Separation Processes : Introduction

LECTURE ONE
Miss N Tshuma
[email protected]
OFFICE SD71
Objectives
• Define separation processes and explain their importance
• Describe equilibrium and rate based analysis of separation processes
• Be able to state the three primary functions of separation processes
• Understand a separation agent, mass and energy classes
• State and describe 3 types of separation techniques and give
examples
• Understand criteria for choosing separation process
Introduction
• Separation processes constitute 50-90% of equipment costs
• The chemical and biochemical sectors have various processes that
require separation of impurities from desired products, recycling of
unreacted components.
• Separation processes are utilized for 3 primary functions: Purification,
concentration and fractionation
• Purification is removal of undesired components in a feed mixture,
concentration is performed to obtain a higher component of desired
product. While in fractionation feed stream of two components is
segregated to product streams of different components
• Analysis of separation processes can be categorized into two
fundamental categories: Equilibrium based and rate based processes.
• Equilibrium based processes two phases are brought into contact
with each other mixed thoroughly then separated with a
redistribution of the components between phases.
• Often cascades of individual units called stages are operated with
two streams typically flowing counter- current to each other e.g
distillation, cascades are designed such that conditions are altered at
each stage to move toward the desired separation.
• Other equilibrium based processes include liquid extraction and
leaching.
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Schematic of separation process
Separation agents
• Many processes are based on formation of an additional phase which
has a different composition from the feed stream(s).
• One possible way of forming another phase is addition of energy to
convert liquid to vapour phase. Distillation exploits this idea while
crystallization processes use energy to separate liquid mixtures with
components that solidify at different temperatures.
• Another class of separation involves use of a change in solute
distribution between two phases in the presence of a mass originally
not present in the feed stream. Mass separating agent (MSA) is added
as another process input to cause a change in solute distribution.
• The MSA can alter the original phase equilibrium or facilitate the
formation of a second phase with a concentration of components
different from that in the original phase.
• One of the feed components must have a higher affinity for the MSA
than for the original solution.
Disadvantages of MSA
• Separation step required to recycle the MSA
• Makeup for separation agent losses
• Contamination of desired product by MSA
• More difficult design
Generic Flow sheet for MSA based
processes

Mass separating agent

Solid Liquid Gas

Solid Leaching steam,stripping

Liquid Ion exchange Solvent Extraction Stripping

FEED Gas Adsorption Absorption

Selection of separation process
• Assess the feasibility . What are the property differences that you
plan to exploit
• Determine target separation criteria. What purity and recovery are
required various components in the feed stream.
• Do the easiest separation first e.g if particles are present in a fluid
phase filtration can do the separation of the two phases
• Consider costs associated with the separation process.
Separation techniques
• Separation by phase addition or creation
• Separation by barriers
• Separation by solid agents
Separation by phase addition
• If the feed to be separated is in a single phase state a second
separable phase must be developed before separation of the species.
• The second phase is created by an energy separating agent (ESA) and
or added as a mass separating agent (MSA). An ESA involves heat
transfer or transfer of shaft work to or from mixture.
• AN MSA may be partially immiscible with one or more mixture
components and frequently is the constituent of highest
concentration in the added phase
• On the other hand the MSA may be miscible with a liquid feed
mixture but may selectively alter partitioning of species between
liquid and vapour phases
Immiscible MSA
• When immiscible fluid phases are contacted intimate mixing is used
to enhance the mass transfer rates so that maximum degree of
partitioning of species can be approached rapidly.
• Gravity settling or a centrifugal force can be used for separation.
• When the feed mixture includes species that differ widely in volatility.
Two phases can be created by vapour feed is partially condensed by
removing heat and a liquid phase is partially vaporized by adding
heat.
• In most cases the degree of separation achieved is not sufficient
• In that case distillation must be considered instead of a scrubber or
absorption column. Distillation involves multiple contacts between
counter currently flowing liquid and vapour phases
Design considerations for absorption and
stripping column
• Entering liquid and gas flow rate Temp and Pressure
• Desired degree of recovery of one of the solutes
• Choice of absorbent
• Operating pressure and temperature and allowable gas pressure drop
• Minimum absorbent flow rate and actual absorbent flow rate
• Heat effects and need for cooling
• Number of equilibrium stages
• Type of absorber Stripper (equipment)
• Need for distributors if packing used
• Height and diameter of absorber
MSA characteristics

• The ideal absorbent should have (a) a high solubility for the solute(s); (b) a low
volatility to reduce loss (c) stability and inertness; (d) low corrosiveness; (e) low
viscosity and high diffusivity; (f) low foaming proclivities; (g) low toxicity and
flammability; (h) availability, if possible, within the process; and (i) a low cost
• The most widely used absorbents are water, hydrocarbon oils, and aqueous
solutions of acids and bases. The most common stripping agents are steam, air,
inert gases, and hydrocarbon gases.
• Absorber operating pressure should be high and temperature low to minimize
stage requirements and/or absorbent flow rate

• Operating pressure should be low and temperature high for a stripper to minimize
stage requirements and stripping agent flow rate.
Separation by barriers
• In a membrane-separation process, a feed consisting of a mixture of two or
more components is partially separated by means of a semipermeable
barrier (the membrane) through which one or more species move faster
than another or other species
• The barrier is most often a thin, nonporous, polymeric film, but may also be
porous polymer, ceramic, or metal materials, or even a liquid or gas. The
barrier must not dissolve, disintegrate, or break.
• The replacement of the more-common separation operations with
membrane separations has the potential to save large amounts of energy.
This replacement requires the I I1 production of high-mass-transfer-flux,
defect-free, long-life membranes on a large scale and the fabrication of the
membrane into compact, economical modules of high surface area per unit
volume
• For micro-porous membranes, separation is effected by rate of
species diffusion through the pores; for nonporous membranes,
separation is controlled by differences in solubility in the membrane
and rate of species diffusion.
• Microfiltration, (4), refers to the retention of molecules from 0.02 to
10 mm. Ultrafiltration to retain molecules down to 0.1 nm
Separation by solid agent
• The solid, in the form of a granular material or packing, is the
adsorbent itself, or it acts as an inert support for a thin layer of
adsorbent by selective adsorption or chemical reaction with species
in the feed
• Adsorption is confined to the surface of the solid adsorbent, unlike
absorption, which occurs throughout the absorbent
• The active separating agent eventually becomes saturated with solute
and must be regenerated or replaced
• used to remove species in low concentrations and is followed by
desorption to regenerate the adsorbents
• Activated carbon, aluminium oxide, silica gel, and synthetic sodium or calcium
aluminosilicate zeolites
• The sieves are crystalline and have pore openings of fixed dimensions, making
them very selective
• Equipment consists of a cylindrical vessel packed with a bed of solid adsorbent
particles through which the gas or liquid flows. Because regeneration is conducted
periodically, two or more vessels are used, one desorbing while the other(s)
adsorb(s)
• Ion exchange, (3), resembles adsorption in that solid particles are used and
regenerated. However, a chemical reaction is involved. In water softening, an
organic or inorganic polymer in its sodium form removes calcium ions by a
calcium–sodium exchange. After prolonged use, the (spent) polymer, saturated
with calcium, is regenerated by contact with a concentrated salt solution.