GB887910A - Improvements in or relating to centrifugal distillation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<PICT:0887910/III/1> The centrifugal apparatus of Specification 598,531, (which comprises fixed and rotary plate E, B, respectively carrying rings or having corrugations so that the rings or corrugations on the fixed plate alternate with those on the rotary plate), is modified for use in fractional distillation by mounting it inside a boiling vessel F and providing it additionally with vanes A attached to the lower rotary plate B on the face opposite to that carrying the rings or corrugations C, and with an annular baffle J fitted in the vessel just below the vanes. Preferably the distances between the rings or corrugations on the plates E, B are such that the area of plate enclosed between any two consecutive rings or corrugations is constant. Both plates E and B may rotate if desired. In an example a mixture of n-heptane and toluene is separated by passing it through an inlet L into the boiling vessel F, introducing steam by inlet P into jacket O, passing the vapours from the mixture between the rings or corrugations C and D and through line K to a condenser and returning the condensate to the distillation apparatus by a line L, whence it flows centrifugally and countercurrent to the vapours to the periphery of the rotary plate B to be returned by piplines H to the mixture in vessel F. When the proportion of n-heptane in the liquid returning to the top of the apparatus by line L no longer rises, liquid rich in n-heptane is removed from the line L and spent liquor rich in toluene is obtained from outlet M.