Product Details

This apparatus is designed to demonstrate the principles of continuous and discontinuous (batch) rectification, a critical separation process used to purify liquid mixtures like ethanol and water by leveraging differences in boiling points. It allows students to study counter-flow distillation, reflux ratio control, and the efficiency of various column designs in enriching vapor phases with lower-boiling components and concentrating higher-boiling residues. The system features two interchangeable columns—a sieve tray column with multiple feed points and a packed column filled with Raschig rings—both constructed from high-temperature borosilicate glass for visibility and durability. The process includes a feed preheater heat exchanger, condenser, phase separation tank, and product collection tanks, with valves to adjust reflux ratios. Flow rates, temperatures, and pressures are continuously measured and displayed on a 7-inch touch LCD, while data acquisition software enables real-time monitoring and analysis. Sampling ports allow for liquid analysis to evaluate separation effectiveness. Its primary applications are in chemical engineering education and research, focusing on mass transfer, thermodynamics, and process optimization. The key benefits include hands-on experimentation with industrial-scale distillation variables, such as reflux management and column packing types, providing practical insight into energy efficiency, separation performance, and the operational flexibility needed for industries like biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and petrochemicals. The integrated software and robust design facilitate safe, precise, and repeatable experiments.