[curiouscat]

I am dealing with a crude-refining process design that may need the separation of a stream containing Methanol and Ethyl Benzene in a roughly 1:1 ratio.

I tried to search whether this system forms an azeotrope and didn't find any hits yet (which may be good!). Wanted to see if anyone knows anything more? In case it did form an azeotrope what other separation options might be feasible?

[discodermolide]

Normal distillation should separate them. MeOH bPt. 65°C, ethyl benzene BPt. 136°C
So you should be OK.
I don't think they form an azeotrope.

[curiouscat]

Normal distillation should separate them. MeOH bPt. 65°C, ethyl benzene BPt. 136°C
So you should be OK.
I don't think they form an azeotrope.

Thanks!

Although, Benzene forms an azeotrope with MeOH (BP = 58 C)
Also, Toluene forms an azeotrope with MeOH (BP = 63 C)
p-xylene also forms a 64 C azeotrope.

I just found this out. Is EB sufficiently similar with any of Benzene, Toluene or p-Xylene to potentially suspect a similar azeotrope in EB? I'm not really sure how similar I ought to think these molecules are and further if such similarity extrapolates well to VLE.

Maybe I should just end up trying it out..

Any other ways of predicting azeotropes? Group contribution, activity constants etc.?

[discodermolide]

I would try it out and see how it goes. You can always do a lab experiment first.