Principles of Chemical Engineering | Dr.

Alnaseri, Hayder Part IV

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:

𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 − 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔

𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 =
𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔

𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓 − 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓

𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 − 𝑷𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 =
𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓

Hence;

(75 mol G/min)in − (0 mol G/min)out

𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 = × 100% = 100%
(75 mol G/min)in

G G
(100 mol ) − (25 mol )
min in min out
𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐫 − 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 = × 100% = 75%
G
(100 mol )
min in

This example provides another illustration of the object of recycle. We have achieved complete use of the reactant for which
we are paying the fresh feed even though only 75% of the reactant entering the reactor is consumed before emerging. The
reason the overall conversion is 100% is that perfect separation was assumed: any G that does not react gets sent back to
the reactor. If a less-than perfect separation was achieved and some G left with the product stream, the overall conversion
would be less than 100%, although it would always be greater than the single-pass conversion.

Ex;

Propane can be dehydrogenated to form propylene in a catalytic reactor:

C3 H8 → C3 H6 + H2

A process is to be designed for a 95% overall conversion of propane. The reaction products are separated into two streams:
the first, which contains 𝐻2 , 𝐶3 𝐻6, and 0.555% of the propane that leaves the reactor, is taken off as product; the second
stream, which contains the balance of the unreacted propane and propylene in an amount equal to 5% of that in the first
stream, is recycled to the reactor. Calculate the composition of the product, the ratio (moles recycled)/ (mole fresh feed), and
the single-pass conversion.

Solution:

Basis: 100 mol fresh feed

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Principles of Chemical Engineering | Dr. Alnaseri, Hayder Part IV

Notes:

95% overall propane conversion ⇒ 𝟓% 𝒖𝒏𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅

n6 = 0.05 × 100 mol C3 H8 = 5 mol C3 H8 in the product stream

5 mol
n3 = = 900 mol C3 H8
0.555

Overall M.B.:

Overall C Balance:

3 mol C 3 mol C 3 mol C

(100 mol C3 H8 ) ( ) = [n6 (mol C3 H8 )] ( ) + [n7 (mol C3 H8 )] ( )
mol C3 H8 mol C3 H8 mol C3 H6

n7 = 95 mol C3 H6

Overall H Balance:

(100)(8) = n6 (8) + n7 (6) + n8 (2)

n8 = 95 mol H2

The composition of the product stream

n6 = 5 mol C3 H8 2.6 mole% C3 H8

1. n7 = 95 mol C3 H6 ⟧ ⇒ |48.7 mole% C3 H6
n8 = 95 mol H2 48.7 mole% H2

M.B. over separator Sub-system:

n3 = 900 mol C3 H8

n10 = 0.0500 n7 = 4.75 mol C3 H6

Propane M.B. over separation sub-system:

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Principles of Chemical Engineering | Dr. Alnaseri, Hayder Part IV

n3 = n6 + n9 ⇒ n9 = 895 mol C3 H8

n9 +n10 899.75 mol recycle

2. Recycle ratio = = = 8.9975 ≅ 9.00
100 mol fresh feed 100 mol fresh feed

M.B. over mix point Sub-system:

Propane M.B. over mix point sub-system:

fresh feed + n9 = n1

100 + 895 = n1 ⇒ n1 = 995 mol C3 H8

n1 −n3 995−900
3. Single − pass conversion = × 100% = × 100% = 9.6%
n1 995

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