Non-conventional heterogeneous batch distillation process for separating an organic waste mixture

Abstract

Feasibility study of the separation of azeotropic mixture chloroform – methanol by heterogeneous batch extractive distillation is checked for water as a heavy heterogeneous entrainer in a batch rectifier. The main peculiarity of this process compared with the well known heterogeneous azeotropic distillation process is the withdrawal of the saddle binary heteroazeotrope chloroform – water thanks to the continuous feeding of the entrainer at the column top. First, the feasibility study of heterogeneous extractive distillation is carried out for determining essential operating conditions such as minimum entrainer flowrate and the proper range of reflux ratio, which provide the expected top and bottom product composition in a batch rectifying column. Finally, these results were validated via rigorous simulation with ProSim Batch. More than 85% of recovery yield of each original component can be obtained with a molar purity higher than 99% by using the proposed heterogeneous extractive distillation processes.