Intensified Distillation-Based Separation Processes: Recent Developments and Perspectives

• Published in: Chemical engineering & technology Vol. 39; no. 12; pp. 2183 - 2195
• Main Authors: Long, Nguyen Van Duc, Minh, Le Quang, Ahmad, Faizan, Luis, Patricia, Lee, Moonyong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 01-12-2016; WILEY‐VCH Verlag
• Subjects: Distillation; Energy consumption; Energy efficiency; Environmental impact; Innovative systems; Performance enhancement; Process intensification; Reactive separation processes; Searching; Separation; Sustainability
• ISSN: 0930-7516; 1521-4125
• DOI: 10.1002/ceat.201500635

Greater sustainability can be achieved by decreasing the production costs, energy consumption, equipment size, and environmental impact as well as improvement of the raw material yields, remote control, and process flexibility. Process intensification (PI) as the main route for improving the process performance is used widely in heat transfer, reactions, separation, and mixing, which results in plant compactness, cleanliness, and energy efficiency. Some of the main intensified separation processes and improvement mechanisms are reviewed briefly with the main focus on the PI of distillation processes, which are the most important separation methods. In addition to these technologies, the potential and reliability of reactive separation processes are addressed briefly, which will enable higher efficiency and capacity.
The need for greater sustainability has prompted industry to search for opportunities to improve process performance. Process intensification has become the main way to meet needs such as decreased costs, energy consumption, and environmental impact. This paper reviews some of the intensified separation processes and improvement mechanisms, with an emphasis on distillation.