Mass Balancein Reactive System 2

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By the end of this topic, you should be able to:

Define product separation, recycle and purging system

Define Combustion Reactions
Determine on Wet and Dry Basis
Define and determine theoretical and excess air

PRODUCT SEPARATION AND RECYCLE

Two definitions of reactant conversion are used in the analysis of
chemical reactors with product separation and recycle of
unconsumed reactants:

Example page 135

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PURGING
Purging- a process of removing/withdrawal of a portion of unwanted
substances from the recycle stream to prevent any unwanted
buildup (steadily accumulation) occurred in the process system.
(Figure 4.7.2) Purging of nitrogen from the production of ethylene
oxide from ethylene

EXAMPLE 4.7-3 (Page 139)

Mass balances calculation of Recycle and Purge in the synthesis
of methanol

MATERIAL BALANCE FOR COMBUSTION

What is combustion?
Rapid reaction of a fuel with oxygen
Products are value less
Generates energy
Role of chemical engineers: analysis of
combustion and reactors, pollution abatement

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MATERIAL BALANCE OF REACTIVE

SYSTEM

Carbon froms CO2 or CO

Hydrogen forms H2O
Sulfur forms SO2.
A combustion reaction in which CO is formed
from a fuel is called partial combustion or
incomplete combustion
If temperature is higher than 18000C, NOX may
be formed.
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MATERIAL BALANCE OF REACTIVE

SYSTEM
C+O2CO2

Complete combustion of carbon

C3H8+5O23CO2+ 4H2O

Complete combustion of
propane

C3H8+(7/2)O2 3CO+ 4H2O

Partial combustion of propane

CS2+3O2CO2+2SO2

Complete combustion of carbon

disulfide

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MATERIAL BALANCE OF REACTIVE

SYSTEM
Normally air is the source of oxygen
Constituent

Percent

N2

78.03

O2

20.99

Ar

0.94

Average
Molecular
weight of Air

CO2

0.03

= 29.0

H2, He, Ne, Kr, Xe

0.01

Total

100

For technical calculations we can assume N 2=79%

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and O2=21% or N2=3.76 O2.

MATERIAL BALANCE OF REACTIVE

SYSTEM

Wet Basis and Dry Basis

Combustion products contain H2O by the combustion of
H2. The component mole fractions of such a gas
containing water is called composition on a WET BASIS
If we determine the composition excluding the water
then the composition is said to be on a DRY BASIS or
also known Orsat Analysis
Product gas leaving the combustion furnace - stack gas
or flue gas
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EXAMPLE 4.8-1.1
Stack gas analysis 60.0 mole% N2, 15.0% CO2, 10.0% O2,
balance H2O. Calculate the composition on wet and dry
basis:

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EXAMPLE 4.8-1.1

Basis 100 mole wet gas

Component

No. Mol

Wet Basis
(mol %)

Dry Basis
(mol %)

N2

60.0

60.0

70.6

CO2

15.0

15.0

17.6

O2

10.0

10.0

11.8

H2O.

15.0

15.0

Total

100

100

100
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EXAMPLE 4.8-1.2
An orsat analysis (a technique for stack analysis) yields the following dry
basis composition:
N2

65%

CO2 14%
CO

11%

O2

10%

A humidity measurement shows that the mole fraction of H 2O in the stack

gas is 0.0700 . Calculate the stack gas composition on a wet basis.

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THEORETICAL & EXCESS AIR

If two reactants participate in a reaction and one is considerably

more
expensive than the other, the usual practice is to feed the less
expensive reactant in excess of the valuable one.

In combustion, O2 is from air which is free. The following terms

are commonly used to describe the quantities of fuel and air fed
to the reactor.

Theoretical Oxygen: The moles (batch) or molar flow rate

(continuous) of O2 needed for complete combustion of all the
fuel fed to the reactor, assuming that all carbon in the fuel is
oxidized to CO2 and all the hydrogen is oxidized to H2O.

Theoretical Air: The quantity of air that contains the theoretical

oxygen

Excess Air: The amount by which the air fed to the reactor
exceeds the theoretical air.

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EXERCISE 1
Performed the wet and dry analysis of stack gas if complete
combustion of methane with the following gas stream.
a. Oxygen with stoichiometic ratio- just use oxygen
b. Air with stoichiometric ratio- air contain 79% nitrogen and 21
mol% oxygen (neglect carbon dioxide)
c. 50 % excess air- 50% excess with respect to methane

CH4 + O2

CO2 + H2O

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