UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPUR

Malaysian Institute of Chemical & Bioengineering Technology

ASSIGNMENT
JANUARY 2020 SEMESTER

COURSE CODE : CKB 20104

COURSE TITLE : REACTION ENGINEERING

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

1. Please read CAREFULLY the instructions given in the question paper.

2. This question paper consists of one section only.

3. There are FIVE (5) questions in this QUESTION BOOKLET. Answer ALL questions.

4. Answer all questions in English ONLY.

5. Write your complete answers using blank white paper.

6. Answers to be submitted in VLE

CKB 20104 REACTION ENGINEERING 1

JAN 2020

SECTION A (Total: 100 marks)

INSTRUCTION: Answer ALL questions.

Question 1

(a) The liquid-phase dehydration of pure D-xylose (C5H10O5) produced furfural (C5H4O2) and water
(H2O).
C5H10O5 → C5H4O2 + 3H2O
The irreversible reaction is carried out isobaric and isothermally in a flow system with 2.5 M pure
D-xylose feed to the system. The rate of the disappearance of D-xylose as a function of its
conversion is given below in Table 1.

Table 1 Rate of the disappearance of D-xylose as a function of conversion

X (%) 0.0 10.0 20.0 40.0 60.0 70.0 80.0

–rD-xylose (mol/L.min) 1.12 0.93 0.75 0.49 0.25 0.20 0.13

i. In the plant, there is an option of a single 20.0 L plug flow reactor or a single 15.0 L continuous
stirred tank reactor for the reaction with the desired xylose conversion of 80%. Solve both reactors’
feed volumetric flow rate.
(4 marks)
ii. In order to achieve complete conversion of xylose, another continuous stirred tank reactor with a
different volume is added in series to the first reactor in part (i) above. Calculate the rate of
disappearance for xylose in the second reactor if given the second reactor space velocity as 1.5
min-1.
(2 marks)
iii. Solve the temperature of the reaction if the rate of formation of water is given as 1.47 mol/L.min.
Given the activation energy of the reaction as 14.0 kJ/mol and pre-exponential factor of 2.50
L/mol.min.
(8 marks)

(b) The following reaction is carried out isothermally with no pressure drop in the liquid phase.
A + B → 2C
The reaction obeys the elementary rate law. 2.5 mol/dm 3 of reactant A and 5.0 mol/dm 3 reactant B
is prepared initially with 70% conversion of A achieved in the reaction. Determine the specific
reaction rate if the reaction is conducted in a single plug flow reactor with space-time of 0.5 min.
(6 marks)

CKB 20104 REACTION ENGINEERING 2

JAN 2020

Question 2

Ethylene epoxide (C2H4O) is an important chemical, which is used as intermediate in the production of
glycols and plastics. C2H4O is obtained industrially through partial oxidation of ethylene (C2H4).
2C2H4 + O2 → 2C2H4O
The irreversible gas-phase reaction is carried out isothermally in a flow system with a pressure drop to
4.0 atm after the reaction. The initial mole percent of O 2 is 80 mol% while the balance is C 2H4. From a
prior study, it was determined that the reaction is second order with respect to C2H4 and zero order with
respect to O2 concentration. The feed rate of O2 is 1.5 million kg yearly. C 2H4 must be used as the basis
of calculations.

Additional information
Total feed flow rate = 10.0 dm3/min
Specific reaction rate constant = 5.0 dm3/mol.min
Molecular weight of O2 = 15.9994 g/mol
The plant operates 20 hours daily for 360 days yearly

(a) Solve the feed molar flow rate of C2H4 (in mol/min).
(4 marks)
(b) Construct a stoichiometric table for the above reaction. All values should be in function of
conversion, X only by evaluating numerically all other symbols (e.g., ε, Θ).
(8 marks)
(c) The technologist is tasked to purchase a plug flow reactor with a volume of 30.0 dm 3. The reactor
must achieve 98% conversion of C2H4 using the initial molar flow rate of C2H4 obtained in part (a).
Determine the pressure drop in the reactor.
(8 marks)

