There is a need to recover tetrahydrofuran (THF) from aqueous mother liquors after a reaction so that the solvent can be separated and reused. THF forms an azeotrope with water, so normal atmospheric distillation might not be the most desirable option. The following alternatives are considered:

-Pressure swing distillation

-Atmospheric distillation followed by vapor permeation

(a) What are the advantages and disadvantages of each option from a green chemistry/green engineering perspective?

(b) Draw a flow diagram of each option.

(c) Estimate and compare the mass and energy requirements for these options to recover 99% of the THF from a 50% THFwater feed. For pressure swing distillation, assume a low-pressure column at 0.5 atm and a high-pressure column at 3 atm