SECTION 3 REACTION KINETICS The general chemical equation for acetone production is

(CH3)2CHOH Isopropanol A

(CH3)2CO Acetone B

+ H2 Hydrogen C

The hydrogenation of isopropyl alcohol process is an irreversible reaction. This reaction also obey an elementary rate law therefore, the reaction order of the reactant (isopropyl alcohol) is identical with the stoichiometric coefficient of the reactant. This reaction occurs in the vapour phase over a catalyst which is zinc oxide, ZnO.

It is given that the dehydrogenation of isopropyl alcohol is endothermic by 62.9 kJ/mol at 327
0

C. The frequency factor given is

. The value of activation energy

Ea is 72380 kJ/kmol. (Kellogg, 1998) [ ]

Overall reaction order can be determined by the unit of rate constant, k. The rate constant is stated to be [ ]

Therefore, the rate constant, k is [ ]

[ [ [ ] ]

Therefore, the complete rate law for the dehydrogenation of isopropyl alcohol is

The reaction is first order with respect to the concentration of isopropyl alcohol. The reaction order with respect to A is 1 and the overall reaction order would be 1.

1. R. Kellogg(1998). The Production of Acetone. Reactor Optimization. [Online][Accessed: 17 Nov 2013] Available at: www.owlnet.rice.edu/~ceng403/gr11298/acetone.html 2. W.Gerhartz and F.Ullmann. (2009). Acetone. Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. United States: Wiley-VCH. 3. Perrys Chemical Engineers Handbook, Sixth Edition, 9-77.