Course 10.27 Will Teach You the Chemical Engineering Tricks of the Trade

A brief description of the different laboratory experiments that may be offeredin the course follows. Other experiments may be introduced as the course proceeds.

Description of the Unit Operations

Thermal Decomposition

The thermal decomposition can be studied as a function of temperature and time and the nature of the decomposition products will be determined.

Continuous Ion Exchange

A mixed bed of ion exchange resin (mixed cationic and anionic resin) can be used to produce ultra pure water. The bed is contained between electrodialysis (ion exchange) membranes and is continuously regenerated by electrolyzing water to produce hydroxyl and hydrogen ions. The usual acid and base regenerants are not used.

Ultrafiltration

A laboratory ultra filter can be used to separate a high molecular weight polymer from a low molecular weight compound.

Electrodialysis

Electrodialysis can be used to produce drinking water and concentrated salt from a simulated brackish water of about 3,000 PPM salt. Current efficiency, power efficiency and economic throughput can be determined.

Ion Exchange

Some of the important features associated with ion exchange processes will be learned from a study of the removal of calcium from water by exchange with sodium and regeneration of the resin with concentrated sodium chloride.

Wiped Film Evaporator

The heat transfer characteristics of a pilot-scale wiped-film evaporator can be measured. The effect of preheating the feed can be studied as will evaporation under vacuum.

Thermal Conductivity Measurements

Transient and steady state measurements can be made to discover the time- temperature relationships when heating solid metal pieces. A computer can be programmed to record and analyze the measurements.

Fluidized Beds

Three different small scale fluidized beds are available to:
• Learn to use orifice and venturi flow meters with a gas.
• Measure the efficiency of an ejector.
• Investigate pressure drop and gas bubble formation in a two dimensional bubbling bed.
• Investigate heat transfer to air with and without the presence of fluidized solids.
• Investigate the regimes of fluidization and heat transfer in a 3 inch diameter fast circulation bed.

Pumping Studies

A simple water pump has been set up to study the characteristics of a centrifugal pump and to measure the Cv factor of a globe valve used for control.

Process Control

A programmable process controller can be used to control level in a tank with variable outflow. Those students who have had a control course may also choose the much more complicated experiment of simultaneously controlling temperature and level by arranging the interaction of two controllers, one controlling cold water flow and one controlling hot water flow.

Immobilized Enzyme Kinetics

A packed bed reactor containing the enzyme glucose isomerase can be used to study a packed bed catalytic reactor. A strong solution of glucose when passed down the bed can be converted to about 50:50 glucose: fructose which is much sweeter to the taste than pure glucose. The effect on reaction of temperature, residence time, and concentration of glucose can be studied. Analysis can be by polarimetry.

Distillation

A glass tray column is available, fitted with a kettle, reflux splitter, and condenser. A mixture of methanol and water or acetic acid and water (for which the equilibrium data are published) can be separated by batch distillation. Measurement can be made of the number of separation stages, which can be compared to the actual number of trays.

Fermentation and Bioseparations

Several different experiments are available to study various aspects of fermentation and separation of products, such as ethanol, anti-cancer agents, antibiotics.

Stripping Column

A small stripping column can be used to study the stripping of sparingly soluble solvents from wastewater at flow rates close to flooding.

Dialysis

Hemodialysis cells can be studied using the dialysis of sodium chloride out of a solution into clean water. The effect of flow rate on dialysis can be measured.

Catalysis (Hydrogenation)

Hexadecene can be hydrogenated to hexadecane in the presence of palladium on carbon catalyst. The kinetics of the reaction can be measured. The reaction can be followed by analysis of samples and by measurement of hydrogen flow into the reactor.

Mixing

A model batch mixer is set up to study the effect of speed, stirrer diameter and viscosity on power.

Pressure Swing Absorption

A pressure swing absorption equipment can be used to separate nitrogen from oxygen in air. The effect on nitrogen purity of pressure, flow rate and time can be studied.

Oxygen Mass Transfer

A stirred-tank reactor equiped with Rushton turbines will be used to study the oxygen transfer from air bubbles, sparged from the bottom of the reactor, into the surrounding aqueous phase. Oxygen dissolved in the liquid will be measured by a simple titration method. The effect of temperature and agitation rate on mass transfer can be studied.