Chemical Engineering Principles-I Dr.Ali H.

Abbar

 The conversion can also be calculated using the extent of reaction as follows:
Conversion is equal to the extent of reaction based on CO2 formation (i.e., the actual extent of reaction)
divided by the extent of reaction assuming complete reaction of C7H16 (i.e., the maximum possible extent of
reaction).

extent of reaction that actually occurs

Conversion =
extent of reaction that would occur if complete reaction took place

ξ
=
ξ max
Selectivity
Selectivity is the ratio of the moles of a particular (usually the desired) product produced to the moles of another
(usually undesired or by-product) product produced in a set of reactions.

For example, methanol (CH3OH) can be converted into ethylene (C2H4) or propylene (C3H6) by the reactions

What is the selectivity of C2H4 relative to the C3H6 at 80% conversion of the CH3OH? At 80% conversion: C2H4 19
mole % and for C3H6 8 mole %. Because the basis for both values is the same, the selectivity = 19/8 = 2.4 mol C2H4
per mol C3H6.
Yield
No universally agreed-upon definitions exist for yield—in fact, quite the contrary. Here are three common ones:
• Yield (based on feed)—the amount (mass or moles) of desired product obtained divided by the amount of the
key (frequently the limiting) reactant fed.
• Yield (based on reactant consumed)—the amount (mass or moles) of desired product obtained divided by
amount of the key (frequently the limiting) reactant consumed.
• Yield (based on theoretical consumption of the limiting reactant)—the amount (mass or moles) of a
product obtained divided by the theoretical (expected) amount of the product that would be obtained based on
the limiting reactant in the chemical reaction equation if it were completely consumed.
Example 20
The following overall reaction to produce biomass, glycerol, and ethanol

Calculate the theoretical yield of biomass in g of biomass per g of glucose. Also, calculate the yield of ethanol in g of
ethanol per g of glucose.
Solution
Basis: 0.59 g mol of biomass

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Chemical Engineering Principles-I Dr.Ali H.Abbar

Example 21
For this example, large amounts of single wall carbon nanotubes can be produced by the catalytic decomposition of
ethane over Co and Fe catalysts supported on silica

If you collect 3 g mol of H2 and 0.50 g mol of C2H4, what is the selectivity of C relative to C2H4?
Solution
Basis: 3 g mol H2 by Reaction (a)
0.50 g mol C2H4 by Reaction (b)

The 0.5 g mol of C2H4 corresponds to 0.50 g mol of H2 produced in Reaction (b).
The H2 produced by Reaction (a) = 3 - 0.50 = 2.5 g mol.

The nanotubes (the C) produced by Reaction (a) = (2/3)(2.5) = 1.67 g mol C

The selectivity = 1.67/0.50 = 3.33 g mol C/g mol C2H4
Example 22
The two reactions of interest for this example are

C3H6 is propylene (propene) (MW = 42.08)

C3H5C1 is allyl chloride (3-chloropropene) (MW = 76.53)
C3H6Cl2 is propylene chloride (1,2—dichloropropane) (MW = 112.99)
The species recovered after the reaction takes place for some time are listed in Table E9.8.

species Cl2 C3H6 C3H5C1 C3H6Cl2 HCl

g mol 141 651 4.6 24.5 4.6
Based on the product distribution assuming that no allyl chlorides were present in the feed, calculate the following:
a. How much Cl2 and C3H6 were fed to the reactor in g mol?
b. What was the limiting reactant?
c. What was the excess reactant?
d. What was the fraction conversion of C3H6 to C3H5C1?
e. What was the selectivity of C3H5C1 relative to C3H6Cl2?
f. What was the yield of C3H5C1 expressed in g of C3H5C1 to the g of C3H6 fed to the reactor?
g. What was the extent of reaction of the first and second reactions?
Solution
Figure E9.8 illustrates the process as an open-flow system. A batch process could alternatively be used.

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Chemical Engineering Principles-I Dr.Ali H.Abbar

A convenient basis is what is given in the product list in Table E9.8.

Reaction (a)

Reaction (b)

Total = 4.6 + 24.5 = 29.l g mol Cl2 reacts

Cl2 in product = 141.0 from Table E9.8
(a) Total Cl2 fed = 141.0 + 29.1 = 170.1 g mol Cl2
Total C3H6 fed = 651.0 + 29.1 = 680.1 g mol of C3H6
(b) and (c) Since both reactions involve the same value of the respective reaction stoichiometric coefficients,
both reactions will have the same limiting and excess reactants

Thus, C3H6 was the excess reactant and Cl2 the limiting reactant.

