MCKAY, KRISTIEN KATE S.

CHE 413
BSChE July 17,2017

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING CALCULATIONS 1 SOLVED PROBLEMS

1. If 1 L of ethyl alcohol is mixed with 1 L of water at 20C, how many kilograms of solution
result? How many liters?

Required: mass of P (in kg)

volume of P (in L)

g
Solution: EtOH at 20C = 0.789 mol
g
H2O at 20C = 0.998 mol

0.789 g 1000 mL 1 kg
mF1 = 1 L EtOH ( )( )( ) = 0.789 kg EtOH
mL 1L 1000 g
0.998 g 1000 mL 1 kg
mF2 = 1 L H2 O ( )( )( ) = 0.998 kg EtOH
mL 1L 1000 g

OMB: mP = mF1 + mF2

mP = 0.789 kg + 0.998 kg
mP = 1.787 kg solution

P = x1 1 + x2 2
0.789 0.998
P = ( ) (0.789) + ( ) (0.998) = 0.906 kgL
1.787 1.787

mP 1.787 kg
VP = ( )=( ) = 1.972 L
P 0.906 kg/L
MCKAY, KRISTIEN KATE S. CHE 413
BSChE July 17,2017

2. A liquid adhesive, which is used to make laminated boards, consists of a polymer dissolved
in a solvent. The amount of polymer in the solution must be carefully controlled for this
application. When the supplier of the adhesive receives an order for 3000 kg of an
adhesive solution containing 13 wt% polymer, all it has on hand is (1) 500 kg of a 10 wt%
solution, (2) a very large quantity of a 20 wt% solution, and (3) pure solvent. Calculate the
weight of each of the three stocks that must be blended together to fill the order. Use all
the 10 wt% solution.

Required: mass of F2 and F3

Solution:
OMB: mP = mF 1 + mF 2 + mF 3
3000 = 500 + mF2 + mF3
2500 = mF2 + mF3

Polymer Balance:
mF1 ( xF1 ) + mF2 ( xF2 ) + mF3 ( xF3 ) = mP ( xP )
500(0.10) + mF2 (0.20) + mF3 (0) = 3000(0.13)
mF2 = 1700 kg
mF3 = 800 kg
MCKAY, KRISTIEN KATE S. CHE 413
BSChE July 17,2017

3. You are asked to measure the rate at which waste gases are being discharged from a
stack. The gases entering contain 2.1% carbon dioxide. Pure carbon dioxide is introduced
into the bottom of the stack at a measured rate of 4.0 lb per minute. You measure the
discharge of gases leaving the stack, and find the concentration of carbon dioxide is 3.2%.
Calculate the rate of flow, in lb mol/minute, of the entering waste gases.

Required: flowrate of F1 (in lbmol/min)

Solution:
4 lb CO2 1 lbmol lb mol
F2 = ( ) = 0.091
min 44.01 lb min

OMB: P = F1 + F2
P = F1 + 0.091

CO2 Balance: F1 ( xF1 ) + F2 ( xF2 )= P ( xP )

F1 (0.021) + 0.091(1)= P (0.032)

F1 = 8.008 lbmol/min
P = 8.009 lbmol/min
MCKAY, KRISTIEN KATE S. CHE 413
BSChE July 17,2017

4. The waste acid from a nitration operation contains 23% wt HNO3, 57% H2SO4 and 20%
H2O. It is specified that the concentrated acid products should contain 27% HNO 3, 60%
H2SO4, and 13% H2O. If the H2SO4 available contains 7% H2O and HNO3 contains 10% H2O,
how many pounds of each must be added to produce 10000 lbs of product?

Required: mass of F1, F2, and F3

Solution:
OMB: F1 + F2 + F3 = P
F1 + F2 + F3 = 1000

HNO3 Bal: 0.23F1 + 0.90F3 = 1000(0.27)

H2SO4 Bal: 0.57F1 + 0.93F2 = 1000(0.60)

F1 = 416.894 lbs
F2 = 389.646 lbs
F3 = 193.460 lbs
MCKAY, KRISTIEN KATE S. CHE 413
BSChE July 17,2017

5. Pure oxygen is mixed with air to produce an enriched air containing 50% m O2. What
ratio of oxygen to air should be used?

Required: F1 to F2 ratio
Solution: Basis of 100 lbs of enriched air
OMB: F1 + F2 = P
F1 + F2 = 100

O2 Bal: F1 + 0.21F2 = 0.50(100)

F1 + 0.21F2 = 50

F1 = 36.709 lbs
F2 = 63.291 lbs

F2 63.291
= = 1.724
F1 36.709
MCKAY, KRISTIEN KATE S. CHE 413
BSChE July 17,2017

6. A mixture of NaOH, NaCl, and MgCl2 contains 34.6% w chloride and 20.0% w hydroxide,
i.e., 34.6% Cl and 20.0% OH. What are the weight and mole fractions of NaOH, NaCl, and
MgCl2 in the mixture?

