I beg to know what effect the reflux temperature has on the composition at the top of the distillation column
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This post was last edited by flute6 on 2012-5-10 08:58. What is the impact of reflux temperature on the composition at the top of a distillation column? I hope those with more experience can provide some guidance.
It affects the cooling effect at the tower top, which may in turn affect the purity at the tower top
Assuming that the reflux ratio is sufficient, then at a lower reflux temperature, the mass transfer time on the tray will be longer than normal; in other words, it’s as if the reflux rate has been increased at the normal temperature, although this increase is not linear； In other words, more components are cooled down, thereby increasing the purity of the product at the top of the tower ； If the reflux ratio is already insufficient, the impact on product purity is limited. Conversely, as the reflux temperature rises, the amount of reflux decreases. To maintain the purity of the product at the top of the tower, a higher reflux ratio is required, of course, provided that this does not cause flooding