Problems in Mass Transfer

Mass Transfer Problems
1. Differential Distillation
A liquid feed consisting of 1200 gmoles of mixture containing 30% naphthalene and 70%
dipropylene glycol is differentially distilled at 100 mm Hg pressure and final distillate contains 55%
of the feed solution. The VLE data are:
X 8.4 11.6 28.0 50.6 68.7 80.6 88
Y 22.3 41.1 62.9 74.8 80.2 84.4 88
a. determine the amount of distillate

b. determine the concentration of naphthalene in residue and distillate
2. Differential Distillation – Ideal Solution of Constant Volatility

100 moles of Benzene (A) and Toluene mixture containing 50% (mole) of Benzene is subjected to a
differential distillation at atmospheric pressure till the composition of benzene in the residue is
33%. Calculate the total moles of the mixture distilled. Average relative volatility may be assumed
as 2.16
3. Differential Distillation – Benzene Toluene Separation

A binary mixture of benzene and toluene containing 40% of benzene is to be distilled at 1 atm
pressure to recover 95% of the benzene. Estimate the molal percent of mixture to be distilled and
the composition of the distillate obtained if distillation is carried out by Differential distillation,
collecting all the distillate together.
The average relative volatility of benzene to toluene is 2.5.
4. Equilibrium Flash Distillation

A feed of 50 mole % hexane and 50 mole % octane is fed into a pipe still through a pressure
reducing valve and then into a flash disengaging chamber. The vapor and liquid leaving the
chamber are assumed to be in equilibrium. If the fraction of the feed converted to the vapor is 0.5,
find the compositions of the top and bottom products. The following table gives the equilibrium
data for this system.
Mole fractions of hexane in liquid, x 1.00 0.69 0.40 0.192 0.045 0.00
Mole fraction of hexanes in vapor, y 1.00 0.932 0.78 0.538 0.177 0.00
5. Liquid Extraction
60 tons per day of oil-sand (25 mass % oil and 75 mass % sand) is to be extracted with 40 tons
per day of naphtha in a counter-current extraction battery. The final extract from the battery is to
contain 40 mass % oil and 60 mass % naphtha and the underflow from each unit is expected to
consist of 35 mass % solution and 65 mass % sand. If the overall efficiency of the battery is 50%,
how many stages will be required?
6. McCabe-Thiele Method
A saturated liquid mixture containing 60 mole % benzene and 40 mole % toluene is to be distilled
continuously into a distillate product containing 90 mole % benzene and the bottom product
containing 5 mole % benzene. The fractional distillation column will operate at approximately
constant pressure of 1 atm. The reflux ratio is 2. How many theoretical plates must the column
have if the feed is introduced into the eighth plate? Equilibrium data are:
x 0 0.017 0.075 0.13 0.211 0.288 0.37 0.411 0.581 0.78 1
y 0 0.039 0.161 0.261 0.393 0.496 0.591 0.632 0.777 0.9 1
1
7. McCabe-Thiele Method
A continuous fractionating column is to be designed for separating 10,000 kg per hour of a liquid
mixture containing 40 mole percent methanol and 60 mole percent water into an overhead product
containing 97 mole percent methanol and a bottom product having 98 mole percent water. A mole
reflux ratio of 3 is used. Calculate (i) moles of overhead product obtained per hour and (ii) number
of ideal plates and location of the feed plate if the feed is at its bubble point.
Equilibrium data:
X 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9
Y 0.0417 0.579 0.669 0.729 0.78 0.825 0.871 0.915 0.959
Where: x = mole fraction of methanol in liquid

y = mole fraction of methanol in vapor
8. Methanol-Ethanol Ideal Solution

Methanol and ethanol form an ideal solution. Compute vapor-liquid equilibrium data and prepare
plots of x-y and T-x-y at 1 atm pressure. The following pure component vapor pressure data is
given:
Vapor pressure, mm Hg 200 400 760 1520
Temperature oC for ethanol 48.4 62.5 78.4 97.5
Temperature oC for methanol 34.8 49.9 64.7 84
What value of relative volatility will you recommend for this system?
9. Number of Plates at Total Reflux

A mixture of benzene and toluene containing 40 mole % of benzene is to be separated to give a
product of 90 mole % of benzene at the top and bottom product with not more than 10 mole % of
benzene. Using an average value of 2.4 for the volatility of benzene relative to toluene, calculate
the number of theoretical plates required at total reflux. Also calculate the minimum reflux ratio, if
the feed is liquid and at its boiling point.
10.Ponchon-Savarit Method
1000 kg/hr of a mixture containing 42 mole percent heptane and 58 mole percent ethyl benzene is
to be fractionated to a distillate containing 97 mole percent heptane and a residue containing 99
mole percent ethyl benzene using a total condenser and feed at its saturated liquid condition. The
enthalpy-concentration data for the heptane-ethyl benzene at 1 atm pressure are as follows:
xheptane 0 0.08 0.18 0.25 0.49 0.65 0.79 0.91 1.0
yheptane 0 0.28 0.43 0.51 0.73 0.83 0.90 0.96 1.0
Hl (kJ/kmol) x 10-3 24.3 24.1 23.2 22.8 22.05 21.75 21.7 21.6 21.4
Hv (kJ/kmol) x 10-3 61.2 59.6 58.5 58.1 56.5 55.2 54.4 53.8 53.3
Calculate the following:

a. Minimum reflux ratio
b. Minimum number of stages at total reflux
c. Number of stages at reflux ratio of 2.5
d. Condenser duty
2
e. Reboiler duty
11.Steam Distillation
Vapor pressures of chlorobenzene and water are given below:
Pressure, mm Hg 100 50 30 26
Temperature oC, Chlorobenzene 70.4 53.7 42.7 34.5
Temperature oC, Water 51.7 38.5 29.9 22.5
If steam is blown into the still containing a mixture of these two components and the total pressure
is 130 mm Hg, estimate the temperature of boiling and the composition of the distillate. The two
components are immiscible in the liquid

Problems in Mass Transfer

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Problems in Mass Transfer

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What are the different types of mass transfer problems discussed?

What are the different types of mass transfer problems discussed?

What is the McCabe-Thiele method and what does it calculate?

What is the McCabe-Thiele method and what does it calculate?

Mass Transfer Problems

a. determine the amount of distillate

2. Differential Distillation – Ideal Solution of Constant Volatility

3. Differential Distillation – Benzene Toluene Separation

4. Equilibrium Flash Distillation

y 0 0.039 0.161 0.261 0.393 0.496 0.591 0.632 0.777 0.9 1

Where: x = mole fraction of methanol in liquid

8. Methanol-Ethanol Ideal Solution

Vapor pressure, mm Hg 200 400 760 1520

Temperature oC for ethanol 48.4 62.5 78.4 97.5

Temperature oC for methanol 34.8 49.9 64.7 84

9. Number of Plates at Total Reflux

xheptane 0 0.08 0.18 0.25 0.49 0.65 0.79 0.91 1.0

yheptane 0 0.28 0.43 0.51 0.73 0.83 0.90 0.96 1.0

Calculate the following:

Temperature oC, Chlorobenzene 70.4 53.7 42.7 34.5

Temperature oC, Water 51.7 38.5 29.9 22.5

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