[ranjeetpatil1982]

Hi,
I have a solvent distillation plant in india.
i have  problem with the moisture % not reducing after reflax.

Could anyone tell possible remedies

brgds
Ranjeet

[curiouscat]

I have a solvent distillation plant in india.
i have  problem with the moisture % not reducing after reflax.

Could anyone tell possible remedies

Buy purer solvent?

jk

[Archer]

Yeah you definitely need a safer set up.

If you need it just for your process to can get a falling film short path distiller which is a closed system. The solvent runs over a heat exchanger set to just above acetone bp. Then it gets condensed on a cooling plate which is in close proximity. You control the flow rate so that you have a continuous process.

This will at least work as a fist step, you may find that with the right conditions that this is all you need.

[ranjeetpatil1982]

We cannot change the whole system now.

We are running a batch system distillation. The purity of acetone is OK, but the relax is low and as a result moisture is above min quantities required.

Pls advise
Ranjeetpatil1982

[Archer]

Please accept my apologies, I posted my previous response on the wrong thread. There were two running at the same time discussing distillation of acetone so this was not relevant to your problem.

Please can you explain your issue more clearly?

What are you trying to achieve? (solvent recovery? solvent purification?)

How are you trying to achieve it? (vacuum distillation?, fractional distillation?, short path distillation?)

What is the problem that you are encountering? (You said too much moisture but what are your specifications and what are you achieving?)

[ranjeetpatil1982]

We are achieving to separate acetone, and are using fractional distillation.

On running the plant on batch process the purity of the extract that is acetone is very good, but the moisture content in it is permitted only 1.5 % and that is inceasing to 3.5 and even to 5 sometimes.

How do we reduce the moisture.
Rgds
Ranjeetpatil1982

[Arkcon]

How much water is in the starting material?  How little water is in your product, and what level is your output limit?  This will help us know what you're doing, and give us tips to help you.

Example:  you're distilling waste solvent 60% acetone in 40% water, and you're using a flash still to get 90% acetone, but you need 95% acetone.  In that case, perhaps you could use a consumable drying agent, or adjust the still.

or,

you have garbage solvent -- 20-30 % acetone in water with waste salts, you flash distill in a leaky still, to 80% acetone in water, but you need to produce 99.9% acetone for export, but you leave it in open drums in very humid conditions.  This is practically a waste of time, but you might get results by running the stuff through twice, if that is cost effective for you in terms of fuel and labor.

We don't know from which extreme you're working.  And I'm not even a chemical engineer -- but I know a question has to be clear if you want an answer.

[curiouscat]

We don't know from which extreme you're working.  And I'm not a chemical engineer -- but I know a question has to be clear if you want an answer.

+1 And at some level, one judges how useful sugesstions are likely to be on the basis of the quality of the question.

If, to troubleshoot a solvent purification unit, a person decides it is irrelevant to give me solvent purities, column details, temperatures etc. most of our suggestions will probably lost on him.

[WiXoo]

Or try to add some entraining agent...