Liquid phase dehydration of ethanol solutions in a fixed bed of molecular sieves

Abstract

The liquid phase dehydration of ethanol solutions with type 3A molecular sieves in fixed-bed adsorption columns has been studied under ambient conditions. The breakthrough curves for this system are well predicted by the model of Weber and Chakravorti, which considers both the effects of external film and internal pore diffusional resistances. The concept of mass transfer zone (MTZ) provides a simple design procedure for the system. The fraction ability of the adsorbent within the mass transfer zone to adsorb solute was found to have a constant value of 0.43. The MTZ length was observed to be independent of bed height. Variations of MTZ length with feed concentration and fluid velocity were evaluated. © 1990 Humana Press Inc.