Multicomponent systems equilibria

The calculation of single-stage equilibrium separations in multicomponent systems is implemented by a series of FORTRAN IV subroutines described in Chapter 7. These treat bubble and dewpoint calculations, isothermal and adiabatic equilibrium flash vaporizations, and liquid-liquid equilibrium "flash" separations. The treatment of multistage separation operations, which involves many additional considerations, is not considered in this monograph. 

In order to specify fhe size of fhe sysfem, af leasf one of fhese variables ought to be extensive (one that is proportional to the size of the system, like n or the total volume V). In the special case of several phases in equilibrium several extensive properties, e.g. n and Vfor two phases, may be required to detennine the relative amounts of the two phases. The rest of the variables can be intensive (independent of the size of the system) like T,p, the molar volume V = V/n,or the density p. For multicomponent systems, additional variables, e.g. several ns, are needed to specify composifion. 

Here p is the chemical potential just as the pressure is a mechanical potential and the temperature Jis a thennal potential. A difference in chemical potential Ap is a driving force that results in the transfer of molecules tlnough a penneable wall, just as a pressure difference Ap results in a change in position of a movable wall and a temperaPire difference AT produces a transfer of energy in the fonn of heat across a diathennic wall. Similarly equilibrium between two systems separated by a penneable wall must require equality of tire chemical potential on the two sides. For a multicomponent system, the obvious extension of equation (A2.1.22) can be written... 

The N equations represented by Eq. (4-282) in conjunction with Eq. (4-284) may be used to solve for N unspecified phase-equilibrium variables. For a multicomponent system the calculation is formidable, but well suited to computer solution. The types of problems encountered for nonelectrolyte systems at low to moderate pressures (well below the critical pressure) are discussed by Smith, Van Ness, and Abbott (Introduction to Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics, 5th ed., McGraw-Hill, New York, 1996). 

A simple example of the analysis of multicomponent systems will suffice for the present consideration, such as the calculation of the components in a gaseous mixture of oxygen, hydrogen and sulphur. As a first step, the Gibbs energy of formation of each potential compound, e.g. S2, H2S, SO, SO2, H2O etc. can be used to calculate the equilibrium constant for the formation of each compound from the atomic species of the elements. The total number of atoms of each element will therefore be distributed in the equilibrium mixture in proportion to these constants. Thus for hydrogen with a starting number of atoms and the final number of each species... 

These multicomponent calculations are now computerized, and complicated systems, such as tire Si-C-H-Cl quaternaty, may be solved by the use of commercially available software, e. g. the IVTAN database. The solution to this multicomponent system which is obtained by this means is somewhat subjective, since, at the time of writing for example, data are available for 72 gaseous species in the quaternary system Si-C-H-Cl. Choosing 19 of the most probable of tlrese, and using tire IVTAN software to solve this multicomponent equilibrium, yields the following results for tire most probable species (see Table 3.2). 

Total reflux exists in a distillation column, whether a binary or multicomponent system, when all the overhead vapor from the top tray or stage is condensed and returned to the top tray. Usually a column is brought to equilibrium at total reflux for test or for a temporary plant condition which requires discontinuing feed. Rather than shut down, drain and then re-establish operating conditions later, it is usually more convenient and requires less... 

Multicomponent distillations are more complicated than binary systems due primarily to the actual or potential involvement or interaction of one or more components of the multicomponent system on other components of the mixture. These interactions may be in the form of vapor-liquid equilibriums such as azeotrope formation, or chemical reaction, etc., any of which may affect the activity relations, and hence deviations from ideal relationships. For example, some systems are known to have two azeotrope combinations in the distillation column. Sometimes these, one or all, can be broken or changed in the vapor pressure relationships by addition of a third chemical or hydrocarbon. 

