiO 2, 20% salt, and the rest water (all mass
%) and if the washed pigment is, upon settling, projected to consist of about 50% (mass) TiO 2
solids, what will the composition of the waste wash water stream be?