Flash distillation three-phase

Schuil, J.A. and Bool, K.K. Three-phase flash and distillation. Computers and Chemical Engineering, 9(3), 295, 1985. 

Decomposition in elementary simulation blocks. Example an azeotropic distillation column may be decomposed in reboiled stripping column, heat exchanger, three-phase flash separator and reflux splitter. 

With three phases, the conponent mass balance for a flash distillation system is... 

The attainment of optimum rate at relatively low [H2O] is a significant benefit for the iridium system, since it results in less costly product purification. A typical configuration for an iridium-catalyzed methanol carbonylation plant is shown in Figure 2. The feedstocks (MeOH and CO) are fed to the reactor vessel on a continuous basis. In the initial product separation step, the reaction mixture is passed from the reactor into a flash tank where the pressure is reduced to induce vaporization of most of the volatiles. The catalyst remains dissolved in the liquid phase and is recycled back to the reactor vessel. The vapor from the flash tank is directed into a distillation train, which removes methyl iodide, water, and heavier byproducts (e.g., propionic acid) from the acetic acid product. At the relatively high water levels used in the rhodium-catalyzed Monsanto process, three distillation columns are typically required. In the Cativa process, a lower water concentration means that the necessary product purification can be achieved with only two columns. 

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