Batch Distillation Essay

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180B LAB: DEPT CHEMICAL ENGINEERING (UCSB) _____________________________________________________________ TRAY EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCT RECOVERY OF A BATCH DISTILLATION COLUMN Orville Sandall, Joe Doyle, Jacob Israelachvili, Dae Ryook Yang Updated: May 1994 __________________________________________________ Aims • • • To measure the overall tray efficiency of a batch distillation column at total reflux. To use this data to calculate the theoretically expected composition of a given distillate volume at a given reflux ratio. To carry out a second experiment to test theory with experiment. Equipment and materials The column is a 10 tray Oldershaw batch distillation column, shown in Fig. 1. Each sieve tray is 1 in. in diameter and has one downcomer. The column is vacuum jacketed and silvered for insulation but the trays are still visible through one part of the jacket. The reflux ratio is controlled using a reflux splitter operated by a time activated solenoid valve which either directs all overhead liquid to the product line or back into the column. The binary system to be distilled is a methanol/2-propanol mixture. Sample compositions are to be determined using a refractometer. The calibration curve for this binary system is provided in the lab, as are more detailed diagrams of the Oldershaw column. Pre-lab preparations This experiment requires two full laboratory sessions of still operation. However, there is much to prepare before you start operating the still. This preparation is listed below. It will take some hours and so it is essential that you do this sometime during the week before the first session. You must come to the first session well-prepared. During your 5–10 min. pre-lab presentation, you should show your pre-lab calculations and graphs, discuss the main aspects of the experimental procedure, and identify the main safety issues—both of a general
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