Chemistry Engineer

Material Balance
Eng. Javier Ramiro Morales Hernndez
COMPUTE THE MATERIAL BALANCE WITH CHEMICAL REACTION

1. In production of sulphur trioxide, 100 k mol of SO2 and 100 k mol of O2 are fed to the
reactor. If the % conversion of SO2 is 80, calculate the composition of the product stream
on mole basis.

2. Gaseous benzene C6H6 reacts with hydrogen in presence of Ni catalyst as per the
reaction

30% excess hydrogen is used above that required by the above reaction. Conversion is
50% and yield is 90%. Calculate the requirement of benzene and hydrogen gas for 100
moles of cyclohexane.

3. In manufacture of acetic acid by oxidation of acetaldehyde, acetaldehyde and oxygen

were fed to reactor and the product leaving the reactor contains 14.81% acetaldehyde,
59.26% acetic acid and rest oxygen (mole basis). Find the % conversion of acetaldehyde.

1
CH3CHO + O2 CH3COOH
2

4. Ammonia is burned to form nitric oxide in the following reaction:

4NH3 + 502 4NO + 6H2 O

a) Calculate the ratio (Ib-mole O2 react/lb-mole NO formed).

b) If ammonia is fed to a continuous reactor at a rate of 100.0 kmol NH3/h, what
oxygen feed rate (kmol/h) would correspond to 40.0% excess O2?
c) If 50.0 kg of ammonia and 100.0 kg of oxygen are fed to a batch reactor,
determine the limiting reactant, the percentage by which the other reactant is in
excess, and the extent of reaction (mol) and mass of NO produced (kg) if the
reaction proceeds to completion.

5. In the Deacon process for the manufacture of chlorine, HCI and O2 react to form Cl2 and
H2O. Sufficient air (21 mole% O2, 79% N2) is fed to provide 35% excess oxygen and the
fractional conversion of HCI is 85%.

a) Calculate the mole fractions of the product stream components.

 Chemistry Engineer
Material Balance
Eng. Javier Ramiro Morales Hernndez
COMPUTE THE MATERIAL BALANCE WITH CHEMICAL REACTION
6. Ethanol is produced commercially by the hydration of ethylene:

2 4 + 2 0 2 5

Some of the product is converted to diethyl ether in the side reaction

2 2 5 (2 5 )2 + 2 0

The feed to the reactor contains ethylene, steam, and an inert gas. A sample of the reactor
effluent gas is analyzed and found to contain 43.3 mole% ethylene, 2.5% ethanol, 0.14%
ether, 9.3% inerts, and the balance water.
a) Take as a basis 100 mol of effluent gas, draw and label a flowchart,
b) Calculate the molar composition of the reactor feed, the percentage conversion of
ethylene, the fractional yield of ethanol, and the selectivity of ethanol production relative
to ether production.

7. The composition of a gas derived by the gasification of coal is by volume percentage:

carbon dioxide 4, carbon monoxide 16, hydrogen 50, methane 15, ethane 3, benzene 2,
balance nitrogen. If the gas is burned in a furnace with 20% excess air, calculate:
i. The amount of air required per 100 kmol of gas;
ii. The amount of flue gas produced per 100 kmol of gas;
iii. The composition of the flue gases, on a dry basis.
Assume complete combustion.

8. Ethylene and oxygen are fed to a tubular reactor filled with silver catalyst at 250C. The
product ethylene oxide is recovered from gaseous effluent by absorption in water in
presence of acid at 60C. The reaction taking place is as follows:

1
24 + 2 24
2
24 + 2 2 2

Conversion for reaction (1) is 90% which for reaction (2) it is 65%. If 100 kg of ethylene
glycol (CH2OH - CH2OH) is formed, Calculate the quantity of ethylene supplied to the
tubular reactor.

9. In manufacture of acetic acid by oxidation of acetaldehyde, acetaldehyde and oxygen

were fed to reactor and the product leaving the reactor contains 14.81% acetaldehyde,
59.26% acetic acid and rest oxygen (mole basis). Find the % conversion of acetaldehyde.
(BASIS: 100 k mol of products leaving)