Question

Ethylene oxides is produced by the catalytic oxidation of ethylene: C2H4 (g)+ (1/2)O2---> C2H4O (g)

An undesired competing reaction is the combustion of ethylene to CO2.

The feed to a reactor contains 2 mol C2H4/mol O2. The conversion and yield in the reactor are respectively 25% and 0.70 mol C2H4O produced/mol C2H4 consumed. A multiple-unit process separates the reactor outlet stream component: C2H4 and O2 are recycled to the reactor, C2H4O is sold, and CO2 and H2O are discarded. The reactor inlet and outlet streams are each at 450 C and the fresh feed and all species leaving the separation process are at 25 C. The combined fresh feed-recycle stream is preheated to 450 C.

(a) Taking a basis of 2 mol of ethylene entering the reactor, draw and label a flowchart of the complete process (show the separation process as a single unit) and calculate the molar amounts and compositions of all process streams.

(b) Calculate the heat requirement (kJ) for the entire process and that for the reactor alone. Data for gaseous ethylene oxide: ∆Hf= -51.00 kJ/mol and Cp[J/mol*K]= -4.69+0.2061T-9.995*10^-5 T^2 where T is in kelvins.

(c) Calculate the flow rate (kg/h) and composition of the fresh feed and the overall and reactor heat requirements (kW) for a production rate of 1500 kg C2H4O/day

Answer 1