Choice of Reactor – Reactor Performance

Haniif Prasetiawan S.T., M.Eng.

 Introduction
• Reaction Path
• Types of reaction system
• Reactor Performance
• Rate of Reaction
• Idealized Reactor Model
 Reaction Path

• Oxygen is considered to be free at this stage, coming from the

atmosphere. Which reaction path makes most sense on the basis
of raw material costs, product and byproduct values?
 Type of Reaction System
• Single Reactions
• Multiple reactions in parallel producing byproducts
• Multiple reactions in series producing byproducts
• Mixed parallel and series reactions producing byproducts.
• Polymerization reactions
• Biochemical reactions
 Reactor Performance
• Conversion
𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟
𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑓𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟

• Selectivity

𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑒𝑑

𝑥 𝑠𝑜𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟
𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟

• Yield

𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑒𝑑

𝑥 𝑠𝑜𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟
𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑓𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟
 Exercise
• Benzene is to be produced from toluene according to the
reaction:
C6H5CH3 + H2 → C6H6 + CH4
• Some of the benzene formed undergoes a number of
secondary reactions in series to unwanted byproducts that
can be characterized by the reaction to diphenyl, according
to the reaction
2C6H6⇄C12H10 + H2
 Component Inlet (kmol/h) Outlet (kmol/h)
H2 1858 1583
CH4 804 1083
C6H6 13 282
C6H5CH3 372 93
C12H10 0 4

• Calculate the conversion, selectivity and reactor yield with

respect to the:
• a. toluene feed
• b. hydrogen feed
 Rate of Reaction
• Remember this?
 Idealized Reactor Model

• Ideal batch
• Ideal CSTR
• Ideal Plug Flow
Choice of Idealized Reactor Model
 Homework
• Styrene (A) and Butadiene (B) are to be polymerized in a
series of mixed-flow reactors, each of volume 25 m3. The
rate equation is first order with respect to A and B:
• −rA = kACACB
• where kA = 10−5 m3/(kmol . s)
• The initial concentration of styrene is 0.8 kmol/m3 and of
butadiene is 3.6 kmol/m3. The feed rate of reactants is 20
t/h. Estimate the total number of reactors required for
polymerization of 85% of the limiting reactant. Assume the
density of reaction mixture to be 870 kg/m3 and the molar
mass of styrene is 104 kg/kmol and that of butadiene 54
kg/kmol−1.