CME208 Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering I
Tutorial 7
Question 1
An enriching tower is fed 100 kmol/h of a saturated vapour feed containing 40 mol % benzene
(A) and 60 mol % toluene (B) at 101.32 kPa abs. The distillate is to contain 90 mol % benzene.
The reflux ratio is set at 4.0:1. Calculate the kmol/h distillate D and bottoms W and their
compositions. Also, calculate the number of theoretical plates required.
Temperature Mole Fraction Benzene at 101.325 kPa
K °C xA yA
353.3 80.1 1.000 1.000
358.2 85 0.780 0.900
363.2 90 0.581 0.777
368.2 95 0.411 0.632
373.2 100 0.258 0.456
378.2 105 0.130 0.261
383.8 110.6 0 0
Ans: D = 20 kmol/hr; B = 80 kmol/hr; xB = 0.275; 4.7 stages
Question 2
A liquid mixture containing 10 mol % n-heptane and 90 mol % n-octane is fed at its boiling
point to the top of a stripping tower at 101.32 kPa abs. The bottoms are to contain 98 mol % n-
octane. For every 3 mol of feed, 2 mol of vapour is withdrawn as product. Calculate the
composition of the vapour and the number of theoretical plates required. The equilibrium data
below are given as mole fraction n-heptane.
xH yH
0. 284 0.459
0.097 0.184
0.067 0.131
0.039 0.078
0.012 0.025
Ans: yD = 0.14; 4 steps
Question 3
Distillation is used to prepare 99 percent pure products from a mixture of n-butane and n-
pentane. Vapour pressures taken from Perry's Handbook are given below.
(a) Plot the vapour pressures in a form that permits accurate interpolation, and determine the
average relative volatility for columns operating at 1, 2, and 8 atm.
(b) Determine the minimum number of ideal plates for the separation at these three pressures.
Explain what is the main advantage of carrying out the separation at above atmospheric
pressure?
Ans: (a) 3.6, 3.6, 2.7; (b) 6.17 + 1 reboiler, 6.7 + 1 reboiler, 8.3 + 1 reboiler