Separation process intensification of ternary azeotropes has consistently been a focal point of research. This study, using the separation of isobutanol/n-butanol/m-xylene mixture as an example, investigated the performance of conventional triple-column extractive distillation and novel double-column distillation process. For triple-column extractive distillation process, the universal quasi-chemical (UNIQUAC) thermodynamic model was employed. By comparing the effectiveness of different entrainers, glycerol was selected as the entrainer, as it successfully eliminates the azeotropic phenomenon in ternary mixture. The process was then designed and optimized using sequential iterative algorithm, followed by an analysis of the liquid-phase composition distribution in the optimized flowsheet. The novel double-column distillation process utilizes method of pressurization to break the azeotropes. It features a simplified flowsheet requiring only two columns and no recycle streams, while also enabling heat integration. Calculations of the total annual cost (TAC) and CO2 emissions for triple-column extractive distillation and double-column distillation processes revealed that the heat-integrated double-column distillation offers significant advantages in both economic viability and environmental benefits. Compared to triple-column extractive distillation process, its TAC was reduced by 18.3 % and CO2 emissions were reduced by 25.3 %. The methodology presented in this study provides valuable insights for separation of similar ternary azeotropes containing isomers and meets the requirements of process intensification.
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