Ethanol is produced commercially by the hydration of ethylene: C2H4 + H2O → C2H5OH Some of the product is converted to diethyl ether in the side reaction 2C2H5OH → (C2H5)2O + H2O The feed to the reactor contains ethylene, steam, and inert gas. A sample of the reactor effluent gas is analyzed and found to contain 43.3 mole% ethylene, 2.5% ethanol, 0.14% ether, 9.3% inerts, and the balance water.   (b) Calculate the molar composition of the reactor feed, the percentage conversion of the ethylene, the fractional yield of ethanol, the selectivity of ethanol production relative to ether production.

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
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Ethanol is produced commercially by the hydration of ethylene:
C2H4 + H2O → C2H5OH
Some of the product is converted to diethyl ether in the side reaction
2C2H5OH → (C2H5)2O + H2O
The feed to the reactor contains ethylene, steam, and inert gas. A sample of the reactor
effluent gas is analyzed and found to contain 43.3 mole% ethylene, 2.5% ethanol, 0.14% ether,
9.3% inerts, and the balance water.

 

(b) Calculate the molar composition of the reactor feed, the percentage conversion of the
ethylene, the fractional yield of ethanol, the selectivity of ethanol production relative to
ether production.

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