1 |STOICHIOMETRY (L.R., E.R.

, Extent of Reaction, Conversion, Yield, Selectivity)

Fractional Excess Selectivity

( n A )feed ( n A )stoich SuppliedTheo Excess moles of desired product formed

fractional excess of A= = = Selectivity=
Theo Theo moles of undesired product formed
( n A )stoich
(Example 4.6-1, Felder, page 120) Acrylonitrile is produced in the
Fractional Conversion reaction of propylene, ammonia and oxygen: C 3H6 + NH3 + 3/2 O2
C3H3N + 3 H2O. The feed contains 10.0 mole% propylene, 12.0%
moles reacted ammonia, and 78.0% air. A fractional conversion of 30.0% of the
f= limiting reactant is achieved. Taking 100 mol of feed as basis,
moles fed
determine which reactant is limiting, the percentage by which each
Multiple reaction, Yield and Selectivity of the other reactants is in excess, and the molar amounts of all
product gas constituents for a 30% conversion of the limiting
Yield reactant.
Felder, Himmelblau and Gen. Chem. Definition:
(Example 4.6-3, Felder, page 124) The reactions C2H6 C2H4 + H2 and
moles of desired product formed C2H6 + H2 2 CH4 take place in a continuous reactor at steady state.
Yield=
moles that would have been formed if The feed contains 85.0 mole% ethane (C2H6) and the balance inerts
there were no side reactionsthelimiting (I). The fractional conversion of ethane is 0.501, and the fractional
reactant had reacted completely yield of ethylene is 0.471. Calculate the molar composition of the
product gas and the selectivity of ethylene to methane production.
Actual
Yield=
Theoretical (Old Testament) The ethylene oxide reactant used in glycol
production is made by partial oxidation of ethylene with an excess
Bhatt & Vora and Asokan:
of air over a silver catalyst. The primary reaction is 2C 2H4 + O2
moles of desired product Stoich . Facto r 2C2H4O. Unfortunately, some of the ethylene also undergoes
Yield=
moles of specific reactant consumed complete oxidation to carbon dioxide and water. Suppose that with
a feed containing 10% ethylene and an ethylene conversion of 25%,
where , Stoich . Factor =stoichiometric requirement of the a yield of 80% oxide is obtained from this reactant. Calculate the
the specific reactant per mole of the desired product composition of the reactor outlet stream.

By: JACY
2 |STOICHIOMETRY (L.R., E.R., Extent of Reaction, Conversion, Yield, Selectivity)
(Old Testament) Acetaldehyde, CH3CHO, can be produced by
catalytic dehydrogenation of ethanol, via the reaction C 2H5OH
CH3CHO + H2. There is, however, a parallel reaction producing ethyl
acetate 2C2H5OH CH3COOC2H5 + 2H2. Suppose that in a given
reactor the conditions are adjusted so that a conversion of 95%
ethanol is obtained with an 80% yield of acetaldehyde. Calculate the
composition of the reactor product assuming the feed consists of
pure ethanol.
(Problem 4.5, Bhatt and Vora, page 157) Selective dehydrogenation
of alkanes to alkenes is a well established process. In this process,
dehydrogenation of i-butane is carried out on a platinum
impregnated catalyst at 50 kPa g and 773 K (500 ). The feed to the
reactor is pure i-butane along with 0.75 kmol H 2 per kmol of i-
butane. Hydrogen stream contains 90% H 2 and 10% methane (by
mole). Following reactions are known to take place.
i-C4H10 = i-C4H8 + H2 (1)
i-Butane i-Butylene Hydrogen
i-C4H10 = C3H6 + CH4 (2)
i-Butane Propylene Methane
Literature reports 50% per pass conversion in a battery of three
reactors with 88% yield of i-butylene. Calculate the composition of
the product stream leaving the final reactor.
(Section 4.7a, Felder, page 125) The Dehydrogenation of ethane
takes place in a steady-state continuous reactor. The reaction is C 2H6
C2H4 + H2. One hundred kmol/min of ethane is fed to the reactor.
The molar flow rate of H2 in the product gas stream is 40 kmol/min.
Calculate the molar composition of the product gas.
By: JACY
(Problem 4.6, Bhatt and Vora, page 157) In the BASF oil quench
process to manufacture acetylene, pure oxygen and pure methane
are fed to the acetylene burner. The cracked gas from the burner has
the following composition:
H2: 56.5%, CH4: 5.2%, C2H4: 0.3%, C2H2: 7.5%, C3H6: 0.5%, CO:
25.8%, CO2: 4.0% and O2: 0.2% (mole% on dry basis).
Assume that formation of other compounds, such as aromatics, is
negligible. For 100 kmol cracked gas, calculate (a) methane
requirement, (b) oxygen requirement, (c) production of water, (d)
conversion of methane, and (e) yield of acetylene production.
(Problem 4.9, Bhatt and Vora, page 158) In the Deacon process for
manufacturing chlorine, hydrochloric acid gas is oxidized with air.
The reaction taking place is:
4 HCl + O2 = 2 Cl2 + 2 H2O
If the air is used in excess of 30% of that theoretically required, and
if the oxidation is 80% complete, calculate the composition by
volume of dry gases leaving the reactor chamber.
(Problem 4.12, Bhatt and Vora, page 158) The analysis of the gas
entering the secondary converter in a contact sulphuric acid plant is
4% SO2, 13% O2 and 83% N2 (on volume basis). The gas leaving the
converter contains 0.45% SO2 on SO3-free basis (by volume).
Calculate the percentage of SO 2 entering the converter getting
converted to SO3.
(Problem 4.13, Bhatt and Vora, page 158) A mixture of pure carbon
dioxide and hydrogen is passed over a nickel catalyst. The
temperature of the catalyst bed is 588 K (315 ) and the reactor
pressure is 2 MPa g. The analysis of the gases leaving the reactor
3 |STOICHIOMETRY (L.R., E.R., Extent of Reaction, Conversion, Yield, Selectivity)

