Ethanol Rectification Column Introduction

I. Principle

Boiling Point Difference Distillation

Ethanol has a boiling point of 78.3℃, far lower than water (100℃) and impurities.

Dilute alcohol (30%–50%) is heated to 78–85℃ in the reboiler, where it preferentially vaporizes and rises.

The column packing/plates provide multi-stage gas-liquid contact, continuously enriching the ethanol, resulting in 93%–95% high-concentration alcohol vapor at the top.

The vapor is condensed and cooled into liquid; part is refluxed to control purity, and the remainder is recovered as finished product.

The residual liquid contains ≤3% alcohol, meeting emission standards.

II. Structure

1. Reboiler (Distillation Reboiler): Bottom heating unit with built-in U-shaped heating tubes, responsible for evaporating dilute alcohol; material: SUS304/316L.

2. Column Body (Rectification Section): Cylindrical main column, filled with stainless steel corrugated packing (for high-efficiency mass transfer) or plates; dilute alcohol is fed from the middle.

3. Condenser: Top-of-the-line tube heat exchanger; circulating water condenses alcohol vapor into liquid.

4. Cooler: Secondary cooling to ensure the finished alcohol temperature is ≤40℃ for stable storage.

5. Buffer Tank (Pressure Stabilizer): Balances system pressure, provides temporary liquid storage, and prevents backflow shock.

6. Elevated Storage Tank: Finished alcohol storage tank with level gauge and sampling port for easy transport and testing.

III. Functions

Purification and Recovery: Concentrates 30%–50% dilute alcohol to 93%–95% for recycling.

Energy Saving and Cost Reduction: Replaces purchased high-purity alcohol, reducing solvent costs by 30%+.

Environmental Protection and Emission Reduction: Residual alcohol content ≤3%, reducing COD emissions and meeting environmental impact assessment requirements.

Continuous Operation: Capable of 24-hour continuous feeding and discharging; high degree of automation and easy operation.

Multi-purpose: Suitable for the recovery of low-boiling-point organic solvents such as methanol and acetone.

IV. Application Scenarios

Pharmaceutical Industry: Large-scale ethanol recovery in traditional Chinese medicine extraction and formulation processes, meeting pharmaceutical-grade standards.

Food and Beverage: Recovery of fermentation residues from baijiu and fruit wine for disinfection or reprocessing.

Fine Chemicals: Solvent recovery in coating, resin, and fragrance production, reducing raw material loss.

Light Industry and Daily Chemicals: Alcohol recovery in cosmetics and hand sanitizer production, ensuring cost and quality.

Environmental Engineering: Treatment of alcohol-containing wastewater, recovering resources while reducing pollution.

V. Key Parameters

Feed Concentration: 30%–50% (v/v)

Discharge Concentration: 93%–95% (v/v)

Processing Capacity: 100–5000 L/h

Material: SUS304 (Ordinary) / SUS316L (Pharmaceutical Grade)

Heating Method: Steam Heating (0.3–0.5 MPa)

Cooling Medium: Circulating Cooling Water (25–32℃)