What is the purpose of a binary tower?

• A. It Separates Feed into Two Components: The Bottom Product and the Overhead Product
• B. It Heats the Feed to Produce Vapor
• C. It Removes Impurities from Liquids
• D. It Mixes Feeds from Two Streams

Answer: (A)

A binary tower’s main function is to separate a feed containing two components into two distinct streams: a bottom product and an overhead product. Through heating and vaporization inside the column, vapor rises and condenses, allowing the lighter component to concentrate at the top (overhead) and the heavier component to concentrate at the bottom. This separation creates two outlet streams, each enriched in one component, which is exactly what the term “binary” implies. While heating and vapor formation are necessary steps to drive the separation, the end goal is producing these two distinct products. The other options describe actions like heating for its own sake, removing impurities in a general sense, or mixing feeds, which are not the primary purpose of a distillation column.