2013/2014 Academic Session
College:
Science & Techology
Department:
Chemical Engineering
Programme:
separation processes
Course Code:
CHE 411
Units:
3
Course Lecturer :
HYMORE, F. K.
Semester:
Alpha
Time:
MON: 1-2 pm, Friday: 9-11 am
Location:
C37 Chemical Engineering Building
Brief Overview of Course
Overall View of Course
Separation processes play very important roles in process industry, biological organisms,
ecosystems, and environmental engineering. In the process industry contaminants are separated
from feed, waste, and recycle streams while separation of valuable products from wastes, impurities
and by-products also take place.
Separation processes account for 50 to 90% of the capital costs of most chemical process plants and
about 70% of the ultimate product cost. Hence it is essential that the separation process chosen
must be carefully selected and designed in order to be successful. This is often done by contacting
the mixture with another phase. Of the many separation processes, distillation, solvent extraction,
leaching and absorption are most common and these will be considered in this course. This course
will involve the design of systems to achieve specific separation duties in distillation, absorption
solvent extraction and leaching.
Course Objectives/Goals
By the end of this course the student should be able to:
Appreciate the importance of separation processes not only in the process industries
but also in many others spheres of life
Cite the many different separation types and the appreciate the principles underlying
all of them
Concept of equilibrium in separation processes and how they are expressed
graphically and in forms of equation and tables
Cite the different types of distillations and equipment used
Determine the number of stages require for a given separation and feed
Appreciate the importance of reflux ratio and feed plate location on the economics of
the separation
Appreciate solvent extraction versus other separation processes and thee equipments
used
Calculate the number of solvent extraction-mixer settler units required to achieve a given
duty
Appreciate the equipments used for absorption-plate and packed towers- and their
characteristics
Calculate the height of packing required to achieve a given absorption duty
Method of Lecture Delivery/Teaching Aids
Power point Slides
Multimedia
Interactive lecture sessions in Class rooms
Course Outlines
Module 1: Distillation
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Vapour-liquid phase diagrams, vapour-liquid equilibrium curves,
binary distillation without reflux-simple distillation and flash or equilibrium
distillation
binary distillation with reflux
basic equipment types –column and internals and accessories,
determining the number of stages required to achieve a desired separation from a
given feed rate, feed and product composition –equations of operating lines and
equilibrium curve-McCabe-Thiele diagram and assumptions
effect of reflux ratio on economics of separation and the number of stages,
optimum reflux ratio
optimum location of feed plate
Module 2: solvent extraction
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Application of solvent extraction
Solvent extraction versus other separation processes
Ternary systems and representation of equilibrium data
Choice of solvent for a given separation
Equipment for solvent extraction-mixer settler units ,etc
Stage wise separation: single and multistage separation operation, crosscurrent
Counter current solvent extraction. Determination of number of stages required
and the quantities and composition of products
Module 3: absorption
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Application s
Equilibrium data for absorption- Henrys constant
Equipment for absorption-plate and packed towers
Type of packings and characteristics of types of packing
Height of packings required to achieve a level of separation
Tutorials
One hour of tutorial for every two hours of interactive lectures
Structure of Programme/ method of grading
The final course grade will be weighted according to the following scheme:
Assignments & Quizzes
15%
Mid Semester Test
10%
Term papers
5%
Semester Exam
70%
Ground rules & regulations
Unannounced quizzes will be given (generally once each week) to reinforce important
principles and to encourage preparation for class.
Only official University/medical excuse will be tolerated for absence from quiz.
Some quizzes will be given during tutorials
Late comers will not be allowed to sign the attendance register
Topic for Term paper/ Assignment /Student Activiteis
1. Comparison of the types of internals of columns used for distillation and absorption
2. List 30 products obtained from a typical crude oil refinery and indicate the role of the
distillation process in their production.
Alignment With covenant University Vison/Goals
The course is in line with producing chemical engineers capable of facing the challenges of
the profession. Separations processes are key the success of the process industry. Ability to
select and design the appropriate type for a given duty is very important to the success of this
unit operation
Contemporary Issues/ Industry relevance
The refinery process relies very heavily on distillation and other separation processes
Reading material
 C. J. Geankoplis, Transport Processes and Unit Operations, Prentice Hall,
1993.
 C. J. King, Separation Processes, McGraw-Hill, 1980.
 G. F. Nalven, ed. Distillation and Other Industrial Separations, AIChE, 1997.
 R. E. Treybal, Mass-Transfer Operations, McGraw-Hill, 1980.
 W. McCabe , J. Smith, P. Harriott ,Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering,
(7th Edition), McGraw- Hill Chemical Engineering Series, 2004