Flash Distillation

FLASH DISTILLATION
• Flash vapourisation or equilibrium distillation

is a single – stage operation where a liquid
mixture is partially vapourised, the vapour
allowed to come to equilibrium with the
residual liquid and the resulting vapour and
liquid phases are separated and removed
from the apparatus. These can be done
batching or continuously.

The product, D mol/time, richer in the more volitle
substance, is in this case entirely a vapour.
The material and enthalpy balance are
• Usually, F, D and W are known or set. Hence
there are two unknowns :Yd and Xw. The
other relationship needed to solve equation
1.5.2 is the equilibrium line. A convenient
method to use is to plot equation 1.5.2 on the
X-Y equilibrium diagram. The intersection of
the equation and the equilibrium line is the
desired solution.
Example:
• A liquid mixture containing 50mol% n-heptan
and 50mol% n-octane at 30degreeC, is to be
continuously flash vapourised at 1 std
atmospheric pressure to vapourise 60mol% of
the feed. What will be the composition of the
vapour and liquid, and the temperature in the
separated for an equilibrium stage?
Tempt oC 98.4 105 110 115 120 125.6
Vapour n-C7 760 940 1050 1200 1350 1540
Pressure/ mmHg n-C8 333 417 484 561 650 760

Example 2
• A liquid mixture containig 40% mole Benzene
and 60% mole toluene to flash distillation at a
separator prssuree of 101.325 Kpa to
vapourise 50% mole of feed. What will be the
equilibrium of vapour and liquid. Use the table
below to draw the graph (y vs x)
Y 0 0.05 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0
X 0 0.13 0.21 0.375 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.77 0.83 0.9 0.95 1.0
SIMPLE BATCH OR DIFFERENTIAL DISTILLATION
• In simple batch or differential distillation, a batch

of liquid is first charged to a heated kettle. The
charged liquid is boiled slowly, and the vapours
are withdrawn as rapidly as they form to a
condenser, where they are liquefied, and the
condensate (distillate) is collected in a receiver.
The first portion of the distillate is richest in the
more volatile component A and as distillation or
vapourisation proceeds, the vapourised product
becomes leaner in A. the distillate can therefore
be collected in several separate batches called
cuts, to give a series of distillated product of
various purities.
Diagram Here
Simple batch or differential distillation
The governing equation

Where F is the moles of the feed vapour of
composition yf and D the vaporous residue of
composition yD
or
Equation 1 is known as the Rayleigh equation. It can
be used to determine F, W, Xf or Xw when three of
these are known. Integration of the RHS of
equation 1 is done graphically by plotting ( 1/y-x )
against x and determining the area under the curve
between x1 and X2, unless an algebraic equilibrium
relationship between Y and X is known. The
composited or average distillate composition yD,av
can be obtained by material balance thus
L1x1 = L2x2 + (L1-L2) yD,av ………… 2a
Or
Fxf = Wxw + D yD,av …………….2b
Differential Condensation
• This is a similar operation where a vapour feed
is slowly condensed under equilibrium
conditions and the condensate withdrawn as
rapidly as its forms. The governing equation is
Where F is the moles of the feed vapour of

composition yf and D the vaporous reduce of
composition yD
Constant Relative Volatility
If equation 1.3.3 holds, then 1.5.7 yields
1.5.8

and graphical integration can be avoided.
Arranging equation 1.5.8 to another useful form,

1.5.9

Which are valid for ideal mixtures for which X is not
nearly constant.
Example 1
•A mixture of 100mol containing 50mol% of n- pentane and
50mol% n-heptane is distilled under differential conditions at
101.3 Kpa until 40 mol is distillated. What is the average
composition of the total vapour distilled and the composition of
the liquid left. The equilibrium data are as follow.
x 1.0 0.867 0.594 0.398 0.254 0.145 0.059 0
y 1.0 0.984 0.925 0.836 0.701 0.521 0.271 0
Where x and y are mole fractions of n-pentane in liquid and

vapour respectively.
Practice Questions
1. A liquid mixture containing 50 mol% n-heptane and
50mol% n-octane is subjected to a differential distillation
at atmospheric pressure with 60mol% of the liquid
distilled. The equilibrium data are as follows:
x 0.50 0.46 0.42 0.38 0.34 0.32
yx 0.689 0.648 0.602 0.567 0.523 0.497
Where X and Y* are the mole fractions of n-heptane in

liquid and vapour respectively.
Compute the composition of the composited distillate
and the residue. Compare your answer with those
obtained for flash vapourisation and comment
2. A liquid mixture containing 40 mole%
Methanol and 60 mole% water is fed to the
differential distillation at atm pressure with the
60 mole% of liquid as distillate. Find the
composition of the composited distillate and the
residue
x 0.50 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5
yx 0.27 0.42 0.57 0.66 0.73 0.78
3. A liquid mole mixture contain 40% n-heptane and
60% n-octane is subjected differential distillation at atm
pressure with 60% mole of liquid distilled. Compute the
composited distillation and residue. Given that the
relative volatility is 2.16.
4. Suppose the liquid of 50 mole% n-heptane (A), 50
mole% n-octane(B) were subjected differential
distillation at atm pressure with 60% mole of liquid
distilled. Compute the composited distillation and
residue.
SIMPLE STEAM DISTILLATION
This involves the separation of the components of
high boiling liquids at lower temperature. This
method is often used to separate a high boiling
component from small amt. of non – volatile
impurity by steam distillation, as long as liquid
water is present, the high – boiling component B
vapourises at atemperature well below its normal
boiling point without using a vacuum.
The vapours of water and high-boiling component
are usually condensed in a condenser and the
resulting two immiscible liquid phases separated.
This method has a disadvantage that large amount
of heat must be used to simultaneously evaporate
water with the high – boiling compound.
The ratio of moles of B distilled to moles of A
distilled is given by
Steam distillation is sometimes used in the food

industry for the removal of volatile faints and
flavours from vegetable fats and oils.

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• Flash vapourisation or equilibrium distillation

Vapour n-C7 760 940 1050 1200 1350 1540

Pressure/ mmHg n-C8 333 417 484 561 650 760

• In simple batch or differential distillation, a batch

Simple batch or differential distillation

The governing equation

Where F is the moles of the feed vapour of

y 1.0 0.984 0.925 0.836 0.701 0.521 0.271 0

Where x and y are mole fractions of n-pentane in liquid and

yx 0.689 0.648 0.602 0.567 0.523 0.497

Where X and Y* are the mole fractions of n-heptane in

Steam distillation is sometimes used in the food

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