Here va and va are the stoichiometric coefficients for the reaction. The formulation is easily extended to treat a set of coupled chemical reactions. Reactive MPC dynamics again consists of free streaming and collisions, which take place at discrete times x. We partition the system into cells in order to carry out the reactive multiparticle collisions. The partition of the multicomponent system into collision cells is shown schematically in Fig. 7. In each cell, independently of the other cells, reactive and nonreactive collisions occur at times x. The nonreactive collisions can be carried out as described earlier for multi-component systems. The reactive collisions occur by birth-death stochastic rules. Such rules can be constructed to conserve mass, momentum, and energy. This is especially useful for coupling reactions to fluid flow. The reactive collision model can also be applied to far-from-equilibrium situations, where certain species are held fixed by constraints. In this case conservation laws... 

A significant advantage of the Wilson equation is that it can be used to calculate the equilibrium compositions for multicomponent systems using only the Wilson coefficients obtained for the binary pairs that comprise the multicomponent mixture. The Wilson coefficients for several hundred binary systems are given in the DECHEMA vapour-liquid data collection, DECHEMA (1977), and by Hirata (1975). Hirata gives methods for calculating the Wilson coefficients from vapour liquid equilibrium experimental data. 

Having considered single component systems, multicomponent systems need to be addressed now. If a closed system contains more than one phase, the equilibrium condition can be written as ... 

These equations can be solved simultaneously with the material balance equations to obtain x[, x, xf and x1,1. For a multicomponent system, the liquid-liquid equilibrium is illustrated in Figure 4.7. The mass balance is basically the same as that for vapor-liquid equilibrium, but is written for two-liquid phases. Liquid I in the liquid-liquid equilibrium corresponds with the vapor in vapor-liquid equilibrium and Liquid II corresponds with the liquid in vapor-liquid equilibrium. The corresponding mass balance is given by the equivalent to Equation 4.55 ... 

Although the methods developed here can be used to predict liquid-liquid equilibrium, the predictions will only be as good as the coefficients used in the activity coefficient model. Such predictions can be critical when designing liquid-liquid separation systems. When predicting liquid-liquid equilibrium, it is always better to use coefficients correlated from liquid-liquid equilibrium data, rather than coefficients based on the correlation of vapor-liquid equilibrium data. Equally well, when predicting vapor-liquid equilibrium, it is always better to use coefficients correlated to vapor-liquid equilibrium data, rather than coefficients based on the correlation of liquid-liquid equilibrium data. Also, when calculating liquid-liquid equilibrium with multicomponent systems, it is better to use multicomponent experimental data, rather than binary data. 

Fowle and Fein (1999) measured the sorption of Cd, Cu, and Pb by B. subtilis and B. licheniformis using the batch technique with single or mixed metals and one or both bacterial species. The sorption parameters estimated from the model were in excellent agreement with those measured experimentally, indicating that chemical equilibrium modeling of aqueous metal sorption by bacterial surfaces could accurately predict the distribution of metals in complex multicomponent systems. Fein and Delea (1999) also tested the applicability of a chemical equilibrium approach to describing aqueous and surface complexation reactions in a Cd-EDTA-Z . subtilis system. The experimental values were consistent with those derived from chemical modeling. 

Brinkley (1947) published the first algorithm to solve numerically for the equilibrium state of a multicomponent system. His method, intended for a desk calculator, was soon applied on digital computers. The method was based on evaluating equations for equilibrium constants, which, of course, are the mathematical expression of the minimum point in Gibbs free energy for a reaction. 

Fortunately, few of these variables are truly independent. Geochemists have developed a variety of numerical schemes to solve for equilibrium in multicomponent systems, each of which features a reduction in the number of independent variables carried through the calculation. The schemes are alike in that each solves sets of mass action and mass balance equations. They vary, however, in their choices of thermodynamic components and independent variables, and how effectively the number of independent variables has been reduced. 

This choice of basis follows naturally from the steps normally taken to study a geochemical reaction by hand. An aqueous geochemist balances a reaction between two species or minerals in terms of water, the minerals that would be formed or consumed during the reaction, any gases such as O2 or CO2 that remain at known fugacity as the reaction proceeds, and, as necessary, the predominant aqueous species in solution. We will show later that formalizing our basis choice in this way provides for a simple mathematical description of equilibrium in multicomponent systems and yields equations that can be evaluated rapidly. 

