Recycling operations return a portion of the exit stream from a process unit back to its entrance to maximize the utilization of valuable reactants, improve performance, and conserve heat. Common applications of recycling include returning distillate or catalyst back to distillation columns or reactors. Recycling improves selectivity and rate of reactions while minimizing byproducts and losses. A purge stream is also often used to prevent the buildup of inert components in a recycling loop.
2. Recycle operations
ï‚— The recycling operation with chemical reactions is
common in industrial processes.
ï‚— This is mainly performed to utilize the valuable
reactants to their maximum so that the loss of the
reactants minimized.
ï‚— Recycling is returning back a portion of the steam
leaving a process unit to the entrance of the process
unit for further processing.
3. ï‚— Recycling operations, commonly encountered in unit
operations and unit processes are performed for:
Maximum utilization of the valuable reactants.
Improvement of the performance of the operation.
Utilization of the heat being lost in the exit stream.
Better operating conditions of system.
Improvement of the selectivity of a product.
Maintaing process rate at a high value.
Enrichment of a product.
4. ï‚— In distillation operations, a part of the distillate is fed
back to column to enrich the product, so that almost
pure product can be obtained.
ï‚— In drying operations, a major portion of the hot air
leaving the dryer is recirculated to conserve heat-to
utilize the heat being lost in the exit air.
ï‚— In absorption towers, better wetting of tower packings
is done by recycling part of the exit solvent stream.
ï‚— In chemical reactions, exit catalyst or spent catalyst is
returned to the reactor for reuse after being
regenerated.
ï‚— For achieving complete conversion, keeping the yield
of byproduct to minimum and effecting reactions at a
high rate.
5. ï‚— A Recycle stream is a process stream that returns material
leaving a process unit back to the entrance of the same unit
ï‚— Recycle operations are carried out under steady-rate
conditions.
ï‚— In these operations these is no build-up or material takes
place inside the process or in the recycle stream.
7. ï‚— About the entire process including the recycle stream
–where in the fresh feed is equated with the net
product.
ï‚— About the junction point 1 at which the fresh feed
combines with the recycle stream.
ï‚— About the junction the gross product is divided into
recycle and net product.
ï‚— Involving only process feed and gross product
streams.
8. Purging operation
ï‚— In this operation, a fraction of the recycle stream is
continuously bled-of order to limit the concentration of
inerts to a desired level in the mixed stream.
ï‚— In the synthesis of ammonia, some of the gas stream
must be purged to prevent build of argon and methane.
9. ï‚— The recycling of air/recirculation of air in the drying of solids is
shown diagrammatic.
ï‚— In a recycling operation: combined feed=Fresh feed +Recycle feed
ï‚— The combined feed is a mixture of the fresh feed and the recycle
feed/recycle stock
ï‚— Gross product= Recycle feed + Net Product
ï‚— The gross product is a mixture of the net product and the recycle feed.
10. ï‚— Recycle ratio: It is the ratio of the quantity of recycle
feed to the quantity of fresh feed.
ï‚— Combined feed ratio: It is the ratio of quantity of
mixed feed to the quantity of fresh feed.
11. ï‚— Purge Ratio: It is the of ratio of the quantity of purge
stream to the quantity of recycle feed.
ï‚— In manufacture of ammonia, built up of CH4 in
recycle loop a certain tolerance limit is avoided by
purging.
12. Bypassing operation
ï‚— In these operations, a fraction of the feed stream to a
process unit is diverted around and combined with the
output.