SEM 1 2019/2020

300 kg/h pure isopropyl ether was used to extract 200 kg/h aqueous solution of 35 wt % acetic acid in
counter current multistage extraction. The concentration of the acetic acid in the extract stream was 15
wt %.

a) Determine the flowrate and composition of the raffinate stream.

[20 Marks]
b) Calculate the number of theoretical stages required.
[8 Marks]
c) Compute the value of minimum solvent flowrate required for this process.
[7 Marks]

SEM 2 2018/2019
A feed from reactor consist of three components, where the solute IPA (40%wt) in an aqueous stream
is contaminated with traces of benzene. The inlet flowrate of IPA and benzene alone is 400 kg mol/hr
IPA and 30 kg/hr, respectively. The contact between the inlet streams and pure solvents is prolonged
until the composition of component IPA is reduced to 0.1 in the outlet stream. The process is operated
at 25 ˚C and pressure of 1 atm using a tray tower. In order to reduce the consumptions of the solvents
whilst maintaining its efficiency, the process utilizes 1.6L’ min of solvents. The equilibrium data for the
above system is given in Table 1.

Table 1: Data for Benzene-Alcohol-Water System

Benzene layer (%) Water Layer (%)
Benzene Alcohol Water Benzene Alcohol Water
99.93 0.0 0.07 0.15 0.0 99.85
87.74 13.2 0.06 0.8 25.16 74.04
82.06 17.22 0.72 2.21 32.51 65.28
68.63 28.54 2.83 6.25 39.11 54.64
57.81 37.95 4.24 8.71 41.79 49.50
44.55 46.0 9.46 17.59 48.16 34.25
35.3 50.28 14.42 23.63 50.42 25.95
29.4 51.0 19.52 27.17 51.36 21.47

d) i) Explain the relevant assumptions for solving the above process and also ii) describes how the
process can be optimized for easy separation (process/equipment specifications).
(5 Marks)
e) Determine the flowrate of the i) inlet stream and ii) outlet stream, iii) required solvents, iv) the
outlet composition leaving the systems and also v) the number of theoretical stages,
(26 Marks)

f) Explain the effect of changing the solvent flow rate lower than L’ min towards the number of stages
and product purity? Provide reasonable explanation for every affected element.
(4 Marks)

SEM 1 2018/2019
250 kg/hr of 25 wt% acetone in water solution is to be extracted at 25 ˚C in a continuous counter
current liquid-liquid extraction system with a solvent containing 3 wt% of acetone. The exit
concentration of the raffinate is to contain 8 wt% of acetone. The equilibrium data and the tie line
composition of the system are given in Table 1 and Table 2, respectively.
a) Calculate the minimum solvent flow rate.
(11 Marks)
b) Using a solvent flow rate of 1.2 times the minimum, determine the number of theoretical stages,
the flow rate and the composition of each stream leaving the final stage.
(20 Marks)
c) Explain the effect of changing the solvent flow rate to 0.5 times the minimum towards the number
of stages and product purity? Give a reasonable explanation for every affected element.
(4 Marks)
Table 1: Equilibrium Data for Tricholorethane-Water-Acetone System

C2H3Cl3, wt% Water, wt% Acetone, wt%

94.73 0.26 5.01
79.58 0.76 19.66
67.52 1.44 31.04
54.88 2.98 42.14
38.31 6.84 54.85
24.04 15.37 60.59
15.39 26.28 58.33
6.77 41.35 51.88
1.72 61.11 37.17
0.92 74.54 24.54
0.65 87.63 11.72
0.44 99.56 0.00
 Table 2: Tie-Lines Data for Tricholorethane-Water-Acetone System

