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Chapter 4 (Reactive
Processes, Stoichiometry)
Lecture 7
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Balances on Reactive
Systems
The objectives are to be able to :
Write and balance chemical reaction equations
Calculate the stoichiometric quantities of reactants and
products from the given chemical equations
Define excess reactant, limiting reactant, conversion,
degree of completion, and yield in a reaction
Identify the limiting and excess reactants and calculate
percent excess reactants, percent conversion, percent
completion, and yield for a chemical reaction with
reactants being in non-stoichiometric proportions.
Know the procedures for carrying out material balance
calculations on reactive systems
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Stoichiometry
Stoichiometry is the theory of the proportion in which chemical
species combine with one another
Stoichiometric equation of a chemical reaction is a statement of
the relative number of molecules or moles of reactants and
products that participate in the reaction
2SO
2
+ O
2
2 SO
3
Stoichiometric coefficients are the numbers that precede the
formula for each species
A balanced chemical reaction equation is when the number of
atoms of each atomic species equals on both sides of the
equation
Ratio of the stoichiometric coefficients of two molecular species
participating a reaction is termed stoichiometric and can be used
as a conversion factor in material balance calculations
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Example
Consider the reaction,
C
4
H
8
+ 6O
2
----- 4CO
2
+ 4H
2
O
Is the equation balanced? What is the stoichiometric
ratio of H
2
O to O
2
if 100 g-mole / min of C
4
H
8
fed into
the reactor, and 50% reacts, at what rate water is
formed
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Limiting and Excess Reactants,
Fractional Conversion
If the ratio of the amounts of two reactants equals the
stoichiometric ratio obtained from the balanced reaction, these
reactants are said to be present in stoichiometric proportion
A reactant which is present in less than its stoichiometric
proportion relative to every other reactant is called a limiting
reactant and the other reactants are excess reactants
Percentage excess of a reactant is defined as
% excess = (n - n
s
) /n
s
x 100
Where n = moles of excess reactant
n
s
= moles correspond to stoichiometric
proportions
The fractional conversion of a reactant is the ratio
moles reacted
f = ------------------
moles fed
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Example 2
Example 4.6-1 (Felder)
Acrylonitrile is produced by the reaction of 10 mole%
C
3
H
6
, 12% NH
3
and 78% air. If the conversion of the
limiting reactant is 30%, determine the limiting
reactant, calculate the percentage of other reactants
in excess, and the molar amounts of all product gas
constituents.
C
3
H
6
+ NH
3
+ 3/ 2O
2
C
3
H
3
N + 3H
2
O
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Example 2
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Example 2
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Multiple Reactions, Yield and
Selectivity
I n most chemical processes, reactants can usually combine in more
than one way and the products formed may itself react to form less
desirable products
The terms yield and selectivity are used to describe the degree to
which a desired reaction predominates over competing side reactions
Yield moles of desired product formed
(based on feed) = -------------------------------------------------
moles of limiting reactant fed
Yield (based on reactant consumption)
moles of desired product formed
= -----------------------------------------------------
moles of limiting reactant consumed
moles of desired product formed
Selectivity = ----------------------------------------------------
moles of undesired product formed
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Example 3
Example 4.6-3 (Felder)
The reactions in a dehydrogenation reactor at steady state
are:
C
2
H
6
C
2
H
4
+ H
2
C
2
H
6
+ H
2
2 CH
4
The feed contains 85.0% mole% ethane (C2H6) and the
balance is inerts (I). The fractional conversion of ethane is
0.501, and the fractional yield of ethylene is 0.471. Calculate
the molar composition of the product gas and the selectivity
of ethylene to methane production.
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Example 3
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Example 3
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Balances on Atomic And
Molecular Species
The material balances may also be written for
atomic species participating in the reaction
regardless of the molecular species the atoms
happen to be found
Balances on atomic species can be written as
Input = output, since atoms can never be
generated nor consumed in a chemical
reaction
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Example
C
2
H
6
-------- C
2
H
4
+ H
2
Do balances on molecular and atomic
species to solve for n
1
and n
2
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Example
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Example
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Example