Optimal Design and Economic Evaluation of Dividing‐Wall Columns

In an effort to reduce costs, a systematic optimization approach is proposed to address the energy consumption of dividing‐wall columns (DWCs). This iterative optimization procedure begins by minimizing the overall heat duty using an innovative objective function within a constrained design space. A sensitivity analysis is then carried out on the manipulated variables to obtain their optimal ranges. Optimal operating parameters are obtained through the evaluation of the total annualized cost (TAC). For the separation process of benzene/toluene/o‐xylene, the optimal DWC flow sheet exhibits a significant decrease in TAC when compared to conventional flow sheet optimum designs. The applied optimization method and sensitivity analysis have proven to produce results at the global optimum. This method is both practical and easily applied to other systems, even to systems with more than three components.     

Characterization and reactivity of VMgO catalysts prepared by wet impregnation and sol–gel methods

This paper reports the study of physicochemical, surface, and catalytic properties of two series of VMgO catalysts prepared by two different methods: wet impregnation and sol–gel. The characterizations of the elaborated materials were performed using N₂-sorption (Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET)), X-ray diffraction, Raman, transmission electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses. The catalytic properties of the elaborated materials were investigated in the isopropanol decomposition reaction to determine their acid–base character and in the selective oxidation of n-butane to evaluate their dehydrogenation properties. The preparation method and vanadium content strongly affected the properties of our materials. The sol–gel method leads to smaller crystallite size, higher specific surface area, and uniform particle distribution compared to the impregnation one. Both impregnation and SG solids promote the formation of acetone, which is related to the presence of strong basic sites (O^2? species) on the catalytic exposed surface. The more pronounced basic character was obtained through the SG samples. The sol–gel samples exhibited the highest catalytic activity and C4-olefin selectivity in the partial oxidation of n-butane. Whatever the preparation procedure, the nature of surface oxygen species plays an important role in the orientation of catalytic performances.     

Extraction and Characterization of Starch from Oak Acorn,Sorghum, and Potato and Adsorption Application for Removal of Maxilon Red GRL from Wastewater

Pure starch has been isolated from different samples: oak acorn, sorghum, and potato using alkali steep and wet-milling procedure. The structure of the extracted starches was analyzed using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Their physicochemical properties (water content, ash content, pH, amylose content, swelling power, and water solubility index) were determined. The FT-IR spectra of isolated native starches have shown the main bands characterizing the starch. For sorghum starch (SS) and oak acorn starch (OAS), X-ray diffractograms exhibited an A-type diffraction pattern, while potato starch (PS) displayed typical B-type pattern. Compared to sorghum and oak acorn, potato starch has shown the highest level of both swelling power and water solubility index.

To estimate the color removal quality of the extracted starches, a sorption of a dye named maxilon red GRL has been carried onto them.

The results of equilibrium isotherms in batch adsorption process were analyzed according to the Langmuir and Freundlich model. The characteristic parameters were determined for each model. Furthermore, the effect of initial pH and ionic strength on adsorption capacity was considered, and regeneration studies were carried out.     

ADSORPTION,KINETICS, AND EQUILIBRIUM STUDIES ON REMOVAL OF 4,4-DDT FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS USING LOW-COST ADSORBENTS

The removal of a chlorinated pesticide (4,4-DDT) from aqueous solutions by a batch adsorption technique using different low-cost adsorbents was investigated. Two adsorbents, wood sawdust (A) and cork wastes (B), were used to determine adsorption efficiency. The influence of the adsorbent particle size and the organic matter of water (humic acids) on the removal process was studied. The obtained results were compared to those obtained with a commercial powdered activated carbon (PAC, F400, Chemviron) (C). Kinetic studies were performed to understand the mechanistic steps of the adsorption process. The rate of the adsorption kinetics of 4,4-DDT on the low-cost adsorbents was found best fitted with a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. This is in contrast to the rate of the adsorption kinetics of the PAC F400, which was best fitted with the Lagergren model. The application of the Morris-Weber equation showed that the adsorption process of 4,4-DDT on these adsorbents was complex. Both the adsorption on the surface and the intraparticle diffusion were the rate-controlling mechanisms. Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms were applicable to the adsorption process and their constants were evaluated. The adsorption capacity (q_m) calculated from the Langmuir isotherm (69.44 mg·g^?1, 19.08 mg·g^?1, and 163.90 mg·g^?1, respectively, for A, B, and C) showed that the process is highly particle size dependent, that the organic matter influenced the adsorption process negatively, and that wood sawdust is the most effective adsorbent for the removal of 4,4-DDT from aqueous solutions. The adsorbents studied exhibited a possible application in water decontamination, as well as in treatment of industrial and agricultural waste waters.     

Systematic design of an extractive distillation for maximum‐boiling azeotropes with heavy entrainers

Extractive distillation is one of the most attractive approaches for separating azeotropic mixtures. Few contributions have been reported to design an extractive distillation for separating maximum‐boiling azeotropes and no systematic approaches for entrainer screening have been presented. A systematic approach to design of two‐column extractive distillation for separating azeotropes with heavy entrainers has been proposed. A thermodynamic feasibility analysis for azeotropes with potential heavy entrainers was first conducted. Then, five important properties are selected for entrainer evaluation. Fuzzy logic and develop membership functions to calculate attribute values of selected properties have been used. An overall indicator for entrainer evaluation is proposed and a ranking list is generated. Finally, the top five entrainers from the ranking list have been selected and use process optimization techniques to further evaluate selected entrainers and generate an optimal design. The capability of the proposed method is illustrated using the separation of acetone–chloroform azeotropes with five potential entrainers. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 61: 3898–3910, 2015     

Hybrid one-class classifier ensemble based on fuzzy integral for open-lexicon handwritten Arabic word recognition

Pattern Analysis and Applications - One-class classifier (OCC) is involved for solving different kinds of problems due to its ability to represent a class distribution regardless the remaining...     

Improved Design of the Lurgi Reactor for Methanol Synthesis Industry

Current studies are devoted to promote the production yield of the methanol synthesis process for treating large feed capacities in Algerian methanol manufacture industry by designing new reactor technologies. In order to achieve a high yield of methanol, the performance of methanol synthesis is improved by substituting the quench reactor by a new Lurgi reactor. The design of operating parameters of the Lurgi reactor involves the effect of CO₂ injection on methanol production yield and the catalyst deactivation. The simulation results demonstrate that under the same industrial operating conditions the conversion rate of reactants increases from 23 % in the quench reactor to 37 % in the Lurgi reactor and the methanol yield can be increased by 33 % when substituting the quench reactor by the Lurgi reactor     

Styrene–butadiene rubber membranes for the pervaporative separation of benzene/cyclohexane mixtures

Styrene–butadiene rubber membranes with methylene bridges, stemming from the concomitant in situ Friedel–Crafts alkylation during a chloromethylation reaction, were prepared and used in the pervaporative separation of benzene/cyclohexane mixtures. A set of four membranes with different crosslinking extents was achieved by the variation of the [Trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS)]/[Paraformaldehyde (PF)] molar ratios with respect to the styrene (St) unit. Study of the swelling of membranes by the mixture components individually and by their feed mixture compositions, 1 : 1 and 1 : 9, was conducted. The total flux (J) and the separation factor (α) were assessed as a function of the feed composition, temperature, and [St unit]/[TMCS]/[PF] molar ratios. The highest J and α measured in this study were 1401 g m^?2 h^?1 and 28.50, respectively. The diffusion selectivity was found to depend on the crosslinking extent of the membrane. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012