Having derived a set of equations describing the equilibrium state of a multicomponent system and devised a scheme for solving them, we can begin to model the chemistries of natural waters. In this chapter we construct four models, each posing special challenges, and look in detail at the meaning of the calculation results. 

Because it is based on chemical reactions, the double layer model can be integrated into the equations describing the equilibrium state of a multicomponent system, as developed in Chapter 3. The basis appears as before (Table 3.1),... 

A reactive transport model in a more general sense treats a multicomponent system in which a number of equilibrium and perhaps kinetic reactions occur at the same time. This problem requires more specialized solution techniques, a variety of which have been proposed and implemented (e.g., Yeh and Tripathi, 1989 Steefel and MacQuarrie, 1996). Of the techniques, the operator splitting method is best known and most commonly used. 

Brown, T. H. and B. J. Skinner, 1974, Theoretical prediction of equilibrium phase assemblages in multicomponent systems. American Journal of Science 274, 961-986. 

Cederberg, G. A., R. L. Street and J. O. Leckie, 1985, A groundwater mass transport and equilibrium chemistry model for multicomponent systems. Water Resources Research 21, 1095-1104. 

Separation systems include in their mathematical models various vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) correlations that are specific to the binary or multicomponent system of interest. Such correlations are usually obtained by fitting VLE data by least squares. The nature of the data can depend on the level of sophistication of the experimental work. In some cases it is only feasible to measure the total pressure of a system as a function of the liquid phase mole fraction (no vapor phase mole fraction data are available). 

Mass transport models for multicomponent systems have been developed where the equilibrium interaction chemistry is solved independently of the mass transport equations which leads to a set of algebraic equations for the chemistry coupled to a set of differential equations for the mass transport. (Cederberg et al., 1985). 

The typical system for which the equilibrium composition is desired however does not contain a single salt in solution but more usually the equivalent of several salts in solution. In addition, the activities required in equilibrium expressions arising from the law of mass action are single ion activities or in general, single ion activity coefficients. And, we are interested in the ionic activity coefficeint of each species in a multicomponent system. 

The Langmuir model for competitive adsorption can be used as a common model for predicting adsorption equilibria in multicomponent systems. This was first developed by Butler and Ockrent [77] and is based on the same assumptions as the Langmuir model for single adsorbates. It assumes, as in the case of the Langmuir model, that the rate of adsorption of a species at equilibrium is equal to its desorption rate. This is expressed by Eq. (18) ... 

The mathematical basis of classic thermodynamics was developed by J. Willard Gibbs in his essay [1], On the Equilibrium of Heterogeneous Substances, which builds on the earlier work of Kelvin, Clausius, and Helmholtz, among others. In particular, he derived the phase mle, which describes the conditions of equilibrium for multiphase, multicomponent systems, which are so important to the geologist and to the materials scientist. In this chapter, we will present a derivation of the phase rule and apply the result to several examples. 

Figure 8.11 shows how the equilibrium curve shrinks in the presence of inefficiencies. In multicomponent systems where there is mutual interference in extraction by several components, the efficency shrinkage comes on top of the other reductions in the equilibrium curve, and for this reason there is stress in such systems on achieving high efficiency. 

Chemical Equilibrium The chemical equilibrium approach is more complex computationally than applying the assumption of an infinitely fast reaction. The equilibrium composition of a multicomponent system is estimated by minimizing the Gibbs free energy of the system. For a gas-phase system with K chemical species, the total Gibbs free energy may be written as... 

Let us now consider the equalization of the component concentrations in an inhomogeneous multicomponent system. We may start with Eqn. (4.33) which relates the component fluxes, jk, to the (n-1) independent forces, Vyq, of the n-compo-nent solid solution. In local equilibrium, the chemical potentials are functions of state. Hence, at any given P and T... 

---