ECH 3418

Separation Processes

Spring 2012

Test #2

16 April 2012

NAME:_________________________________
Please print and sign your name above. Your signature is your assurance that you have neither given nor received
any assistance with this exam.

Problem Points Score

1 30
2 30
3 40
TOTAL 100

Be sure to read all instructions and problem statements carefully. Perform all work on separate
sheets of paper. No work on the test sheets will be graded. You must return this cover sheet
along with the problem sheet and your work pages to receive any credit for this exam. Submit
only one solution to each problem.

You may use a copy of the course text, any notes you have personally prepared, your homework
solutions and any materials I have made available to you. You may not have copies of other
books or materials from any other source.

You may use a calculator but computers are not allowed. Please erase any programming that
you may have in your calculator before the exam begins. Prepared programs are not allowed.
#1 A physical solvent is to be used to remove H2S and CO2 from a natural gas stream with the
composition shown in the table below. For this process 85% of the hydrogen sulfide must be
removed by the solvent. This absorption process occurs at 60F and 1000 psia in a column with
10 theoretical stages. Calculate the composition (mole fractions) of the exiting gas. Assume that
no solvent vaporizes and use the data in the following table.

Species Inlet Mole K value

Fraction
H2S 0.100 2.00
CO2 0.050 3.80
Methane 0.800 7.00
Ethane 0.045 1.30
Propane 0.005 0.38

#2 A liquid stream containing solute A and carrier liquid C enters a packed column. The solute
is to be stripped using pure gas B. The flow rate of C entering the column is 150 kmole/hr and
this stream contains 7 mole % A. The stripping gas B enters at a rate of 500 kmole/hr. The
design calls for 1 mole % A in the exiting liquid. For the phase equilibrium relationship use yA =
0.4xA. At the conditions of interest we have

𝐾𝑥 𝑎 = 75𝑘𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒/(ℎ𝑟 ∗ 𝑚3 )

Determine the height of packing required for this separation if the column cross sectional area is
1m2.

#3 200 kmole/hr of a mixture of benzene and toluene is fed to a distillation column. This feed
is 40 mole % benzene and the temperature is such that this stream is 25 % vapor. The distillate
product from this column must have a benzene mole fraction of 0.95 and contain 90 % of the
benzene fed to the column. The reflux ratio will be set at a value of 3. The column and the
reboiler and condenser are all at 100 kPa pressure. Use the following data for your analysis of
this problem.

Vapor Pressures P in kPa and t in C

lnPBsat = 13.7819 – 2726.81/(t + 217.572)

lnPTsat = 13.9320 – 3056.96/(t + 217.625)

a. Assuming constant molal overflow what are the vapor and liquid flow rates in the
rectifying and stripping sections of the column?
b. What is the reboiler temperature?