CHE1001Z

Material Balances with Reactions 4.1-4.3

Exercises
 Question 1
Consider a recycle system for the production of ethylene oxide from
ethylene and oxygen. It is given that the reactor feed comprises 3 mol
ethylene, 1.5 mol oxygen, and 11.3 mol nitrogen. There is 50% per pass
conversion in the reactor. All ethylene oxide formed is separated out
and leaves in a 100% pure product stream. The other stream exiting
the separator is split into a recycle and purge with the ratio RC/W = 2.
Calculate the overall conversion.
 Question 2
Consider a recycle system for the production of ammonia using the
Haber reaction. There is ideal separation.
a. It is given that the reactor feed comprises 100 mol N2 and 300 mol H2. The
per pass conversion in the reactor is 50%. Calculate the component flows in
each stream.
b. It is given that the fresh feed comprises 20 mol N2 and 60 mol H2. The per
pass conversion in the reactor is 50%. Calculate the component flows in
each stream.
 Question 3
Consider a recycle system for the production of ammonia using the
Haber reaction. There is no separation, only a splitting off of a product
stream and the per pass conversion in the reactor is 72.72%. The split
ratio is RC/P = ½
It is given that the reactor feed comprises 110 mol N2, 330 mol H2 and
80 mol NH3. Calculate the component flows in each stream.
 Question 4
Consider a recycle system for the Haber production of ammonia where
it is given that the reactor feed comprises 24 mol nitrogen, 72 mol
hydrogen, and 4 mol methane. There is 25% per pass conversion in the
reactor. All ammonia formed is separated out and leaves in a product
stream. 10% of the other stream leaving the separator is purged, while
the rest is recycled. Calculate the overall conversion.
 Question 5
2. Refined sugar (sucrose) can be converted to glucose and fructose by
the inversion process
C12H22O11(S) + H2O ====> C6H12O6 (G) + C6H12O6 (F)
The combined glucose and fructose is called inversion sugar (I). 90% conversion
of sucrose occurs on one pass through the reactor. There is no separator and
the purge stream forms the product. The ratio of RC to P is 20.94%. The
composition of the mixed feed (weight fractions) is 25.2% S, 69.8% W and 5% I.
Calculate the composition of the fresh feed (weight %).

Modified from http://che31.weebly.com/uploads/3/7/4/3/3743741/lect12-recycle-bypass-

purge.pdf
 Question 6
A proposed method of producing methanol is to react CO2 with H2:
CO2 + 3H2  CH3OH + H2O
The reaction system is as shown in the figure below. The fresh feed contains stoichiometric quantities of
the reactants. The concentration of N2 in the mixed feed into the reactor is 2%. On one pass through
the reactor, 57% conversion is obtained. The recycle ratio RC/SP = 0.85. Assume the process is in the
steady state.
RC W

CO2 CO2
H2 SP H2
N2 N2

MF
FF RP Separator
Reactor
H2O (l)
CO2
H2
N2

CH3OH(l)
 Question 6
a) The ratio of CO2:H2 is 1:3 in every stream in this process. Give two
reasons for  this.
b) Calculate the overall conversion in this system.
c) Would increasing the recycle ratio (RC/SP) increase the conversion
per pass,  the overall conversion, or both? Explain your answer
briefly.