Introduction
Anhydrous ethanol is widely used in the chemical industry as a strong solvent and as a raw material or intermediate in the chemical synthesis of esters, organic and cyclic compound chains., detergents, paints, cosmetics, aerosols, perfumes, medicine and Food, etc. are used. In addition, ethanol and gasoline blends can be used as a fuel that reduces environmental pollution. and the addition of anhydrous ethanol improves the octane index.
Description of The Process
It consists of two distillation columns:
First column: is used for dehydration (removal of water) of the alcoholic solution close to azeotrope composition using a separating agent. The upper product is alcohol with a purity of 99.5% mol, the lower product is a mixture of water and separating agent.
Second column: works under vacuum and is used to separate water from the separating agent. The separating agent is recycled and returned to the first column. Water containing some ethanol is returned to primary distillation stage at the beginning of the overall alcohol production process.
Conclusion
Ethanol separation from water is one of the important processes in various industries, including food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. This separation is possible mainly due to the difference in boiling point of these two substances. Ethanol has a lower boiling point than water. And this difference in boiling point is the basis of the distillation method to separate them.
Simulating the process of separating ethanol from water using Aspen Hysys software is a powerful tool for chemical engineers to analyze. design and optimize industrial units related to ethanol production. This software provides the possibility of detailed examination of operational parameters, thermodynamic calculations and prediction of unit performance.
Simulation of Ethanol/Water Separation Whit Aspen Hysys
In this project, the simulation of ethanol/water separation is simulated by Aspen Hysys software version 14. To buy the project or get more information about it, proceed through the link below.