Paramus — Distillation Feasibility Screen

Overview

Check whether a mixture can be separated by distillation: relative volatility, azeotrope detection, and rough minimum reflux/stages. The value is the feasibility verdict + separations judgment, not a single VLE point.

Guidance vs execution: VLE and volatility come from tested Paramus property tools. Do not estimate azeotropes or reflux by hand.

When to Use

• Early "is distillation viable for this mixture?" screening
• Ranking separation difficulty across candidate mixtures/cuts Do not use for: rigorous column design/rating (hand off to the process simulation engine).

Workflow

Mixture + composition + target split + conditions
  ↓ 1. Resolve components & VLE model → Paramus property engine
  ↓ 2. Relative volatility            → across composition range
  ↓ 3. Azeotrope check                → detect & locate azeotropes
  ↓ 4. Minimum reflux / stages est.   → shortcut methods (e.g. Fenske/Underwood-style)
  ↓ 5. Feasibility verdict & report   → viable? difficulty + caveats + provenance

Procedure

1. Discover tools via search/get_schema ("vapor liquid equilibrium", "relative volatility", "shortcut distillation").
2. Resolve components; select a VLE model suited to the mixture (state it).
3. Compute relative volatility across the composition range.
4. Detect azeotropes that would block the target split.
5. Estimate minimum reflux/stages with shortcut methods; report feasibility + difficulty + caveats.

Domain Judgment

• α near 1 or an intervening azeotrope → simple distillation likely infeasible; say so and suggest alternatives (extractive, pressure-swing).
• Shortcut estimates are order-of-magnitude — never present them as a design.
• State the VLE model and its validity; non-ideal mixtures need activity-coefficient models.

Fallbacks

• Shortcut/separation tool unavailable → deliver volatility + azeotrope screen only, clearly scoped.
• Endpoint unreachable → stop and report; no local VLE estimates.