Abstract
Extractive distillation is the most promising alternative for the ethanol-water separation than azeotropic and pressure swing distillation using suitable solvent n-Butyl propionate. We have studied, simulated, optimized and economically evaluated the separation of a mixture of 50 mole% ethanol and 50 mole% water to treat the 16 Kmol/hr (512.67 kg/hr) of the original mixture. Rigorous simulation and optimization has been carried out by means of a software CHEMCAD version 6.5 using thermodynamic model UNIQUAC with binary interaction parameters. The simulations allow us to conclude that extractive distillation is more economical and trustworthy than pressure swing distillation due to the relative pressure insensitive nature of the ethanol-water mixture after the azeotropic composition. The separation of 99.7% of ethanol from ethanol water mixture claim by Mulia-Soto, Flores-Tlacuahuac, 2011 is contradictory as the feasibility for the operating pressure of 10 atm with or without heat integration.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
K. Aso, H. Matsuo, H. Noda, T. Takada and N. Kobayashi, Heat integrated distillation column, US Patent, 5,783,047 (1998).
R. Barr, Systems and methods for isobutyl alcohol (IBA) recovery, US Patent, 7,966,096 B2 (2011).
G. Bauerle and O. Sandall, AIChE J., 33(6), 1034 (1987).
L. Berg and Yeh An-I., Separation of 2-butyl acetate from 2-butanol by extractive distillation, US Patent, 4,718,988 (1988).
C. Bravo-Bravo, J. Segovia-Hernández, C. Gutiérrez-Antonio, A. Durán, A. Bonilla-Petriciolet and A. Briones-Ramirez, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 49, 3672 (2010).
G. Emmrich, B. Kolbe, H. Gehrke, F. Enenbach and U. Ranke, Rectifying column for extractive distillation of close-boiling or azeotropic boiling mixtures, US Patent, 6,514,387 B1 (2003).
H. Engelien and S. Skogestad, Chem. Eng. Process., 44, 819 (2005).
M. Gadalla, Ž. Olujić, M. Jobson and R. Smith, Energy, 31, 2398 (2006).
M. Gadalla, Ž. Olujic, A. Rijke and P. Jansens, Energy, 31, 2409 (2006).
A. Ghaee, R. Sotudeh-Gharebagh and N. Mostoufi, Brazilian J. Chem. Eng., 25(4), 765 (2008).
R. Gutiérrez-Guerra G. Segovia-Hernández and S. Hernández, Chem. Eng. Res. Des., 87, 145 (2009).
J. Hamer, J. Van Der Burg, D. Kanbier and P. Van Der Heijden, Vacuum distillation system, US Patent, 5,049,240, Sep. 17 (1991).
J. Mulia-Soto and A. Flores-Tlacuahuac, Comput. Chem. Eng., 35, 1532 (2011).
R. Muñoz, J. Montón, M. Burguet and J. Torre, Fluid Phase Equilib., 232, 62 (2005).
R. Muñoz, J. Montón, M. Burguet and J. Torre, Sep. Purif. Technol., 50, 175 (2006).
R. Muñoz, J. Montón, M. Burguet and J. Torre, Fluid Phase Equilib., 238, 65 (2005).
E. G. Scheibel, Chem. Eng. Progress, 44, 927 (1948).
A. Shenvi, D. Herron and R. Agrawal, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 50, 119 (2011).
S. P. Shirsat, Comput. Chem. Eng., 53, 201 (2013).
G. Soboèan and P. Glaviè, Chem. Eng. J., 89, 155 (2002).
P. Steltenpohl, M. Chlebovec and E. Graczová, Chem. Pap., 59(6a), 421 (2005).
J. Trager, Processes for vapor-liquid contacting and fractional distillation, US Patent, 4,405,449 (1983).
R. Turton, R. C. Bailie, W.B. Whiting and Shaeiwitz, Analysis, synthesis and design of chemical processes, Prentice Hall, New Jersey (1998).
P. Vinz, Energy circuits for continuously operated distillation units, US Patent, 4,778,566 (1988).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Shirsat, S.P., Dawande, S.D. & Kakade, S.S. Simulation and optimization of extractive distillation sequence with pre-separator for the ethanol dehydration using n-butyl propionate. Korean J. Chem. Eng. 30, 2163–2169 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-013-0175-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-013-0175-8