A chemical plant produces oxygen by liquifying air and separating it into its component gases by fractional distillation. The purity of the oxygen is a function of the main con-denser temperature and the pressure ratio between the upper and lower columns. Current operating conditions are temperature (ξ_l) = -220°C and pressure ratio (ξ₂) = 1.2. Using the following data, find the path of steepest ascent:

 

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Temperature (5) Pressure Ratio () Purity -- 225 1.1 82.8 -225 1.3 83.5 -215 1.1 84.7 -215 1.3 85.0 -220 1.2 84.1 -220 1.2 84.5 - 220 1.2 83.9 - 220 1.2 84.3