Chapter 4, Problem 4.21P

A pharmaceutical product, P, is made in a batch reactor. The reactor effluent goes through a purifiation process to yield a final product stream and a waste stream. The initial charge (feed) to the reactor and the final product are each weighed, and the reactor effluent, final product, and waste stream are each analyzed for P. The analyzer calibration is a series of meter readings, R. corresponding to known mass fractions of P, ,v_P.

Xp	0.08	0.16	0.25	0.45
R	105	160	245	360

1. Plot the analyzer calibration data on logarithmic axes and determine an expression for xp(R).

The data sheet for one run is shown below:

Batch #: 23601 Date: 10/4 Mass charged to reactor: 2253 kg Mass of purified product: 1239 kg Reactor effluent analysis: R = 388 Final product analysis: R = 583 Waste stream analysis: R = 140

Calculate the mass fractions of P in all three streams. Then calculate the percentage yield of the purification process,

kg P in final product . „„„

Y_P=

™

X 100%

kg P in reactor effluent

You are the engineer in charge of the process. You review' the given run sheet and the calculations of Part (b), perform additional balance calculations, and realize that all of the recorded run data cannot possibly be correct. State how you know, itemize possible causes of the problem, state w hich cause is most likely, and suggest a step to correct it.