Weight % in water layer Weight % in trichloroethane layer

C2H3Cl3, Water, Acetone, C2H3Cl3, Water, Acetone,
0.52 93.52 5.96 90.93 0.32 8.75
0.73 82.23 17.04 73.76 1.10 25.14
1.02 72.06 26.92 59.21 2.27 38.52
1.17 67.95 30.88 53.92 3.11 42.97
1.60 62.67 35.73 47.53 4.26 48.21
2.10 57.00 40.90 40.00 6.05 53.95
3.75 50.20 46.05 33.70 8.90 57.40
6.52 41.70 51.78 26.26 13.40 60.34

SEM 2 2017/2018
Company S needs to extract ethanol from water with a feed solution of 800 kg/h ethanol-water
containing 35 wt % ethanol. The feed needs to be extracted in a countercurrent multistages process
with pure ether to reduce the ethanol concentration to 3 wt % at the exit raffinate stream. By using
equilibrium data from Table 1;

a) Calculate the minimum solvent rate entering the process.

(21 Marks)
b) Determine the number of theoretical stages required if actual feed solvent rate is twice the
minimum feed solvent rate.
(14 Marks)

Table 1: Ethanol-Water-Ether system, liquid-liquid equilibria at 28 oC

Water layer (wt %) Ether layer (wt %)
Ethanol Water Ether Ethanol Water Ether
0 99.0 1.0 0 2.0 98.0
0.7 98.1 1.2 0.2 2.8 97.0
5.0 93.0 2.0 2.0 3.0 95.0
14.0 83.6 2.4 5.0 3.0 92.0
26.0 70.6 3.4 12.0 3.0 85.0
37.0 58.6 4.4 22.0 6.0 72.0
45.0 44.0 11.0 32.0 9.0 59.0
47.0 36.0 17.0 37.0 14.0 49.0
SEM 2 2016/2017
Pure isopropyl ether is used as a solvent to extract acetic acid from a 900 kg/h aqueous feed solution
in a countercurrent multistage process. The feed contains 35.0 wt % acetic acid and 65.0 wt % water.
The extraction is expected to reduce the acid concentration to 3.0 wt % in the exiting raffinate.
Operation is carried out at 293 K and 1 atm. Table 1 shows the Water-Isopropyl Ether-Acetic Acid
equilibrium data.

a) Determine the minimum solvent flow rate that can be used.

(6 Marks)
b) If 2000 kg/h of ether solvent is used, determine the amounts and compositions of extract (V 1,
yA1 and yC1), raffinate (LN and xcN ) and mixture point M (xAM and xCM ).
(12 Marks)
c) Calculate the number of theoretical stages required including the coordinates of the operating
point Δ.
(17 Marks)

Table 1: Water-Isopropyl Ether-Acetic Acid Equilibrium Data at 293 K and 1 atm

Water phase, wt % Isopropyl ether phase, wt %

Water Ether Acetic acid Water Ether Acetic acid
98.10 1.20 0.69 0.50 99.30 0.18
97.10 1.50 1.41 0.70 98.90 0.37
95.50 1.60 2.89 0.80 98.40 0.79
91.70 1.90 6.42 1.00 97.10 1.93
84.40 2.30 13.30 1.90 93.30 4.82
71.10 3.40 25.30 3.90 84.70 11.40
58.90 4.40 36.70 6.90 71.50 21.60
45.10 10.60 44.30 10.80 58.10 31.10
37.10 16.50 46.40 15.10 48.70 36.20
SEM 1 2016/2017
Pure organic Solvent C was used to extract solute A from water. The feed consists of 150 kg/h
containing 0.8 wt.% of A. By using 1.5 times minimum solvent flow rate, 98.75% of solute A was
managed to be extracted from the feed. The water and Solvent C are essentially immiscible each
other. Determine the outlet streams compositions and the theoretical number of stages needed. The
equilibrium data is given in Table 2.

Table 2: Equilibrium data for solute A in water and Solvent C

kg solute A/kg kg solute A/ kg Solvent C

Water
0.00101 0.00081
0.00246 0.00196
0.00500 0.00454
0.00746 0.00682
0.00988 0.00904
0.02020 0.01850

(30 Marks)