132 Principles of Chemical Engineering Processes

From the total balance equation around the absorber, m 2 is calculated by

substituting m 3 and m 4:

m
 2 + 100 = 95.5 + 15.8 → m
 2 = 11.3 kg/h

System: Distillation column.

Total material balance:

15.8 = m 7 + m 5

Component balance (acetone):

0.19(15.8) = 0.99m 7 + 0.04m 5

The earlier equations can be solved as follows:

m 7 = 15.8 − m 5

Substitute m 7 in the acetone component mass balance:

0.19(15.8) = 0.99(15.8 − m 5 ) + 0.04m 5

Simplifying,

0.19 (15.8 ) = 0.99 × 15.8 − 0.99m 5 + 0.04m 5

0.95m 5 = 12.63,

 5 = 12.63 = 13.3 kg/h

m
0.95

m
 5 = 13.3 kg/h , m
 7 = 2.5 kg/h

Homework Problems
4.1 The feed to a separation process contains 50 wt% benzene, 30 wt%
toluene, and 20 wt% xylene. The feed enters the process at a flow rate
of 100 kg/h. The overhead stream from the first unit contains 95 wt%
benzene, 3 wt% toluene, and 2 wt% xylene. The overhead stream
from the second unit contains 3 wt% benzene, 95 wt% toluene, and
2 wt% xylene. The flow rate of the overhead from the first unit is 52%
of the fresh feed flow rate. The amount of benzene in the overhead
from the second unit is 75% of the benzene that enters the second unit.
Multiunit Process Calculations 133

(a) Determine the flow rates for all of the streams leaving both units.
(52, 15, and 33 kg/h)
4.2 It is proposed to separate CaCO3 (solid) from slurry via crystalliza-
tion. The feed slurry contains equal mass fractions of CaCO3 precip-
itate in a solution of NaOH and H2O. The slurry is washed with a
dilute solution of 5 wt% NaOH in H2O and of an equal flow rate as the
slurry. The washed slurry, after leaving the unit, contains 2 kg solu-
tion per 1 kg of solid (CaCO3). The clear solution (free of solid) with-
drawn from the unit can be assumed to have the same concentration
in NaOH and water as the solution withdrawn with the solid crystals.
On the basis of 100 kg/h of feed slurry, draw and label the process
flowchart and calculate the composition of sodium hydroxide in the
clear solution. (0.23)
4.3 Fresh apple juice contains 75% water flowing at a mass flow rate of
200  kg/h. The fresh juice is concentrated in an evaporation process.
A portion of the fresh feed is bypassed to meet the evaporator maxi-
mum capacity. The bypass stream joins the evaporator outlet stream.
Ninety percent of the water entering the evaporator is evaporated. The
concentrated apple juice contains 25% water. Draw the process flow
sheet and calculate the mass flow rates of produced and evaporated
streams. (66.7, 133.3 kg/h)
4.4 A solution containing 15.0 wt% NaCl, 5.0 wt% KCl, and 80 wt% water is
fed to an evaporator–crystallizer process. The fresh feed stream mass
flow rate is 1000  kg/h, the fresh feed is combined with the recycle
stream, coming from the crystallizer stream, and enters an evaporator.
In the evaporator, pure NaCl is collected at the bottom of the evapo-
rator, and the top stream is pure water vapor. The evaporator outlet
stream composition is 17 wt% NaCl and 22 wt% KCl, and 61% water
enters the crystallizer unit. Pure KCl is collected as bottom product
from the crystallizer. The crystallizer outlet stream is entirely recycled
and joins the fresh feed stream. The recycle stream contains 20 wt%
NaCl, the balance is water and KCl (i.e., both components are 80 wt%).
The bottom products of the evaporator and the crystallizer consist of
dry and pure NaCl and KCl, respectively. Draw the process flow sheet
and calculate the mass fraction of KCl in the recycle stream. (0.082)
4.5 The raw feed to a sulfur removal system contains 15 mol% CO2, 7%
H2S, and the balance is CH4. The fresh feed to the unit is 100 kmol/h.
The original absorber design places a maximum flow rate limit of
80 kmol/h, and yields a product stream with only 1% H2S, and the bal-
ance is CO2 and CH4. The absorber removes H2S only. The excess feed
flow rate is bypassed and blended with the product stream. Draw and
label the process flowchart. Find the CO2 mole fraction in the absorber
exit gas stream. (0.16)
4.6 A separator is designed to remove 75% of the CO2 in flue gas
(assume N2) that is fed to adsorption unit, not the fresh feed. The CO2
134 Principles of Chemical Engineering Processes

