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Determination of a suitable index for a solvent via two-column extractive distillation using a heuristic method

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Abstract

The traditional approach to solvent selection in the extractive distillation process strictly focuses on the change in the relative volatility of light-heavy components induced by the solvent. However, the total annual cost of the process may not be minimal when the solvent induces the largest change in relative volatility. This work presents a heuristic method for selecting the optimal solvent to minimize the total annual cost. The functional relationship between the relative volatility and the total annual cost is established, where the main factors, such as the relative volatility of the light-heavy components and the relative volatility of the heavy-component solvent, are taken into account. Binary azeotropic mixtures of methanol-toluene and methanol-acetone are separated to verify the feasibility of the model. The results show that using the solvent with the minimal two-column extractive distillation index, the process achieves a minimal total annual cost. The method is conducive for sustainable advancements in chemistry and engineering because a suitable solvent can be selected without simulation verification.

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Abbreviations

x m :

Mole fraction of component m

LK:

Light key component

HK:

Heavy key component

F / C :

Ratio of the total annual cost and a constant

A :

Area of heat exchange, m2

VLE :

Vapor liquid equilibrium

F :

Feed flow rate, kg · h−1

B i :

Bottom flow rate, kmol · h−1

REC :

Solvent flow rate, kg · h−1

ID :

Diameter of the column, m

NF :

Location of fresh feed tray

N R :

Location of solvent feed tray

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 21776145 and 21676152).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, China

    Zhaoyou Zhu, Guoxuan Li, Yao Dai, Peizhe Cui & Yinglong Wang

  2. College of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266590, China

    Dongmei Xu

  3. Shandong Collaborative Innovation Center of Eco-Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, China

    Zhaoyou Zhu & Yinglong Wang

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  1. Zhaoyou Zhu
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  2. Guoxuan Li
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Correspondence to Yinglong Wang.

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Zhu, Z., Li, G., Dai, Y. et al. Determination of a suitable index for a solvent via two-column extractive distillation using a heuristic method. Front. Chem. Sci. Eng. 14, 824–833 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11705-019-1867-3

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