ILLUSTRATION 10.

1 DETERMINATION OF
REQUIRED REACTOR VOLUMES FOR
ISOTHERMAL AND ADIABATIC OPERATION
IN A BATCH REACTOR

Reagent A undergoes an essentially irreversible

isomerization reaction that obeys first-order
kinetics.
AB
Both A and B are liquids at room temperature
and both have extremely high boiling points.
Determine the reactor volumes necessary to
produce 2 million pounds of B in 7000 hr of
operation:
1. If the reactor operates isothermally at 163 °C.
2. If the reactor operates adiabatically.
Use the data and assumptions listed below.

Data and Assumptions

Reaction rate expression: r = kCA
Rate constant at 163 °C = 0.8 hr-1
Activation energy = 28,960 cal/g mole
Heat of reaction = — 83 cal/g
Molecular weight = 250

The heat capacities of species A and B may be

assumed to be identical and equal to 0.5 cal/g-°C.
Their densities may be assumed to be equal to
0.9 g/cm3.
The times necessary to fill and drain the reactor
may be assumed to be equal to 10 and
12 min, respectively. It may be assumed that
negligible reaction occurs during the 14 min it
takes to heat the feed from the temperature at
which it enters the reactor to 163 °C. After 97%
of the A has been isomerized, the hot product
mixture is discharged to a cooling tank.