Uses and economics Anti- treeze Scale-up of batch reactor data
Producing 200 Million Pounds per Year in a CSTR
Close to 16 billion pounds of ethylene glycol (EG) were produced in 2013. It previously ranked as the twenty-sixth most produced chemical in the nation on a total pound basis. About one-half of the ethylene glycol is used for antifreeze, while the other half is used in the manufacture of polyesters. In the polyester category, 88% was used for fibers and 12% for the manufacture of bottles and films. The 2013 selling price for ethylene glycol was $0.60 per pound.
It is desired to produce 200 million pounds per year of EG. The reactor is to be operated isothermally. A 16.1 mol/dm3 solution of ethylene oxide (EO) in water is mixed (see Figure E5-2.1) with an equal volumetric solution of water containing 0.9 wt % of the catalyst H2SO4 and fed to a CSTR. The specific reaction-rate constant is 0.311 min–1, as determined in Example 5-1. Practical guidelines for reactor scale-up are given by Mukesh.1
(a) If 80% conversion is to be achieved, determine the necessary CSTR
volume.
(b) If two 800-gal reactors were arranged in parallel with the feed equally
divided, what would be the corresponding conversion?
(c) If two 800-gal reactors were arranged in series, what would be the corresponding conversion?
Trending now
This is a popular solution!
Step by step
Solved in 7 steps with 7 images
