text: how to calculate propane recovery? calculation of recovery of hydrocabons in distillation column or any equipment consider a distillation column with a feed of say propane and pentane. you would have a distillate vapour and a liquid bottoms. it would reasonable to assume that vapour distillate would be rich in propane.  %recovery =100% x [(amt. of propane in vapour distillate)/(amt. of propane in the feed to the distillation column)]  hope this answers it.