Question

Please consider a biological process for producing Ethanol. Since Ethanol is an antiseptic, the organisms that produce the Ethanol will begin to die at concentrations greater than 10%. The contract calls for a product that is at least 50% Ethanol. Please consider an initial mixture with zı = 0.1 at 364 °K. From the Txy diagram below for Ethanol/Water at 101.325 kPa: \text { a. Please determine } x_{1}, x_{2}, y_{1}, \text { and } y_{2} \text {. } b. If the liquid phase is discarded, what fraction of the Ethanol will be lost? Does this seem like a good strategy for producing Ethanol? Please use one or two sentences to explain. c. If the liquid phase is heated to 370 °K before being discarded, what fraction of the original product would be lost? d. The vapor phase at 364 K was cooled to 356 °K and the vapor phase at 356 °K was collected as the product. Will the product meet specs? Why or why not? Please use one or two sentences to explain. e. Please consider the liquid phase at 356 °K. Would it make sense to reflux this stream (i.e., mix with the original stream)? Why or why not? Please explain.

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