VLE, LLE and VLLE data of water-ethanol-hydrocarbon systems in chemical process simulation software

Abstract

Design and optimization of distillation columns for ethanol dehydration, using a hydrocarbon as entrainer, implies a good knowledge of vapor-liquid (VLE), liquid-liquid (LLE) and vapor-liquid-liquid equilibrium (VLLE). Chemical process simulation programs always require the use of a thermodynamic model that can properly reproduce those equilibria. NRTL, UNIQUAC and UNIFAC are the most applied models in the calculation of equilibrium data for the water-ethanol-hydrocarbon systems. These systems are highly non-ideals, with wide heterogeneous regions and some azeotropes: three binaries and one ternary. The equilibrium data for these systems are necessary to the study of ethanol dehydration columns with gasoline.