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Abstract
This study focuses on determining the feasibility of obtaining maximum mole percentage of acetone (99 mole%) in the distillate stream from a 3 mole% acetone waste stream using batch distillation. The device which is used in this work has eight trays that will act as the stages of the batch distillation. The effects of varying reflux ratio and heat load (power) on acetone concentration were studied. Moreover, the operating conditions for the bath distillation column such as flooding and weeping with the extreme limits of operation were considered. The temperatures were also be recorded at each tray. The McCabe-Thiele method was used to determine the theoretical number of trays and compared with actual trays (column efficiency). For a chemical analysis of acetone/water compositions a refractometer was used for a chemical analysis, known acetone/water concentrations were analysed and used
to construct a calibration curve. The results obtained showed that, the acetone concentration increases with increasing reflux ratio until a highest concentration was reached. Then, the concentration gradually decreases with increasing reflux ratio. However, the distillate stream with 99 mole % acetone was achieved at a reflux ratio of R=3 and at both powers 0.5 kw and 0.7 kw. Finally, the highest overall column efficiency reached by this work was about 75%.