INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY KANPUR

Department of Chemical Engineering

ChE 251A: Chemical Process Calculations; 2015 - 2016 (I)
Instructor: P. K. Bhattacharya
(FB 468; Phone # 7093)
Problems Set 2

Continuous Steady State Reacting System

- Single and Multiple Units -

1. Oxy-chlorination of hydrocarbons refers to a chemical reaction in which oxygen and

hydrogen chloride react with a hydrocarbon in the vapor phase over a supported copper
chloride catalyst to produce a chlorinated hydrocarbon and water. The oxy-chlorination
of ethylene to produce 1, 2-dichloroethane (commonly, ethylene dichloride (EDC)) is of
the greatest commercial importance. EDC is the pre-curser for vinyl chloride monomer,
which when polymerized to polyvinyl chloride (PVC), becomes one of the most
commonly used commercial plastics. The overall oxy-chlorination reaction of ethane is
given by

2C2H4 + 4HCl + O2 Æ 2C2H4Cl2 + 2H2O

Determine the mass, moles and wt. percent of the reactant and product streams if 200
kmoles of the limiting reactant HCl is fed with 10% excess air and 5% excess ethane.
Further, 95% of ethane conversion occurs.
(Ans: Nout (C2H4, HCl, C2H4Cl) = (5.25, 0.5, 99.75)

2. Boron tri-chloride (BCl3) gas can be fed into a gas stream and used for doping silicon.
The simplest reaction (not the only one) is:

4BCl3 + 3Si Æ 3SiCl4 + 4B

If all the BCl3 not reacted is recycled (see Figure given below), what is the mole ratio
of recycle to SiCl4 exiting the separator? The conversion on one pass through the
reactor is 87% and 1 mole per hour of BCl3 is fed to the reactor.

100% BCl3 (g)

Recycle

BCl3 (g) SiCl4 (g)

Reaction Site Separator

(Ans: Ratio – 0.199)

3. Sodium hypo chlorite is formed, according to the reaction in a continuous reactor by
bubbling Cl2 through a concentrated 40% (mass) NaOH solution,

2NaOH + Cl2 Æ NaOCl + NaCl + H2O

Suppose the solution of NaOH in H2O is fed at 1000 kg/h and the Cl2 gas, at 10 kg mol/h.
(a) Calculate the degree of freedom assuming the conversion is specified.
(b) Determine which is the limiting reactant?
(c) Calculate the outlet composition of the reactor assuming 100% conversion of the
limiting reactant.
(d) Calculate the outlet composition of the reactor assuming 60% conversion of the
limiting reactant.

(Ans: H2O, NaOCl, NaCl, Cl2 – 38.33, 5, 5, 5 for 100%, 36.33, 3, 3, and 7 for 60%)

4. The solvent ethyl ether is made industrially by the dehydration of ethyl alcohol using a
sulphuric acid as catalyst (see Figure):

2C2H5OH Æ (C2H5)2O + H2O

Assuming the recycle is one half of the feed rate to the process, the feed rate is 1000 kg/h
alcohol solution, containing 85% (weight) alcohol, and the recycle alcohol solution will
have the same composition as the feed, calculate the production rate of ether, the loss of
alcohol in stream 6, the conversion in the reactor, and the conversion for the process.

Recycle Alcohol

Pure ether

2 4

1 Product
85% Alcohol Reactor 3 Recovery
15% H2O

5 Reactant
Recovery

6
H2O
Alcohol 1% (wt)

2
5. A mixture containing 68.4% H2, 22.6% N2 and 9% CO2 reacts according to the scheme
until the mixture contains 15% NH3 and 5% H2O.

N2, +H2 Æ 2NH3

CO2 + H2 Æ CO + H2O

Calculate the mole fractions of N2, H2, CO2 and CO.

(Answer in partial: H2 - 0.185)

6. Product C is produced from reactants A and B via the following three reactions:

2A + B Æ 2D + E
A + D Æ 2C + E
C + 2B Æ 2F

With a feed ratio of 2 mol A per 1 mol B and 80% conversion of A, a product mixture
containing 4 moles of A per 1 mol B and 6 moles of combined products of C, D, E, and F
per 1 mol combined residual reactants A and B is obtained. Assuming the problem is
correctly specified and using a feed of 200 mol/h of A,
(a) Calculate the three reaction rates and the reactor outlet flows.
(b) Calculate the fractional yield of C from A.

2 A
A: B:: 4:1
B

1 3 C
D
A: B:: 2:1 E
Reactor F
80% Conversion of A

(Answer in partial: YCA – 38.54%)

Home Assignment:
7. Sulfuric acid is produced by the successive oxidation of sulfur to SO3 followed by
reaction with H2O. In the flow sheet shown in figure, air and sulfur are first reacted in
the sulfur burner to produce SO2 via the reaction

S + O2 Æ SO2

In this reaction, all of the sulfur is converted to SO2. Assume air is containing 21 mol%
oxygen and 79% N2 and that 50% more oxygen is used than the stoichiometric amount
required to convert the sulfur to SO2. The gas stream from the sulfur burner is sent to the
converter in which all of the SO2 is oxidized to SO3 with the aid of a catalyst. Next, the
SO3 – containing gas stream is contacted with a stream of concentrated H2SO4 in the
oleum tower. The SO3 reacts with whatever water is present in the acid stream via the
reaction

3
 H2O + SO3 Æ H2SO4

In addition, some of the SO3 is dissolved in the pure H2SO4 to yield a product (oleum)
consisting of 37.5% SO3 and the rest H2SO4. The gas stream leaving the oleum tower
containing 12 mol % SO3 is next contacted with a more dilute acid stream (80% H2SO4
and the rest H2O) in the acid tower. In this unit, all of the remaining SO3 reacts to form
H2SO4. Recycling some of the concentrated acid and mixing it with water in the diluter
prepare the dilute acid. Calculate all flows in the process assuming that the plant is to
produce 20,000 lb/day 90% H2SO4 product.

O2 H2SO4 80% wt%

Air 21% (mol) O2 N2 H2O 20%
79% N2 11
2 12

Sulfur 1 Sulfur Acid

Burner Tower Dilute 13 Water

3 12% SO3 10
Converter O2 9
N2 S
6 7
4
Oleum Acid product
Tower 90% (wt) H2SO4;
10% H2O

5 Oleum (SO3+H2SO4)

37.5 (wt) of SO3

(Answer in partial: N1 - 287.27 lbmol/h)