Question

You are a member of a research team of chemists discussing plans for a plant to produce ethanol from steam with ethylene derived from oil.

C₂H₄(g) + H₂O(g) « C₂H₅OH(g)

           This reaction is very slow even at 600 K. K = 2.4 x 10² at 600 K. DH_rxn = -47.8 kJ/mol

How can the reaction rate be increased?

What conditions would result in a high yield?

In NH₃ production, the yield is increased by condensing the NH₃ to a liquid and removing it. Would condensing ethanol have the same effect?

Answer 1