ABSTRACT
As a rough approximation, the optimum reflux ratio usually falls in the range of 1.1–1.5 times the minimum reflux ratio. An increase in reflux ratio, therefore, may result in lower fixed charges for the distillation column and greater costs for the reboiler heat supply and condenser coolant. The object is still the separation of a solid from the fluid in which it is carried, and the separation is accomplished by forcing fluid through a porous filter. As carried out industrially it is similar to the filtration carried out in a chemical laboratory using a filter paper in a funnel. The chemical industry has used the filter press in order to separate the solid portion of slurry from the liquid. The removal of one or more selected components from a gas mixture by absorption is an important operation in environmental and chemical engineering.
