Extractive distillation is the most promising alternative for the ethanol-water separation than azeotropic and pressure swing distillation using suitable solvent n-Butyl propionate. We have studied, simulated, optimized and economically evaluated the separation of a mixture of 50 mole% ethanol and 50 mole% water to treat the 16 Kmol/hr (512.67 kg/hr) of the original mixture. Rigorous simulation and optimization has been carried out by means of a software CHEMCAD version 6.5 using thermodynamic model UNIQUAC with binary interaction parameters. The_x000D_ simulations allow us to conclude that extractive distillation is more economical and trustworthy than pressure swing distillation due to the relative pressure insensitive nature of the ethanol-water mixture after the azeotropic composition. The separation of 99.7% of ethanol from ethanol water mixture claim by Mulia-Soto, Flores-Tlacuahuac, 2011 is contradictory as the feasibility for the operating pressure of 10 atm with or without heat integration.

Simulation Optimization Ethanol Dehydration n-Butyl Propionate

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