showed CO2: 57.1%, H2: 41.1%, CH4: 1.68% and CO: 0.12% (by
volume) on a dry basis. The reaction taking place in the reactor are:
CO2 + 4 H2 = CH4 + 2 H2O
and CO2 + H2 = CO + H2O
Find (a) the conversion of CO 2 per pass, (b) yield of CH 4 in terms of
CO2 reacted, and (c) the composition of the feed (volume basis).
(Problem 4.14, Bhatt and Vora, page 159) Acetaldehyde is oxidized
over silica gel with the help of air. The mixture is passed over that
catalyst at 387 K (114 ). The outgoing dry gases are found to
contain 4.85% CO2, 8.65% acetaldehyde, 14.9% acetic acid, 2.55% O 2
and 69.05% N2 by volume (on dry basis). For carrying out dry
analysis, water was first removed from the mixture. During the
water removal, some acetic acid is also condensed.
Calculate (a) the percentage conversion of acetaldehyde, (b) the
percentage yield of acetic acid, (c) mass ratio of air to acetaldehyde
in incoming feed, (d) the percentage removal of acetic acid during
the removal of water, and (e) the actual analysis of the gases leaving
the reactor.
(Illustration 4, Radasch, page 38) A pure hydrocarbon gas at 70 is
burnt in a furnace giving a flue gas containing 10.8% CO 2, 3.8% O2,
and the rest nitrogen and inerts. Calculate the atomic ratio, H/C, and
from this the formula of the fuel.
(Example 6, Laurito page 18) A pure saturated hydrocarbon (C nH2n+2)
is burned with excess air. Orsat analysis of the products of
combustion shows 9.08% CO2, 1.63% CO, 5.28% O2 and no free H2.
Calculate: (a) The formula of the hydrocarbon (b) % excess air (c) kg
dry air/kg of hydrocarbon
Based on the process drawn in the diagram, what is the kg recycle /
kg feed if the amount of W waste is 100 kg ? The known
compositions are inserted on the process diagram.

(Problem 3, Radasch, page 53) Calculate what should be the Orsat

analysis resulting from the complete combustion with 100% excess
air of (a) Ethane, C2H6 (b) Naphthalene, C10H8.

(Problem 1, Laurito, page 24) Calculate the Orsat analysis of the

products of combustion upon burning pure hexane with 38% excess
air if: (a) Combustion is complete (b) 85% of the C burns to CO 2, the
rest to CO, molar ratio of H2 to CO is 1:2.

By: JACY
4 |STOICHIOMETRY (L.R., E.R., Extent of Reaction, Conversion, Yield, Selectivity)

(Problem 4.56, Felder, page 177) A catalytic reactor is used to

produce formaldehyde from methanol in the reaction
CH3OH HCHO + H2
A single-pass conversion of 60.0% is achieved in the reactor. The
methanol in the reactor product is separated from the
formaldehyde and hydrogen in a multiple-unit process. The
production rate of formaldehyde is 900.0 kg/h.
a) Calculate the required feed rate of methanol to the process
(kmol/h) if there is no recycle.
b) Suppose the recovered methanol is recycled to the reactor and
the single pass conversion remains 60%. Determine the required
fresh feed rate of methanol (kmol/h) and the rates (kmol/h) at
which methanol enters and leaves the reactor.

TiCl4 can be formed by reacting titanium dioxide (TiO 2) with

hydrochloric acid. TiO2 is available as an ore containing 78 % TiO 2
and 22 % inerts. The HCl is available as 45 wt% solution (the balance
is water). The per pass conversion of TiO 2 is 75 %. The HCl is fed into
the reactor in 20 % excess based on the reaction. Pure unreacted
TiO2 is recycled back to mix with the TiO 2 feed.

` `TiO2 + 4 HCl TiCl4 + 2 H2O

For 1 kg of TiCl4 produced, determine:
a. the kg of TiO2 ore fed.
b. the kg of 45 wt % HCl solution fed.
c. the ratio of recycle stream to fresh TiO 2 ore (in kg).
(MW : TiO2 79.9; HCl 36.47; TiCl4 189.7)

By: JACY