Numerical Simulation of a Valorisation-Oriented Hybrid Process for the Bio-Oil-Related Separation of Acetol and Acetic Acid

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

This paper investigated a hybrid method for the A/HAc mixture separation with a high purity level based on a combination between liquid-liquid extraction and conventional distillation. The topic is interesting and the manuscript is well established. However, there are still some details in the article that need to be improved. Therefore, I recommend this paper be published in ChemEngineering after minor revision. The detailed comments on this paper are as follows:

1. Line 26. The first letter of keywords should be capitalized.

2. Please rephrase the sentence for better understanding, i.e. Line 59-60.

3. The graphics should be as clear as possible.

4. Use three-line tables to describe the data.

5. Line 185. There should be a space between 18 and ℃.

6. To improve readability, please refine your sentences.

7. Please check the manuscript for grammatical problems.

This paper investigated a hybrid method for the A/HAc mixture separation with a high purity level based on a combination between liquid-liquid extraction and conventional distillation. The topic is interesting and the manuscript is well established. However, there are still some details in the article that need to be improved. Therefore, I recommend this paper be published in ChemEngineering after minor revision. The detailed comments on this paper are as follows:

1. Line 26. The first letter of keywords should be capitalized.

2. Please rephrase the sentence for better understanding, i.e. Line 59-60.

3. The graphics should be as clear as possible.

4. Use three-line tables to describe the data.

5. Line 185. There should be a space between 18 and ℃.

6. To improve readability, please refine your sentences.

7. Please check the manuscript for grammatical problems.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

The co-authors and I thank you for your recommendation.

The first letters of the keywords have been capitalised (line 26).

The graphics are already as clear as possible. The figures presented in this study were directly created by ChemCAD 7.0 simulation software. Therefore, this is the maximum resolution with which they can be presented.

Three-line tables cannot be generalised to describe the data; for Table 1 (line 231), it would be impossible to summarise the various solvents used in a 3-line table.

A space has been added between the number and ℃ (lines 99;180;185;263;318).

With regard to the revision of the English language requested by one of the reviewers, we would like to point out that our manuscript has been written in British English and not in American English, even though the latter is more familiar to many readers. We have also checked the manuscript for suspected grammatical problems which may have arisen for the same reason. To improve readability, however, we have refined some sentences (lines 16-17;19;59-60).

Best regards,

Dr Chilev Chavdar

Corresponding author

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

The paper is well organised and can be accepted in the present form. While, the quality of figures could be improved.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

The co-authors and I thank you for your recommendation.

The graphics are already as clear as possible. The figures presented in this study were directly created by ChemCAD 7.0 simulation software. Therefore, this is the maximum resolution with which they can be presented.

Best regards,

Dr Chilev Chavdar

Corresponding author

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

I read the article "Numerical simulation of a valorisation-oriented hybrid process for the bio-oil-related separation of acetol and acetic acid" and identified a quality production, at the level of your journal and with the appropriate scopus. The number of bibliographic references (53) is appropriate, although some of them are old, but good references. The objectives are clear and concise, the methodology is adequate for the proposal, the mathematical formulations are well presented. The figures have excellent quality. The simulations were well defined and the figures are of good quality. I did not identify methodological errors or open questions about the proposal. For this reason, my opinion as a reviewer is to approve the article.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

The co-authors and I thank you for your positive review. We are glad you appreciated this research.

Best regards,

Dr Chilev Chavdar

Corresponding author

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 4 Report

In the manuscript titled "Numerical Simulation of a Valorisation-Oriented Hybrid Process for the Bio-Oil-Related Separation of Acetol and Acetic Acid," the authors have presented a comprehensive approach to the separation of acetol and acetic acid, particularly from bio-oil derived from biomass pyrolysis. Their work involves systematic studies to model both extraction and distillation processes. This topic is significant within the current global circular economy, as it aims to add value to the final by-product through the reuse of biomass. The results of the study are very interesting, and I recommend publication in this journal after addressing minor revisions.

1-      I suggest that the authors enhance the quality of all figures to further improve the visual representation of their findings. Additionally, in the conclusion, It would be highly appreciated if the authors could consider elaborating on the benefits of their technique in relation to those presented in the introduction. This clarification is crucial for understanding the unique contributions of their work, especially in the context of its potential application in the industry on a large scale.

2-      Furthermore, I am curious to know if the authors plan to conduct any laboratory experiments to validate the proposed scheme. Experimental validation would significantly strengthen the credibility of the proposed methodology. I recommend exploring this in future works as a means of enhancing the research findings.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

The co-authors and I thank you for your recommendation.

The figures are already as clear as possible. The figures presented in this study were directly created by ChemCAD 7.0 simulation software. Therefore, this is the maximum resolution with which they can be presented.

            In the conclusion, we have added a sentence (lines 336-338) to underline the benefit of our contribution in the context of its potential application in the industry on a large scale.

To the question of whether the authors plan to carry out laboratory experiments to validate the proposed scheme, we cannot be certain that we will be the first to do so.

Best regards,

Dr Chilev Chavdar

Corresponding author

Author Response File: Author Response.docx