Process laboratories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Process laboratories - Essay Example This implies that more and more liquids rich in highly volatile components are being re-used back in the column. Separation then becomes easier and thus fewer trays are required to achieve the same operation degree. Minimum tray is needed under total reflux conditions that are distillate and are not withdrawn. On the contrary, as the reflux is reduced, the line of operation of the rectification section goes towards the equilibrium line (Owens, 2009, pp24-33). The ‘pinch’ between the operating and the equilibrium lines are highly pronounced and many trays are required. Distillation is the most widely used method of separation in the chemical process industries. Distillation uses about 24% of the total energy. Refineries rely heavily on distillation for separation of complex mixture of compounds found in crude oil into the products for sale. Distillation uses about 40% of all the energy consumed in refineries (Owens, 2009, pp24-33). First, distillation method is viewed from a steady state to make sure the process remains within safe working