UNIT-6

Reaction Engineering: Introduction, Thermodynamics of Reactions, Determination of the Rate Equation,

Effect of Temperature on Reaction Rate, Reactors

introduction to Reaction Engineering

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Introduction to Reaction Engineering

Reaction Engineering is a branch of chemical engineering that deals with the design, analysis,
and optimization of chemical reactors. It focuses on understanding the chemical reactions
occurring within a reactor, the effect of operating conditions (such as temperature, pressure, and
concentration), and how these factors influence the overall performance of the reactor system.
The goal of reaction engineering is to efficiently convert raw materials into desired products
while maximizing yields, minimizing byproducts, and ensuring safety, economic viability, and
environmental sustainability.

Key Concepts in Reaction Engineering:

1. Chemical Reactions: At the core of reaction engineering are the chemical reactions
themselves, which may be classified as:
o Homogeneous reactions: Reactions occurring in a single phase (liquid, gas, or
solid).
o Heterogeneous reactions: Reactions involving two or more phases (e.g., gas-
solid or liquid-solid).
o Catalytic reactions: Reactions that are facilitated by a catalyst to lower the
activation energy and speed up the process.
o Non-catalytic reactions: Reactions that do not require a catalyst.
2. Reactor Types: The reactor design and operation are central to reaction engineering.
Common reactor types include:
o Batch Reactors: In these reactors, the reactants are loaded, the reaction occurs,
and then the products are removed in discrete steps. These are typically used for
small-scale or high-value processes.
o Continuous Stirred Tank Reactors (CSTR): These reactors operate
continuously with reactants fed in and products removed at a constant rate. They
are commonly used in large-scale processes.
o Plug Flow Reactors (PFR): In PFRs, the reactants flow through the reactor in a
"plug" manner, with minimal mixing in the direction of flow. These are suited for
fast reactions and large-scale industrial applications.
o Packed Bed Reactors: These reactors consist of a packed bed of catalyst particles
through which the reactants flow, often used in catalytic reactions.
 3. Rate Laws: Understanding the rate of a chemical reaction is crucial for reactor design.
The rate law expresses how the reaction rate depends on the concentration of reactants.
Common forms include:
o Zero-order reactions: Rate is independent of reactant concentration.
o First-order reactions: Rate is proportional to the concentration of one reactant.
o Second-order reactions: Rate depends on the square of the concentration of one
reactant or the product of two reactant concentrations.
4. Kinetics: Chemical kinetics studies the rates of reactions and the factors that influence
them, such as temperature (Arrhenius law), concentration, and catalysts. The reaction rate
may vary with time and can be influenced by factors like temperature, pressure, and the
presence of a catalyst.
5. Design of Reactors: The design of reactors involves determining optimal conditions that
lead to high efficiency. Engineers need to balance factors like reaction rate, heat transfer,
mass transfer, and residence time. The key principles for reactor design include:
o Material and energy balances: To ensure that mass and energy are conserved
within the system.
o Residence time distribution: The amount of time that reactants spend in the
reactor.
o Optimization: Finding the best operating conditions to maximize production
rates, yield, and energy efficiency.
6. Catalysis: In many chemical processes, catalysts are used to speed up the reactions
without being consumed. Understanding how catalysts work, their properties, and how to
optimize catalytic processes is a major aspect of reaction engineering.
7. Reactor Safety and Sustainability: Ensuring the safe operation of reactors and
minimizing their environmental impact is a critical part of reaction engineering. This
includes designing reactors to handle exothermic reactions, prevent runaway reactions,
and minimize waste and emissions.
8. Modeling and Simulation: Reaction engineering involves creating mathematical models
to simulate chemical reactions and predict the behavior of reactors under different
conditions. These models help in scaling up laboratory reactions to industrial-scale
processes.

Applications:

Reaction engineering is essential in various industries, including:

 Petrochemicals: For refining oil and gas and producing various chemicals.
 Pharmaceuticals: For the synthesis of drugs and other medical compounds.
 Food and beverages: For fermentation processes and production of additives.
 Environmental engineering: For the treatment of waste gases, water, and other
pollutants.

Conclusion:

Reaction engineering is a fundamental field that combines principles from chemistry,

thermodynamics, transport phenomena, and material science to develop efficient and sustainable
chemical processes. By understanding and controlling the reactions within a reactor, engineers
can optimize production, reduce costs, improve product quality, and ensure the safety and
environmental sustainability of the processes.

explain about Thermodynamics of Reactions

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Thermodynamics of Reactions

Thermodynamics is the branch of science that deals with the study of energy, particularly the
transfer and transformation of energy within a system. In the context of chemical reactions,
thermodynamics helps us understand the energy changes that occur during a chemical reaction,
as well as the conditions under which a reaction will proceed spontaneously. It plays a crucial
role in reaction engineering because it provides fundamental insights into the feasibility and
efficiency of reactions.

Key Concepts in Thermodynamics of Reactions:

1. System and Surroundings:

o System: The part of the universe under consideration, usually where the chemical
reaction occurs (e.g., a chemical reactor).
o Surroundings: Everything outside the system, including the atmosphere, water,
etc.
2. State Functions: Thermodynamic properties that depend only on the current state of the
system, not how it reached that state. Key state functions relevant to chemical reactions
include:
o Internal Energy (U): The total energy contained within the system, including
kinetic and potential energies of molecules.
o Enthalpy (H): The total heat content of the system, defined as H=U+PV (where P
is pressure and V is volume).
o Entropy (S): A measure of the disorder or randomness in the system. It quantifies
the number of possible microscopic configurations of a system.
o Gibbs Free Energy (G): The energy available to do work in a system at constant
temperature and pressure, given by G=H−TS (where T is temperature and S is
entropy).
3. First Law of Thermodynamics: The law of energy conservation, which states that
energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted from one form to another.
Mathematically, this is expressed as:

ΔU=Q−W

where ΔU is the change in internal energy, Q is the heat added to the system, and W is
the work done by the system.