1. Formaldehyde (HCHO) is an important petrochemical precursor to produce thermoset resins. It is commonly manufactured via a two-step process using carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen gas (H2) as the feedstocks in the presence of air: со +2 На — СНЗОН CH3ОН + 0.5 02 — НСНО + Н-о (50 – 100 atm, 250 °C) (1 atm, 300 – 400 °C) In a chemical plant, HCHO production is carried out by two catalytic packed bed reactors in series, one for each reaction. 100 mol/day of CO and 300 mol/day of H2 are fed into the first reactor, with a target conversion set at 85%. The produced CH3OH and the remaining CO and H2 from the first reactor are subsequently fed into the second reactor, along with additional 300 mol/day of air to produce HCHO. The target conversion of the second reactor is set to be 80%. a) What is the overall atom economy of the reaction system (assuming HCHO is the only desired product)? b) What is the E-factor of the process? c) Propose 3 ideas to improve (i.e., reduce) the E-factor of this process? What could be the potential drawbacks of the ideas that you propose?
1. Formaldehyde (HCHO) is an important petrochemical precursor to produce thermoset resins. It is commonly manufactured via a two-step process using carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen gas (H2) as the feedstocks in the presence of air: со +2 На — СНЗОН CH3ОН + 0.5 02 — НСНО + Н-о (50 – 100 atm, 250 °C) (1 atm, 300 – 400 °C) In a chemical plant, HCHO production is carried out by two catalytic packed bed reactors in series, one for each reaction. 100 mol/day of CO and 300 mol/day of H2 are fed into the first reactor, with a target conversion set at 85%. The produced CH3OH and the remaining CO and H2 from the first reactor are subsequently fed into the second reactor, along with additional 300 mol/day of air to produce HCHO. The target conversion of the second reactor is set to be 80%. a) What is the overall atom economy of the reaction system (assuming HCHO is the only desired product)? b) What is the E-factor of the process? c) Propose 3 ideas to improve (i.e., reduce) the E-factor of this process? What could be the potential drawbacks of the ideas that you propose?
Introduction to Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics
8th Edition
ISBN:9781259696527
Author:J.M. Smith Termodinamica en ingenieria quimica, Hendrick C Van Ness, Michael Abbott, Mark Swihart
Publisher:J.M. Smith Termodinamica en ingenieria quimica, Hendrick C Van Ness, Michael Abbott, Mark Swihart
Chapter1: Introduction
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1.1P
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