A distillation unit separates mixed liquids by heating them until each component reaches boiling point. It consists of a boiler, a column, a condenser, and storage vessels. Different types of distillation units include fractional, simple, steam, and vacuum distillation.
A distillation unit is a set of machinery that is used to separate two or more mixed liquids by heating the mixture until each component reaches boiling point. When each part of the mixture boils, turns into steam, it can be separated. A distillation unit consists of a boiler, a vertical space or column where the separation takes place, a condenser to return the vapors to liquids, and storage vessels to store the separated liquids.
The process begins with a boiler heating the charge of mixed liquids. The boiler can be fueled by a variety of products including fuel oil, natural gas and coal. Some boilers are fed by a byproduct of the blended liquid that has already gone through the process. Industrial distillation processes where steam is available can also use steam to heat the feedstock.
When the feedstock component that has the lowest boiling point reaches that boiling point, it turns to vapor and rises up the column. The vapors are captured and conveyed to a condenser. The condenser absorbs the heat from the segregated vapor, turning it back into a liquid. The segregated liquid, or distillate, is transferred from the condenser to a storage vessel. To improve the purity of the distillate, the process could be repeated to further remove elements not identical to the distillate.
A fractional distillation unit separates mixed liquids where the boiling points are similar. A fractional distillation column has a series of levels using trays or packings where the feedstock is vaporized, condensed, and vaporized again. The distillation process is repeated several times until the different components have been completely separated. An example of fractional distillation is the separation of various types of gasoline and oil from a crude oil supply.
A simple distillation unit is used when the feedstock is a single liquid with solid contaminants, such as the process of distilling natural water from seawater. When seawater boils, the water molecules turn into vapor and the salt is released from suspension in the water. Vaporized pure water, in the form of vapor, is cooled to transform it back into liquid form.
A steam distillation unit forces steam through a quantity of feedstock to vaporize the liquid from within the feedstock. Steam distillation is suitable for stable materials that do not dissolve easily in water. The liquid evaporates from the mixture, often plant material, and mixes with the vapor, but separates easily after it condenses and the vapor turns back into water. Steam distillation is used to produce a variety of essential plant oils, such as clary sage, peppermint, and lemongrass.
A vacuum distillation unit puts the feedstock under pressure by removing air from the distillation column to reduce the boiling point of the feedstock. This process is used in cases where the high boiling point could damage the quality of the raw material or where the original boiling point is so high that the process becomes difficult or cost prohibitive. Vacuum distillation can also improve the efficiency of a distillation process by allowing it to operate with less heat.
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