2 replies to this topic

[obed]

How do you identify the reboiler and condenser temperatures for beer column distilling ethanol/water mixtures with mashed maize. you want 70% ethanol as overhead product.

and which of the column temperatures do you insert in the antoine equation to find your vapor pressures for relative volatility determination

[pavanayi]

Obed,

Temperature (T), Pressure (P) and Composition (x) are three parts of one equation. For any given mixture, if two of those parameters are fixed, then the third value is fixed as well. Refer back to TPx data in VLE. You only have 2 degrees of freedom.

 

In your column, you have stated the required composition of the liquid from the condenser (though you have not mentioned if its mol% or mass%). The column operates at atmospheric pressure (assumed). You should be able to find out the temperature as P and x are set.

 

Also, read about ethanol/water azeotrope. 

[obed]

Oh okay. Thanks