Abstract
Experimental studies of mass transfer in binary packed column distillation were made for the acetone–ethanol, acetone–methanol, methanol–ethanol and methanol–water systems under total reflux conditions for wide ranges of vapor flow rate and liquid concentration.
Measurements of the wetted area of the packings were made and the data were compared with Onda’s correlation. Diffusion fluxes under low mass flux conditions with a short packed column were examined. The effect of condensation of mixed vapors or evaporation from liquids on the diffusion fluxes were studied.
A new method for predicting the separation performance of binary packed column distillation was developed with correlations for the diffusion fluxes under high mass flux conditions with a short column and for the wetted area of the packings. Predicted axial distributions of reflux flow rates and liquid concentrations in a long packed column by the present method were compared with the observed values.
