What Is Reactive Distillation Explain Its Design Features & Its Industrial Applications?

Reactive distillation is an innovative process technology that combines the reaction and separation steps of a chemical process into one integrated unit operation. It has become increasingly popular in the chemical industry due to its potential for increased efficiency, reduced capital cost, and improved safety. The basic design of a reactive distillation system involves a reaction chamber, a distillation column, and an interconnecting piping system.

In the reaction chamber, reactants are mixed and converted into desired products through a chemical reaction. The interconnecting piping system then carries intermediate products to the distillation column.

Here, the separation of desired products from other components is achieved by using heat, pressure, and separation techniques such as fractional distillation. Heat is applied either directly or indirectly to the column’s walls or trays to facilitate vaporization and condensation.

Design Features

The design features of a reactive distillation system include:

  • A reaction chamber for mixing reactants
  • A fractional distillation column for separating products from each other
  • An interconnecting piping system for transferring intermediate products between the chambers

In some cases, additional equipment such as pumps or valves may be included in the design for additional control over product composition.

Industrial Applications

Reactive distillation has been used in many industries including petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, food processing and specialty chemicals. In petrochemicals, it can be used to produce fuels such as gasoline and diesel while in specialty chemicals it can be used to produce high-value compounds such as flavorings and fragrances.

Conclusion:

What Is Reactive Distillation? Explain Its Design Features & Its Industrial Applications?



Reactive distillation is an innovative process technology that combines both reactions and separations into one integrated unit operation. It has design features such as a reaction chamber for mixing reactants; a fractional distillation column for separating products from each other; and an interconnecting piping system for transferring intermediate products between chambers. Reactive distillation is widely used in many industries including petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, food processing and specialty chemicals.