Process Simulation-Driven Optimization of Acetic Acid Recovery: Azeotropic Distillation with n-Propyl Acetate

The recovery of acetic acid is essential for various industries, but aqueous acetic acid solutions are particularly challenging to separate at high purity due to the presence of a pinch point at water molar fractions greater than 0.9. Simple binary distillation faces significant limitations in achieving high-purity separation, prompting the exploration of heterogeneous azeotropic distillation using n-propyl acetate as an entrainer to improve separation efficiency. This study focuses on optimizing the azeotropic distillation process and comparing it with simple binary distillation for the separation of water/acetic acid mixtures. Cross-validation between simulated and experimental data was performed to ensure the accuracy of the results. Additionally, a Life Cycle Assessment was conducted to assess and compare the environmental impact of both distillation methods, along with an evaluation of the differences in their energy demand.