Solution:
1 mol OH 1 mol Na 22.99 g Na
20 g OH (17.01 g OH) (1 mol OH) ( 1 mol Na ) = 27.03 g Na

wt NaOH = 20 + 27.03
= 47.03 g NaOH = 47.03% NaOH

wt Na + wt Mg = 100 47.03 34.6 = 18.37 g

1 mol Na 1 mol Cl 35.45 g Cl

wt Cl in NaCl = wt Na ( )( )( ) = 1.542 wt Na
22.99 g Na 1 mol Na 1 mol Cl

1 mol Na 2 mol Cl 35.45 g Cl

wt Cl in MgCl2 = wt Mg ( )( )( ) = 2.916 wt Mg
24.31 g Na 1 mol Na 1 mol Cl

1.542 wt Na + 2.916 wt Mg = 34.6

wt Na = 13.804 g wt Cl in NaCl = 21.286 g

wt Mg = 4.566 g wt Cl in MgCl2 = 13.314 g

wt NaCl = 13.804 + 21.286

= 35.09 g NaCl = 35.09% NaCl

wt MgCl2 = 4.566 + 13.314

= 17.88 g MgCl2 = 17.88% MgCl2
MCKAY, KRISTIEN KATE S. CHE 413
BSChE July 17,2017

7. It is desired to make 100 kg of a solution containing 40% salt by mixing solution A

containing 25% salt and solution B containing 50% salt. Determine the mass in kg of
solution A.

Required: mass of F1 in kg
Solution:
OMB: F1 + F2 = P
F1 + F2 = 100

Salt Bal: 0.25F1 + 0.50F2 = 0.40(100)

F1 = 40 kg
F2 = 60 kg
MCKAY, KRISTIEN KATE S. CHE 413
BSChE July 17,2017

8. D
9. D
10. D
11. D
MCKAY, KRISTIEN KATE S. CHE 413
BSChE July 17,2017

12. Calculate the weight flowrate in lb/hr of NH3, through a pipe from the following data: A
stream of pure oxygen is admitted to the NH3 line at a rate of 40 ft3/min and the resulting
mixture is sampled farther along the pipe and found to contain 10%v O2. The entering
oxygen is metered at 18 psia and 85F.

Solution:
PV = nRT

PV (18 psia)(40 ft3 /min)

nO2 = = psift3
= 0.1231 lbmol/min
RT 10.73lbmolR(545R)

0.1231 lbmol O2 90 lbmol NH3 17 lb NH3 60 min

mNH3 =
min
( 10 lbmol O2
) (lbmol NH3
) ( 1 hr
)

mNH3 = 1130.26 lb/hr

13. In testing filter media for a proposed installation, a laboratory technician suspends 50
grams of a slightly soluble salt in 100 grams of water. By filtration he obtains a wet filter
cake (precipitate) weighing 53.9 grams and a clear filtrate solution. He dries the cake and
finds that it weighs 49.0485 g. Calculate the solubility of the salt in g/100 g of water. The
concentration of the salt in the filtrate is the same as that in the liquid which adheres to
the solid precipitate.

Solution:
Solubility
= 50 49.0485
100 g H2 O

0.9515 g Salt
Solubility =
100 g H2 O
MCKAY, KRISTIEN KATE S. CHE 413
BSChE July 17,2017

14. A mixture of phenol and water, under certain conditions of temperature and
compositions forms two separate liquid phases, one rich in phenol and the other rich in
water. At 30C the composition of the upper and lower layers are 70 and 9%w phenol,
respectively. If 40 lbs of phenol and 60 lbs of water are mixed and the layers allowed to
separate at 30C, what will be the weights of the two layers?

Solution:

Solution:
Phenol Bal: 0.7 + 0.09 = 40
H2O Bal: 0.3 + 0.91 = 60

X = 50.82 lbs
Y = 49.18 lbs
MCKAY, KRISTIEN KATE S. CHE 413
BSChE July 17,2017

15. A gas mixture is known to consist of CO2, N2, and H2O. It is analyzed by first passing it
through a drying train where all the water is removed. The remaining gases are placed in
a 1 L flask and weighed. In one analysis 0.0843 g of water is removed in the train. The
remaining gases weigh 1.5550 g at 30C and 1 atm. What is the % composition of H 2O?

Solution:
OMB: = +
= 0.0843 + 1.5550
= 1.6393

H2O Bal: 1.6393 = 0.0843(100)

= 5.14% 2

16. CaCO3 contains __________ percent of Ca by weight.

Solution:
1 mol CaCO3 1 mol Ca 40.08 g Ca
100 g CaCO3 (100.09 g CaCO ) (1 mol CaCO ) ( 1 mol Ca )
3 3

= 40.04 g Ca = 40.04% Ca

17. Equal masses of CH4 and H2 are mixed in an empty container. The partial pressure of
hydrogen in this container expressed as the fraction of total pressure is

Solution:

4 = 16.05 2 = 2.02 = + 2.02
16.05

2 32.421 16 8
= = =
2.02 (18.07) 18 9
MCKAY, KRISTIEN KATE S. CHE 413
BSChE July 17,2017

18. N2 content in a urea sample was found to be only 42%. What is the actual urea content
of the sample?

Solution:
1 mol N 1 mol C4 2 40.08 g C4 2
42 g 2 ( 28 g N 2 ) ( 1 mol N ) ( 1 mol C )
2 2 4 2

= 90 g C4 2 = 90% C4 2

19. A solution is made by dissolving 1 kilo mole of solute in 2000 kg of solvent. The molality
of the solution is

Solution:

1000
1 ( ) 1000
1
M= = = 0.5
2000 2000

20.