is removed from the bottom of the separator. The exit composition of

the stream leaving the separator contains 10% CO2, and the balance is
nitrogen. A recycle stream is used, where part of the exit of the separa-
tor is recycled and unites with the fresh feed. Draw and label a process
flowchart. Calculate the flow rate and compositions of all unknown
streams.
4.7 A distillation column separates a mixture of 100 kg/h of 50% ethanol
and the balance is water. The distillate at the top of the column was
found to contain 95% ethanol, and the bottom products contain 96%
water. The vapor flow rate from the top of the column is 80 kg/h. The
condenser condenses vapor completely. A portion of the condenser
product is recycled to the column as reflux. The rest of the condensate
is withdrawn as product. Calculate the bottom stream mass flow rate.
(49.45 kg/h)
4.8 A feed stream flowing at 1000 kg/h contains 20% KNO3 and 80% H2O.
The stream enters an evaporator where part of water is evaporated and
the stream exits with 50% KNO3. The evaporator outlet stream enters
a crystallizer. The bottom product stream of the crystallizer contains
4% H2O and the balance is KNO3. The outlet stream from the crystal-
lizer is recycled and combined with the fresh feed stream. The recycle
stream consists of 0.6 kg KNO3/kg H2O. Draw and label the process
flowchart and calculate the recycle to fresh feed ratio. (0.767)
4.9 Thousand kilograms of soya beans are composed of 18% oil, 35% pro-
tein, 10.0% moisture, and the balance are carbohydrates, fiber, and ash.
The feed is crushed and pressed, which reduces oil content in beans
to 6%, and then extracted with hexane to produce a meal containing
0.5% oil, and finally dried to 8% moisture. Assuming that there is no
loss of protein and water with the oil, determine the water loss during
drying. (4.25 kg)
4.10 A process consists of two distillation columns. The composition of
the feed to the first tower is 30.0 mol% benzene (B), 30.0 mol% tolu-
ene (T), and 40.0 mol% xylene (X). The overhead stream from the first
tower contains no xylene (X). The benzene content of the overhead
stream from the first tower is 55.0 mol%. The bottoms stream from
the second tower has a flow rate of 100 mol/h and contains 15.0 mol%
toluene and no benzene. While the overhead stream from the second
tower contains 50.0 mol% benzene, there are also other components,
T or X, or both, in this stream. The flow rate of the overhead stream
from the first tower is twice the flow rate of the overhead stream from
the second tower. Determine the molar flow rates of the fresh feed
stream and the overhead stream leaving the first column. (228, 85.8
mol/h)
4.11 The feed stream to a processing system consists of 40 wt% A, 25 wt%
B, and 35 wt% C. This stream enters the first process unit from which
two streams emerge. The overhead stream from unit one contains
Multiunit Process Calculations 135

60 wt% A and no C. The bottom stream from unit one (stream 3) goes
to a second unit. Two streams emerge from unit 2. The top stream
contains 20 wt% B and no C. The bottom stream from unit 2 contains
30 wt% A, 20 wt% B, and 50 wt% C, and leaves unit 2 at a rate of
140 kg/h. Draw a flow chart for this system. Determine the flow rates
for streams 1 through 4. (200, 50, 150, 10 kg/h)
4.12 A fresh feed stream flowing at a rate of 100  kg/min consists of the
mass fractions 0.4 A, 0.1 B, and 0.5 C and enters an evaporator where
the evaporator product stream leaving from the top of the evaporator
contains 0.8 mol fraction A and the balance is B and C. Sixty percent
of the evaporator product stream is recycled and combined with the
fresh feed stream. The evaporator product stream consists of 0.3 mass
fractions A and 0.125 mass fractions B, and the balance is C. Draw and
label the process flow sheet and determine the flow rate and mass frac-
tion of A in the evaporator feed streams. (220 kg/h, 0.35)
4.13 A fresh pressed juice contains 5% of total solids and it is desired to
raise this percentage to 10% of total solids by evaporation and then
to add sugar to give 2% of added sugar in the concentrated juice.
Calculate the quantity of water that must be removed and of sugar
that must be added with respect to each 100 kg of pressed juice. (50 kg,
sugar added 1.02 kg)

References
1. Reklaitis, G.V. (1983) Introduction to Material and Energy Balances, John Wiley &
Sons, New York.
2. Felder, R.M. and R.W. Rousseau (1978) Elementary Principles of Chemical Processes,
John Wiley & Sons, New York.
3. Himmelblau, D.M. (1996) Basic Principles and Calculations in Chemical Engineering,
6th edn., Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
4. Whirwell, J.C. and R.K. Toner (1969) Conservation of Mass and Energy, Blaisdell,
Waltham, MA.
5. Shaheen, E.I. (1975) Basic Practice of Chemical Engineering, Houghton Mifflin,
Boston, MA.
6. Hougen, O.A., K.M. Watson, and R.A. Ragatz (1954) Chemical Process Principles:
Material and Energy Balances, 2nd edn., John Wiley & Sons, New York.