Distillation Column Design – Operating Lines

A mixture of Acetic Acid and Acetic Anydride containing 40 mol % Acetic Acid is to be separated by distillation. The top product is to be 90 mol % Acetic Acid and the bottom product 10 mol % Acetic Acid. The feed flowrate is 100 kmol/hr and enters the column as liquid at it’s boiling point.

The feed is heated to its boiling point. The vapour is condensed but not cooled and some is returned at a reflux ratio of 3 kmol/kmol product.

Determine the operating lines for the rectifying and stripping sections and draw them on the equilibrium curve.

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