An oil containing 2.55 mole % of a hydrocarbon is stripped by running to oil down a column up which live steam is passed, so that 4 moles of steam are used per 100 moles of oil stripped. Determine the number of theoretical plates required to reduce to hydrocarbon content of 0.05 mole % assuming the oil is non-volatile.
The vapor liquid relation of the hydrocarbon in the oil is given by y = 33 x, where y is the mole fraction in the vapor and x is the mole fraction in the liquid. The temperature is maintained by interval heating.