One thousand kilograms per hour of a mixture of benzene (B) and toluene(T) that contains 50% benzene by mass are separated by distillation into two fractions. The mass flow rate of benzene in the top stream is 450 kg B/h, and that  of toluene in the bottom stream is 475 kg T/h.  The operation is at steady state.  Write balances on benzene and toluene to calculate the unknown component flow rates in the output streams.

For benzene, then,

Ffeed=Foverhead + Fbottoms

500 = 450 + Fbottoms, benzene

Fbottoms, benzene=500 - 450 = 50 kg/h

Streams\mass flow rate Total Benzene Toluene
Feed 1000 500
Overhead
450
Bottoms
50 475

Also, we know that the total flowrate of any stream is the sum of all the components in that stream. So, for example,

Ffeed, total=Ffeed, benzene + Ffeed, toluene

Where should we click next to use this equation?




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