Reactive distillation has received intense attention due to the well known benefits of integrating distillation with reaction in a single unit. While there are procedures available for the synthesis of non-reactive columns and of reaction-separation systems, the design of reactive distillation columns is still a challenge. This work presents a new synthesis and design methodology for reactive d...

Ethanol is largely used as a solvent in the synthesis of varnishes and perfumes. It is also used as a preservative for biological products, fuel, and gasoline additives. Anethanol-water mixture, normally obtained by fractional distillation</span...

This paper is concerned with the computer-aided optimal design of reaction-distillation processes. The production of solvent 2,3-dimethylbutene-1 by isomerization of 2,3dimethylbutene-2 is considered as an innovative benchmark problem. Possible process candidates are a reactive distillation column, a reactor coupled to a nonreactive distillation column or a reactive reboiler with a nonreactive ...

Abstract This paper presents the nonlinear dynamic analysis of an ideal two-reactant-two product reactive distillation. The impact of disturbance magnitudes and directions on openloop stability of the system is studied. An analysis of the physicochemical phenomena present in reactive distillation processes that, under certain operational conditions, causes special types of nonlinear behavior is...

In this work, we obtain and compare the control properties of thermally coupled reactive distillation sequences and thermally coupled extractive distillation sequences with those of conventional reactive and extractive distillation configurations. All sequences have been designed using a multiobjective genetic algorithm with restrictions. The theoretical control properties of those schemes were...

This work presents a reactive distillation column for the catalytic disproportionation of trichlorosilane to silane which includes three consecutive reversible reactions. This reaction system is however characterized by a large distinction in the boiling points of the components, which make the reactive distillation extremely favored. Nevertheless, the normal reactive distillation column posses...

The development of a reactive distillation process for the production of n-butyl acetate by transesterification of methyl acetate with n-butanol is presented. Thermodynamic aspects of the quaternary system n-butyl acetate – n-butanol – methyl acetate – methanol are discussed and UNIQUAC interaction parameters derived using the Dortmund Data Bank (DDB) are given. The reaction kinetics of the het...

In this work, we analyze the control properties of thermally coupled reactive distillation sequences and thermally coupled extractive distillation sequences in comparison with conventional reactive and extractive distillation configurations. All sequences have been designed using a multi objective genetic algorithm with restrictions. We study the theoretical control properties of those schemes ...

Reactive distillation is an excellent example of recent advances in process intensification. It combines reaction and separation operations in one piece of equipment. This paper studies the steady-state economic optimum design of a chemical process with a generic exothermic reversible reaction A+B↔C+D for two different process flowsheets: a conventional multi-unit reactor/separator/recycle stru...

Reactive distillation processes couple chemical reactions and physical separations into a single unit operation. The ethyl acetate production by esterification reaction is equilibrium limited and is suitable to be carried out in a distillation column. In the present work, a reactive distillation column for the production of ethyl acetate is simulated using Aspen Plus. The component compositions...