DEFINITION OF DISTILLATION LINES IN THE SEPARATION OF MULTICOMPONENT MIXTURES

Definition of Distillation Lines in the Separation of Multicomponent Mixtures. In recent years ''distillation lines'' have been used for the assessment of the separation behaviour of multicomponent mixtures, with these distillation lines being defined differently by different authors. The theory of distillation of multicomponent mixtures shows that it is appropriate to distinguish between residue lines and rectification lines. While the profile of residue lines is determined solely by the thermodynamic phase equilibrium, that of rectification lines also depends upon the mass transfer model used. By analogy with VDI Guideline 2761: ''Thermal Separation processes in Process Engineering'', it is proposed that residue lines and rectification lines are designated by the collective term distillation lines.