For any
processing plant that involves liquid processing at some level to correctly
produce the desired end product, distillation is bound to be needed in the
process. Distillation is the most critical part of the various liquid control
and monitoring systems that are in place to ensure optimum chemical composition
and quality of the liquid. The results or outcomes of the distillation process
directly influences the quality of the end-product that is being manufactured
at the processing plant.
Types of Distillation
Distillation is
the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by
using selective boiling and condensation. Distillation can achieve complete
separation (for highly pure components), or a partial separation, that effectively
increases the concentration of the desired components in the mixture. In either
case, the process exploits differences in the relative volatility of the
mixture's components.
There are 5 known
ways to conduct the distillation process;
a. Simple Distillation- This
process involves purifying a liquid mixture by heating it in a distillation
flask and bringing the liquids to their boiling points. The liquid with the
lower boiling point will evaporate and the vapours can be collected in
condensation flask.
b. Double distillation: This process
involves repeated distillation on the collected liquid, in order to enhance the
purity of the separated compounds.
c. Steam Distillation: In this
process, steam is introduced to the apparatus and the temperature of the compounds
are depressed by vaporizing them at lower temperature. This is done to distil
temperature sensitive compounds without damaging/decomposing them.
d. Vacuum Distillation: Vacuum
distillation is a special method of separating compounds at a pressure lower
than the standard atmospheric pressure
e. Fractional Distillation- This process is almost same as the Simple
Distillation, but the mixture is divided into fractions and then distilled
using a special column called fractional columns or distillation
columns.
Out of all, the
Fractional Distillation process is known to be the most effective one. It
requires a relatively simple setup and has shown some considerable benefits,
especially when it comes to liquid processing in large-scale plants.
Here are a few
advantages of fractional distillation;
a. It is highly fuel efficient
b. The setup is quite easy to implement
c. Works for any type, size or scale of industry
d. Can handle all types liquid waste streams
e. Easier to separate miscible liquids
Distillation in industries:
Distillation
serves as the backbone of most processing plants across all industries. It is one of the most important steps in the
manufacturing of gasoline, diesel and bio fuels. Distillation columns or fractionating columns
are widely used as they facilitate optimum results for strict industrial requirements.
A few industry
examples in which distillation is used as a core step;
1. Crude oil refineries: Crude oil is made up of thousands of liquid
hydrocarbons, in which hundreds of other solid based hydrocarbons are
dissolved. The oil is distilled into liquid fractions with different boiling
point ranges which are then further processed.
2. Liquid processing: Distilled water is commonly used in most parts of
the world for drinking purposes, as well as for use in the manufacturing other
beverages. Hence, it plays a big role in wastewater
treatment. Alcoholic beverage production also uses distillation to
increase the concentration of ethyl alcohol, giving greater potency and
flavour.
3. Healthcare: Drug manufactures desire an extremely high consistency
in quality, which can be manufactured in industrial quantities economically.
Distillation gives pharmaceutical companies a comprehensive control over purity
and consistency, and enables them to produce large amounts of the desired
substances.
4. Bio-fuels: Distillation is also used in Bioethanol production.
Unlike fossil fuels, bio-fuel is made from organic substances like starch and
sugarcane, which contain water. Distillation helps in extracting the biofuels
from the organic solids and purify them further.
5. Food Processing: Steam distillation is typically used in the food
industry for the preparation of some volatile oils. It is also used in the removal
of some taints and flavours from edible fats and oils.
Praj industries
is a major manufacturer of distillation columns, and one of the most prominent
Corn Ethanol Producers in India with over 30 years of industry expertise.
From pioneering
Bioethanol production technology to mastering Zero Liquid Discharge systems,
Praj industries offers a plethora of high-tech engineering solutions. like
scrubbing, Ultrafiltration
Equipment and evaporation systems, that are highly customized
and match international standards of quality and output. To learn more about
Praj’s complete offerings, kindly visit www.praj.net
