Separation of Process Wastewater with Extractive Heterogeneous-Azeotropic Distillation

HUNGARIAN JOURNAL OFINDUSTRY AND CHEMISTRYVol. 44(1) pp. 33–36 (2016)hjic.mk.uni-pannon.huDOI: 10.1515/hjic-2016-0003SEPARATION OF PROCESS WASTEWATER WITHEXTRACTIVE HETEROGENEOUS-AZEOTROPIC DISTILLATIONA NDRÁS JÓZSEF TÓTH,*ÁGNES S ZANYI,E NIKŐH AAZ, AND PÉTER M IZSEYDepartment of Chemical and Environmental Process Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp. 3., Budapest, 1111, HUNGAThe application of distillation-based separation alternatives can be extremely complex for the separation of highly non-ideal mixtures. Despite different successfully applied unit operations for separation, there is still possibility to improve distillation technique by enabling for the separation of more and more specific/non-ideal mixtures. The extractive heterogeneous-azeotropic distillation (EHAD) is a new improvement in this area showing special features to cope with the separation of extremely non-ideal mixtures. This unit operation combines the merits of the extractive- and the heterogeneous-azeotropic distillations in one unit without the addition of any extra materials. The study of the separations of ternary and quaternary mixtures from fine chemical industry shows both in the modelled and the experimental results that the EHAD can be successfully applied. The measured and modelled compositions at extreme purities, that is, close to 0 % or 100 %, can be different because of the inaccuracies of the modelling. This highlights the paramount importance of the experiments if special extra fine chemicals with almost no impurities e.g. pharmacopoeial quality are to be produced by special distillation technique.Keywords: process wastewater, non-ideal mixtures, extractive heterogeneous-azeotropic distillation1. IntroductionThe words of Dr. James R. Fair are still true: “Distillation, king in separation, will remain as the workhorse separation device of the process industries. Even though it is old in the art, with a relatively mature technology support base, it attracts research and professional interest. Without question, distillation will sail into future with clear skies and a strong wind. It will remain the key separation method against which alternate methods must be judged” from Ref. [1]. The above quote clearly explains why distillation should be investigated continuously [2–4].In our work, the separation of process wastewater is studied. Such mixtures are quite common in fine chemical industries, where the separation of usually azeotropic mixtures and then fine chemical quality should be achieved; while simultaneous, it is challenging to balance the energetic and environmental consequences. Such highly non-ideal mixtures usually contain different kinds of alcohols, esters, aldehydes, and ethers in aqueous media. These compounds already predict that problems may arise at their distillation-based separation. The separation of an ethanol, ethyl acetate, isopropyl acetate, and water quaternary mixture from the fine chemical industry [5] drew the attention to the necessity for the development of the distillation-*Correspondence: andras86@kkft.bme.hu based separation techniques that comprises the merits of using different separation solutions.A new hybrid separation alternative, the so-called extractive heterogeneous-azeotropic distillation (EHAD) has been introduced [6–8,9] that combines the advantages of the extractive and the heterogeneous-azeotropic distillations (Fig.1). The heterogeneous-azeotropic option assumes that water is present in the mixture and limited immiscibility may exist. Hetero-azeotropic distillation exploits differences in volatility and liquid-liquid phase split by linking a distillation column and a decanter. Therefore, it may also be interpreted as a hybrid separation process [10–12].Figure 1. The extractive heterogeneous-azeotropic distillation [9].T ÓTH , S ZANYI , H AAZ , AND M IZSEYHungarian Journal of Industry and Chemistry34 The EHAD differs from the hetero-extractive distillation [13] since no new azeotrope is formed, namely the extractive agent/entrainer is water and this component is already present in the mixtures to be separated. Moreover, the extractive and relative volatility changing effect of the autoentrainer/extractive agent is fully utilised and there is no rectifying section in the column [9]. The efficiency of the EHAD can be demonstrated with a motivating case study. This was first carried out for a separation system of nine units, distillation columns and extractors [14].If fine purity is required e.g. biofuel or pharmacopoeial application further unit operations might be needed, e.g. rectification again. However, it can be observed that in the range of extreme purities (close to 0 % or 100 %) the modelling is not reliable enough and the experiments cannot be omitted. The applicability and effectiveness of extractive heterogeneous distillation has been already tested on many different highly non-ideal mixtures with simulations and experiments verifying the accuracy of modelling [8–9]. The strategy clearly shows that the EHAD is a powerful tool for the separation of highly non-ideal mixtures containing water.2. ExperimentalIn spite of the clear guideline for the applicability of the EHAD [8] further application areas are going to be searched. On the other hand, the separation of the actual non-ideal mixture should be interpreted explaining the unit operation and detecting new possible application areas.2.1. SimulationsFor the sake of our aims, a ternary mixture is selected: methanol (MeOH), ethyl-acetate (EtAc), and water (H 2O). Computer simulations were carried out with ChemCAD 6.4.2 in advance to experiments in order to reduce the required number of experiments and to find promising separation alternatives. Moreover, the optimal reflux ratio, the mass- and bottom flow rates, heating and cooling requirements were also determined knowing the heat flow in the distillation column as shown in Fig.1. The UNIQUAC method is applied [15–18] as an equilibrium model for the calculation of the highly non-ideal vapour-liquid equilibria. If binary pairs exist without UNIQUAC data are available, the UNIFAC method was applied [19]. Since the EHAD works with limited immiscibility besides the vapour-liquid equilibria [20], liquid-liquid equilibria were also considered in the form of vapour-liquid-liquid equilibria (VLLE) model. Both the employed equilibrium models (UNIQUAC, UNIFAC) have VLL equilibria option.The operation of the EHAD and the complexities of the ternary mixture are shown in Fig.2 calculated with ChemCAD. There are two binary azeotropes, one homogeneous and one heterogeneous [20–23].2.2. ExperimentsTo save time and material first extensive simulation works should be completed. The results of the simulation prepare and predict the experiments. The experiments are completed on a laboratory apparatus shown in Fig.3.The main parameters of the experimental column are the following: structured packing, internal diameters of 20 mm. The column has 10 theoretical plates according to measurement carried out by methanol-water mixture. The feed is not preheated and it is pumped in the middle of the column and the flow value is kept at 0.06 kg h -1. The entrainer (water) is pumped in the top of the column and the flow value is kept at 0.31 kg h -1. The column heating is controlled with a 300 W heating basket. The flow leaving the condenser goes to a phase split. The upper, organic reach phase is taken away. The lower, water rich phase goes back into the EHAD column as reflux. The content of the feed (F), distillate (D), bottom product (W) are measured with Shimadzu GC-14B gas chromatograph with a CP-SIL-5CB column connected to a flame ionisation detector.Figure 2. ChemCAD model for the separation of theternary mixture.Figure 3. Extractive heterogeneous distillation column of laboratorial sise.SEPARATION OF PROCESS WASTEWATER 44(1) pp. 33–36 (2016) DOI: 10.1515/hjic-2016-0003353. Results and AnalysisWe summarise the measured and calculated results in InTable 1. The comparison also shows the accuracy of the EHAD in the ternary case selected for the given study.The Fig.4 shows the feed concentration of ternary mixture (x F,solvent ) and entrainer addition (x F,water ). The calculated distillate (x D ) and bottom product (x W ) concentration is also presented in Fig.3. Under the dashed curve is found the two-phase region. The operating lines show the operation of the EHAD column.3.1. SimulationsIf fitting, computer simulations, modelling were carried out, please provide all relevant results, but avoid excessive publication of raw or meta-data. Distribution of electronic supporting information is available.3.2. Modelling of High Purity SeparationThe concentrations 0% and 100% are two extreme numbers, since these do not exist in practical separation technology. We can approach these numbers with more and more advanced and expensive technologies, but we can never arrive at them. Moreover, the problem of extreme concentrations poses two questions: (i) do we have sophisticated analytical techniques to do measurements in such regions, and (ii) can we calculate/model these regions accurately/reliably?The positive answers are crucial in the case of high purity distillation. The modelling is important since they are used for the reduction of the solution space and to find the promising alternatives. The modelling can be therefore applied to the preparation and selection of the experiment/experiments. This philosophy is also applied for high purity rectification problems. In our ternary example we arrive at such extreme concentration range where our analytics is not capable to follow the separation. But the modelling shows some promise here.Another case study [6–8], from the fine chemical industry highlights that the modelling is not reliable in those regions that are close the extreme numbers of 0% and/or 100%. A demonstrative example for such a crucial situation is the production of ethanol in pharmacopoeial purity. The ethanol produced in this purity may contain contaminating compounds only in a few ppm concentrations. There are alternative processes for the production of such extremely pure ethanol with rectification. However, the modelling alone can be misleading and it might show such solution alternativesthat prove to be unacceptable if they are experimentally tested. On the other hand, the modelling results are definitely uncertain in such extreme purity ranges. The modelled results likely cannot be supported by experiments. These examples show that if rectification-based process alternatives are investigated the experiments give the reliable results, since the modelling is unreliable at the purities close to the extreme concentration ranges.4. ConclusionThe extractive heterogeneous-azeotropic distillation improves significantly the possibilities of the separation of highly non-ideal mixtures. EHAD opens new solutions and areas for the design of distillation based systems since difficult multicomponent separations can be easily and cost effectively solved.The comparison of modelling and experiments show good agreement; however, there might be contradiction among measured and modelled data if high purity products are required. Our results obtained at the solution of fine chemical industrial and other e.g. pharmacopoeial purity distillation problems show that close to 0% and/or 100% concentrations the experiments and the modelling can provide unreliable results underlining the paramount importance of the experiments and proper analytics.SYMBOLSb.d.l. below detection limit DdistillateEHAD extractive heterogeneous-azeotropic distillation EtAc ethyl acetate FfeedMeOH methanolVLE vapour-liquid equilibrium VLLEvapour-liquid-liquid equilibriaTable 1. Comparison of measured and simulated data (in mass percent) for the ternary mixture. feed simulation experimentD W D W H 2O 4 3.6 94.7 5.3 94.6 MeOH 26 0.1 5.2 0.2 5.4 EtAc7096.3 0.194.5 b.d.l.Figure 4. Calculated equilibria and operating lines of the EHAD.T ÓTH , S ZANYI , H AAZ , AND M IZSEYHungarian Journal of Industry and Chemistry36 W bottom product x F,solvent feed concentration x F,water entrainer concentration x D distillate concentrationx W bottom product concentrationAcknowledgementThe research was supported by OTKA 112699 grant.REFERENCES[1] Kister, H.: Distillation Design, McGraw-HillEducation , (New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Athens, London, Madrid, Mexico City, Milan, New Delhi, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto) 1992 [2] Szabó, L.; Németh, S.; Szeifert, F.: Separation ofmulticomponent mixtures, Hung. J. Ind. Chem., 2011 39(2), 295–300[3] Toth, A.J.; Gergely, F.; Mizsey, P.: Physico-chemical treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater: distillation and membrane processes, Per. Pol. Chem. 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