Dividing wall columns in chemical process industry: A review on current activities

In spite of being an energy intensive process, distillation remains the most important separation method in the chemical process industry. Especially for the separation of mixtures with three or more components, the total energy requirement and the capital cost are very high. In this respect, dividing wall columns (DWCs) represent a very promising technology allowing a significant energy requirement reduction. This article reviews current industrial applications of DWCs and related research activities, including column configuration, design, modelling and control issues. Furthermore, the application of DWCs for azeotropic, extractive and reactive distillation is highlighted. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.