Entrainercontaining

Entrainercontaining is a term used in chemistry and chemical engineering to describe a mixture or solution that includes an entrainer. An entrainer is a substance added to a liquid mixture to facilitate the separation of components, typically through distillation. This is often achieved by forming an azeotrope, which is a mixture that boils at a constant temperature and composition. By altering the vapor-liquid equilibrium of the system, the entrainer allows for the separation of components that would otherwise be difficult to separate.

Common entrainers include water, benzene, toluene, and cyclohexane, chosen based on their ability to form specific azeotropes with the components being separated. The process utilizing entrainers is known as azeotropic distillation or extractive distillation, depending on the specific mechanism. Azeotropic distillation involves adding an entrainer to form a new, lower-boiling azeotrope with one of the components, which is then removed as vapor, leaving the other component behind. Extractive distillation uses a high-boiling solvent that alters the relative volatilities of the components without necessarily forming an azeotrope.

The use of entrainercontaining mixtures is prevalent in various industrial processes, such as the purification of ethanol, the separation of aromatic hydrocarbons, and the drying of solvents. Careful selection of the entrainer is crucial for the efficiency and economic viability of the separation process, considering factors like cost, toxicity, and ease of recovery. The ultimate goal is to achieve a desired level of purity in the separated components.