B

A
C

In Acetic Acid-Water-Toluene System Acetic acid becomes stable node because of highest boiling
point of 117.90 0C. In this system there are two azeotropes present, Azeotrope-1 is between water
and toluene, Azeotrope-2 is between toluene and water. Here in this system two azeotropes present
so RCM divided into the three distillation regions. First boundary between pure Acetic acid and
Azeotrope-1, second boundary is between Azeotrope-1 and Azeotrope-2 and third boundary is
between Azeotrope-2 and pure toluene. Highest boiling point in boundary is stable node, and then
saddle and unstable node as per descending boiling point. If Tie lines should me more towards
water and away from entrainer then separation could be simpler. In this system two azeotropes
which makes system little difficult as well as if we perform distillation then it should be in region
B, where tie lines are far away which shows compositions difference in distillate very huge and
that shows good separation.

Azeotropic composition at 78 mass% of iso-butyl acetate with water makes heterogeneous

azeotrope. As we can see in RCM temperature of azeotrope is minimum temperature in whole
system. Moreover, acetic acid has highest boiling point temperature in whole system. Therefore,
at anyhow acetic acid should come from the bottom of the column and entrainer and water which
makes heterogeneous azeotrope which will come out from the distillate stream.
Now from the mass balance we get intersect point for two line. First line is outer composition of
pure acetic acid and aqueous phase, second line is between inlet composition of 50 mass%
water/acetic acid and entrainer makeup. So it will near to feed point. Which conclude that required
makeup rate of iso-butyl acetate is very less.

In Acetic Acid-Water-Vinyl Acetate System, Acetic acid becomes stable node because of highest
boiling point of 117.90 0C. In this system there is only single azeotrope form which makes system
to be easily operate. Azeotrope form between vinyl acetate and water at 67 OC. which shows
minimum boiling azeotrope. Moreover, azeotrope form in the region of two regions. It is liquid-
liquid equilibrium. So azeotrope is heterogeneous mixture which can easily separate out with the
use of decanter where recycled entrainer again reuse in the column as a reflux and maintain column
environment feasible.

In water-ethyl acetate-acetic acid system there is one azeotrope between ethyl acetate and water at
mass fraction of ethyl acetate 91.6%. Minimum boiling azeotrope at 71.5 OC. That is in liquid-
liquid region, and we could separate it out by using decanter after condensing the vapor from the
top of the column. As a number of azeotrope increase complexity in the column also increase. In
heterogeneous region in this system covers only 20% from whole residue curve. Which means it
reduce the complexity during the operation. Here in graph we can see that tie lines direction is
towards water not towards ethyl acetate, therefore it shows that losses of acetic acid during
operation is too low.