The issue of heavy components in distillation operations
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I can’t figure out one thing: in distillation processes, how do the heavier components rise along with the lighter ones? Is it just gas-phase entrainment?
This post was last edited by gllwxl on 2017-5-16 19:54: excessive vapor feed, high load, low reflux, large operational fluctuations, and overly high control of the bottom tray.
What I mean is that the boiling point of the light components is lower than that of the heavy components; so how do the heavy components rise along with the light components?
Light components are relative; when the operating conditions change, what is considered a heavy component in a given process can turn into a light component under actual operating conditions
If the temperature at the bottom of the tower is too high, the heavier components will also rise, just like in the case of water vapor in air. You might think that since the boiling point of water is so high, why is there water vapor in the air at room temperature?
Thanks to the existence of phase equilibrium and the law of partial pressures. If running your large amount of light components allows them to volatilize, then isn’t it allowed for me to have a small amount of heavy components volatilize as well?
:Lol, the heavier components rise to the top – it’s a design flaw: the packing height is insufficient and the wrong type of packing was chosen； Operation issue: The reflux ratio is equal to or less than the minimum value, or the amount of reflux does not meet the minimum requirements, resulting in uneven distribution; in simple terms, the quantity is too small to ensure even distribution
There is also the issue of an excessive amount of liquid in the tower, caused by excessive load and high backflow. Another case is tower flooding, which I haven’t encountered very often. . . .