(d) The fraction conversion of C3H6 to C3H5C1 was

(e) The selectivity was

(f) The yield was

(g) Because C3H5C1 is produced only by the first reaction, the extent of reaction of the first reaction is

Because C3H6C12 is produced only by the second reaction, the extent of reaction of the second reaction is

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Chemical Engineering Principles-I Dr.Ali H.Abbar

Example 23
Five pounds of bismuth (MW=209) is heated along with one pound of sulfur (MW=32) to form Bi2S3 (MW=514). At
the end of the reaction, the mass is extracted and the free sulfur recovered is 5% of the reaction mass. Determine
2 Bi + 3S Bi2S3
1. The limiting reactant.
2. The percent excess reactant.
3. The percent conversion of sulfur to Bi2S3

Questions
1. What is a limiting reactant?
2. What is an excess reactant?
3. How do you calculate the extent of reaction from experimental data?
Answers:
Q.3 Reactant present in the least stoichiometric quantity.
Q.4 All other reactants than the limiting reactant.
Q.5 For a species in
Open system: Closed system:
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Chemical Engineering Principles-I Dr.Ali H.Abbar

Problems

1. Write balanced reaction equations for the following reactions:

a. C9H18 and oxygen to form carbon dioxide and water.
b. FeS2 and oxygen to form Fe2O3 and sulfur dioxide.
2. If 1 kg of benzene (C6H6) is oxidized with oxygen, how many kilograms of O2 are needed to convert all the
benzene to CO2 and H2O?
3. The electrolytic manufacture of chlorine gas from a sodium chloride solution is carried out by the following
reaction:

How many kilograms of Cl2 can be produced from 10 m3 of brine solution containing 5% by weight of NaCl?
The specific gravity of the solution relative to that of water at 4°C is 1.07.

4. Can you balance the following chemical reaction equation?

5. For the reaction in which stoichiometric quantities of the reactants are fed

and the reaction goes to completion, what is the maximum extent of reaction based on C5H10? On O2? Are the
respective values different or the same? Explain the result.

6. Calcium oxide (CaO) is formed by decomposing limestone (pure CaCO3). In one kiln the reaction goes to 70%
completion.
a. What is the composition of the solid product withdrawn from the kiln?
b. What is the yield in terms of pounds of CO2 produced per pound of limestone fed into the process?
7. Aluminum sulfate can be made by reacting crushed bauxite ore with sulfuric acid, according to the following
chemical equation:

The bauxite ore contains 55.4% by weight of aluminum oxide, the remainder being impurities. The sulfuric
acid solution contains 77.7% pure sulfuric acid, the remainder being water. To produce crude aluminum sulfate
containing 1798 lb of pure aluminum sulfate, 1080 lb of bauxite ore and 2510 lb of sulfuric acid solution are
reacted.
a. Identify the excess reactant.
b. What percentage of the excess reactant was consumed?
c. What was the degree of completion of the reaction?

8. Two well-known gas phase reactions take place in the dehydration of ethane:

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Chemical Engineering Principles-I Dr.Ali H.Abbar

Given the product distribution measured in the gas phase reaction of C2H6 as follows
C2H6 27%, C2H4 33%, H2 13%, and CH4 27%

a. What species was the limiting reactant?

b. What species was the excess reactant?
c. What was the conversion of C2H6 to CH4?
d. What was the degree of completion of the reaction?
e. What was the selectivity of C2H4 relative to CH4?
f. What was the yield of C2H4 expressed in kg mol of C2H4 produced per kg mol of C2H6?
g. What was the extent of reaction of C2H6?

Answers:

1. (a) (b)
2. 3.08
3. 323
4. No
5. (a) 1,
(b) 1,
(c) The same,
(d) The extent of reaction depends on the reaction equation as a whole and not on one species in the
equation.
6. CaCO3: 43.4%, CaO: 56.4%; (b) 0.308
7. (a) H2SO4
(b) 79.2%;
(c) 0.89
8. (a) C2H6 (the hydrogen is from reaction No.2, not the feed);
(b) None;
(c) Fraction conversion = 0.184;
(d) 0.45;
(e) 1.22
(f) Based on reactant in the feed: 0.45, based on reactant consumed: 0.84, based on theory: 0.50;
(g) Reaction (a) is 33 mol reacting and reaction (b) is 13.5 mol reacting, both based on 100 mol product.

2.5 Material Balances for Processes Involving Reaction

Species Material Balances
Processes Involving a Single Reaction
The material balance for a species must be augmented to include generation and consumption terms when
chemical reactions occur in a process.

(1)

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