A benzene-air mixture is to be scrubbed in a simple counter-current absorption tower using a non- volatile absorption oil as solvent. The inlet gas contains 5% benzene and the entering gas flow is 600 lbmol/h. Solubility of benzene in oil follows Raoult's law. The tower operates isothermally at 80°F and the average molecular weight of the oil is 200 and the tower pressure is 1 atm. (a) What is the minimum oil (lb/h) needed to recover 90% of the entering benzene? (b) How many theoretical stages are required if the oil rate is 1.5 times the minimum? (c) If the overall gas-phase mass transfer coefficient is 2 lbmol/h-ft³ and the diameter of a packed tower is 2.5 m, how many meters is the height of the tower required?

Introduction to Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics
8th Edition
ISBN:9781259696527
Author:J.M. Smith Termodinamica en ingenieria quimica, Hendrick C Van Ness, Michael Abbott, Mark Swihart
Publisher:J.M. Smith Termodinamica en ingenieria quimica, Hendrick C Van Ness, Michael Abbott, Mark Swihart
Chapter1: Introduction
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A benzene-air mixture is to be scrubbed in a simple counter-current absorption tower using a non-
volatile absorption oil as solvent. The inlet gas contains 5% benzene and the entering gas flow is
600 lbmol/h. Solubility of benzene in oil follows Raoult's law. The tower operates isothermally at
80°F and the average molecular weight of the oil is 200 and the tower pressure is 1 atm.
(a) What is the minimum oil (lb/h) needed to recover 90% of the entering benzene?
(b) How many theoretical stages are required if the oil rate is 1.5 times the minimum?
(c) If the overall gas-phase mass transfer coefficient is 2 lbmol/h-ft³ and the diameter of a
packed tower is 2.5 m, how many meters is the height of the tower required?
Transcribed Image Text:A benzene-air mixture is to be scrubbed in a simple counter-current absorption tower using a non- volatile absorption oil as solvent. The inlet gas contains 5% benzene and the entering gas flow is 600 lbmol/h. Solubility of benzene in oil follows Raoult's law. The tower operates isothermally at 80°F and the average molecular weight of the oil is 200 and the tower pressure is 1 atm. (a) What is the minimum oil (lb/h) needed to recover 90% of the entering benzene? (b) How many theoretical stages are required if the oil rate is 1.5 times the minimum? (c) If the overall gas-phase mass transfer coefficient is 2 lbmol/h-ft³ and the diameter of a packed tower is 2.5 m, how many meters is the height of the tower required?
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