CKB 20104 REACTION ENGINEERING 3

 JAN 2020

Question 3

The gas-phase decomposition of di-tert-butyl peroxide ((CH3)3COOC(CH3)3) to produce ethane (C2H6)

and acetone (CH3COCH3) is given as follows.
(CH3)3COOC(CH3)3 → C2H6 + 2CH3COCH3
In order to perform the reactor scale-up, it is vital to determine the reaction rate data. The experimental
runs were carried out in an isothermal, isobaric, and constant-volume batch reactor at 70 C with
activation energy of 10.0 kcal/mol. From the experimental data shown in Table 1, the following plot of ln
t1/2 versus ln CA0 were obtained (Figure 1). From the plot, the gradient was determined as –0.81 with y-
axis intercept of 6.63. The unit of concentration is given as mol/L and time as min.
Table 1
ln initial concentration of ln Half-life
Run
(CH3)3COOC(CH3)3 (ln CAO) (ln t1/2)
1 1.39 5.5
2 0.61 6.1
3 0.34 6.4
4 2.30 4.8
5 2.81 4.4
6 1.61 5.3

8.0

6.0
ln t1/2

4.0

2.0

0.0
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
ln CA0

Figure 1

(a) Solve the reaction order with respect to di-tert-butyl peroxide and the specific reaction rate
constant.
(4 marks)
(b) There is a decrease of 150.0 min when the reaction in Run 4 was repeated at a different temperature
with 80% of di-tert-butyl peroxide converted. Determine the new temperature.
(9 marks)
(c) The same reaction using the initial concentration from Run 6 is conducted in two continuous stirred
tank reactors connected in series with 60% of di-tert-butyl peroxide converted in the first reactor and
82% overall conversion after the second reactor. Both reactor volume was 7000.0 L. Determine the
initial mole fraction of di-tert-butyl peroxide if the feed rate is given as 1.50 L/min.
(7 marks)
CKB 20104 REACTION ENGINEERING 4
JAN 2020

Question 4

The non-isothermal liquid-phase elementary reversible reaction is given as follows

A + B ⟺ 2C
You are tasked to determine the suitability of a steam jacketed continuous stirred tank reactor to
accommodate the requirement as given below with the assumption that it is an adiabatic system. The
additional information and data is given below in Table 2. Assume the work done by stirrer is negligible.

Additional information
Steam jacket area = 10 dm2
Overall heat-transfer coefficient of jacket = 120 kJ / hr.dm 2. K
Jacket steam saturation temperature = 380.0 K
Feed temperature = 300.0 K
Equilibrium constant = 4.0
Equilibrium conversion = 0.70
Table 2

Component
Data
A B C
Feed rate (mol/hr) ? 30.0 -
Enthalpy of formation, Hi(TR = 273.0 K), kJ/mol – 50.0 – 110.0 – 220.0
Constant heat capacity, Cp i (TR = 273.0 K), kJ/mol. K 0.040 0.025 0.015

(a) Solve the initial molar flow rate of A.

(7 marks)
(b) Calculate the conversion of A if there is a temperature increase of 2000.0 K in the reaction.
(7 marks)
(c) Determine the initial concentration of A for the temperature obtained in part (b) if given the reactor
space time as 0.2 hr and reaction rate constant as 10.0 L/mol.hr.
(6 marks)

CKB 20104 REACTION ENGINEERING 5

JAN 2020

Question 5

(a) The liquid phase reaction of reactant A and B to produce X is to be carried out while avoiding
another parallel reaction that produces Y. The chemical equations and its respective rate law are
shown below.
𝑳𝟑
Reaction 1: A + 3B ⟺ 2X −𝒓𝑨𝟏 = (𝟏𝟓. 𝟎 ) 𝑪 𝑪𝟑
𝒎𝒐𝒍𝟑 . 𝒎𝒊𝒏 𝑨 𝑩
𝑳𝟐
Reaction 2: 2A + B ⟺ Y −𝒓𝑨𝟐 = (𝟑𝟎. 𝟎 ) 𝑪𝟐 𝑪
𝒎𝒐𝒍𝟐 . 𝒎𝒊𝒏 𝑨 𝑩

i. Deduce the instantaneous selectivity, SD/U of the desired product with respect to the undesired
product in the reactions.
(2 marks)
ii. Describe the reaction schemes and conditions (e.g., reactor type(s), concentration) to maximize
the selectivity parameters for the above reactions.
(4 marks)
iii. Give a real example of each of the multiple reactions (parallel, series, complex, and independent).
(4 marks)

(b) Based on a selected journal publication (2018–2020) on a catalytic reaction in a packed bed
reactor (stated reference is compulsory), discuss in 400 words the types of catalyst used in
reaction, its important characteristics, as well as the reactor used in the reaction.
(10 marks)

CKB 20104 REACTION ENGINEERING 6