Ethanol is produced commercially by hydration of ethylene and during this proces

Question

Ethanol is produced commercially by hydration of ethylene and during this process, a side reaction converts some the ethanol to diethyl ether (DEE). in one process, a fresh feed containing ethylene, non-condensable inserts. and water is mixed with a recycle stream. The combined stream is fed to the reactor and it contains 100 mol/min of ethylene. While the fresh feed contains 9 moles of ethylene per mole of inserts. after mixing with recycle stream, the mole ratio of inserts to ethylene changes to 0.22. The water to ethylene mole ratio in the input to the reactor is 0.7. The single pass conversion of ethylene in the reactor is 0.24 and the molar selectivity of ethanol to either is 10. To recover the ethanol and DEE. the gaseous output from the reactor is sent to a condenser. Here 85% of the three species - ethanol. DEE. and water - fed to the condenser are removed as a liquid product stream. None of the ethylene and inserts leave in the liquid. A second output from the condenser is the gas mixture and this is split into a purge and the recycle that mixes with the fresh feed. Solve the material balance for the process and choose the correct option below. ethylene in fresh feed is 44.8 mol/min ethanol in product leaving the condenser is 19.3 mol/min recycle to purge ratio is 3.46 Two choices. A and C. are correct None of the A-B-C choices are correct

Explanation / Answer

Given data:

Fresh feed = Ethulene,non-condensable inserts and water

Combained stream reactor it contains = 100 mol/min of ethylene

Fresh feed contains = 9 moles of ethylene/moles of inerts

After mixing with recycle stream:

Mole ratio of inerts to ethylene changes = 0.22

Water to ethylene mole ratio input to reactor = 0.7

Single pass conversion of ethylene in reactor = 0.24

Molar selectivity of ethanol to ether = 10

Then,

mass balance for reactant

Rate of mass input = Rate of mass reacted + Rate of mass unreacted

mass balance for product is

mass leaving = mass produced

the answer is option A & C are correct.

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