Stoichiometry For Systems Involving Recycles PDF
Stoichiometry For Systems Involving Recycles PDF
Stoichiometry For Systems Involving Recycles PDF
Stoichiometry
When chemical reactions occur, in contrast with physical changes of material such as
evaporation or dissolution, you want to be able to predict the mass or moles required for the
reaction(s), and the mass or moles of each species remaining after the reaction has occurred.
Reaction stoichiometry allows you to accomplish this task. The word stoichiometry (stoi-ki-
om-e-tri) derives from two Greek words: stoicheion (meaning "element") and metron (meaning
"measure"). Stoichiometry provides a quantitative means of relating the amount of products
produced by chemical reactions to the amount of reactants.
The following expressions are widely used in stoichiometry:
1. Stoichiometric coefficients:
The numbers that are precede the chemical substances involved in the chemical reaction
equation are known as " stoichiometric coefficients". These coefficients represent quantity of
any reactant that is theoretically required for complete conversion of other reactants.
2. Stoichiometric ratios:
The ratio between any stoichiometric coefficients in a balanced chemical equation is known as
" stoichiometric ratio".
As an example the reaction of nitrogen and hydrogen to produce ammonia:
N2 + 3H2 → 2NH3
The stoichiometric ratios of N2/H2 =1/3, N2/NH3= 1/2 and H2/NH3=3/2
a. The limiting reactant: Is the species in a chemical reaction that would theoretically run out
first (would be completely consumed) if the reaction were to proceed to completion according
to the chemical equation and it has smallest maximum extent of reaction
b. The excess reactant: Is the reactant that is present in excess amount over the stoichiometric
requirement equivalent to that of the limiting reactant and it has highest maximum extent of
reaction that of the limiting reactant. If the reaction does not proceed to completion, all the
reactants called excess reactants.
Percent excess: It is the excess quantity of any reactant expressed as a percent of the
stoichiometric amount theoretically required to react completely with the limiting reactant
according to the chemical equation.
% excess
=
amount of the excess reactant feed − amount of the excess reactant required to react with the limiting reactant
amount of the excess reactant required to react with the limiting reactant
×100
ni nio
ᶓ
vi
where n i moles of species i present in the system after the reaction occurs
n io moles of species i present in the system when the reaction starts
vi coefficient for species i in particular chemical reaction equation
(moles of species i produced or consumed per moles reacting)
Note:
The products of the reaction have positive signs and the reactants have negative signs
Example 1:
If 20 moles of CO are fed to a reactor with 10 moles of O2 and form 15 moles of CO2, calculate
the extent of reaction?
2CO + O2 → 2CO2
Solution:
The value of the change in the moles of CO2 is: 15-0 = 15. The value of the stoichiometric
coefficient for the CO2 is 2 mol/mol reacting.
The extent of reaction =
(15 0) mol CO2
7.5 moles reacting
2 mol CO2 / mol reacting
Example 2:
If you feed 10 grams of N2 gas and 10 grams of H2 gas into a reactor:
a. What is the maximum number of grams of NH3 that can be produced?
b. What is the limiting reactant?
c. What is the excess reactant?
Solution:
The chemical reaction is:
N2 + 3H2 → 2NH3
NH3
Reactor 10g H2
10g N2
Next, write down the chemical equation, and get the molecular weights:
N2(g) + 3H2(g) → 2NH3(g)
Given g: 10 10 0
MW: 28 2.016 17.02
Calcd, gmol 0.357 4.960 0
The next step is to determine the limiting reactant by calculating the maximum extent of
reaction based on the complete reaction of N2 and H2
0.357mol N 2
max (based on N 2 ) 0.357 moles reacting
1mol N 2 / moles reacting
4.960mol H 2
max (based on H 2 ) 1.65moles reacting
3mol H 2 / moles reacting
You can conclude that N2 is the limiting reactant and H2 is the excess reactant:
4.960 –3(0.357)
% excess (H2) = ×100= 363.12 %
3(0.357)
The maximum amount of NH3 that can be produced is based on assuming complete conversion
of the limiting reactant
Since, 1 mole of N2 = 2 moles of NH3
Therefore 0.357 moles will produce 0.714 moles of NH3
1 mole NH3 = 17.02 g NH3
0.714 moles of NH3 = 12.2 g NH3
Recycle
Recycling is the act of taking one stream in a process and reusing it in an earlier part of the
process rather than discarding it. It is used in a wide variety of processes.
Recycle stream
It is part of the product stream (either similar or different composition) that is separated and
returned to mix again with inlet stream (fresh feed) for economic considerations. The gross
product (G) leaving the process is commonly separated by suitable separation technique such
as distillation, filtration, extraction etc. into the net product (P) and recycle stream (R); whereas
the inlet feed (T) input to the process is made up by mixing the fresh feed (F) and recycle
stream (R) as shown in the following block diagram.
The recycle ratio, sometimes called reflux ratio, is widely used in recycle calculations. It is the
ratio between the amount of recycle to that of the net product, i.e. (R/P).
The recycle stream allows operation of the reactor at low single‐pass conversion, while still
achieving high overall conversion for the system.
100 − 25
Single-pass conversion = × 100 = 75%.
100
The advantage gained by obtaining 100% conversion (and thus not wasting costly reactants)
may be offset by the additional costs of separation and recycle equipment. This is an
optimization problem.
Example 3
A distillation column separates 10,000 kg/hr of a mixture containing equal mass of benzene
and toluene. The product D recovered from the condenser at the top of the column contains
95% benzene, and the bottom W from the column contains 96% toluene.
The vapor V entering the condenser from the top of the column is 8000 kg/hr. A portion of the
product from the condenser is returned to the column as reflux R, and the rest is withdrawn as
the final product D. Assume that V, R, and D are identical in composition since V is condensed
completely. Find the ratio of the amount refluxed R to the product withdrawn D.
Overall Process
Total Balance: 10,000 = D + W
Benzene Balance: 10,000(0.50) = D(0.95) + W(0.04)
Solving simultaneously, D = 5050 kg/hr; W = 4950 kg/hr
Total balance around the separator:
8000 = R + D
R = 2950 kg/hr
Ratio (R/D) = (2950/5050) = 0.58
Tutorial question
1. A schematic diagram of a steady process is shown below. The fresh feed (F) to the
reactor consists of 96 mol % reactant A and 4 mol % inert. The stoichiometry of the
reaction A→C. A part of the reactor effluent is recycled. The molar flow rate of the
recycle stream is 0.3F. the product stream P contains 50 mol % C. The percentage
conversion of A in the reactor is based on A entering the reactor at point 1 in the figure
below
2. Two elemental gases (A and B) are reacting to form a liquid C in a steady state process
as per the reaction A + B→C. The single-pass conversion of the reaction is only 20 %
and hence recycle is used. The product is separated completely in pure form. The fresh
feed has a 49% of A and B each along with 2 mol% impurities. The maximum allowable
impurities in the recycle stream is 20 mol%. Calculate the amount of purge stream (in
moles) per 100 moles of fresh feed.
3. Methanol is synthesised from carbonmonoxide and hydrogen in a catalytic reactor by
the reaction CO+ 2H2 → CH3OH. If recycle to feed ratio is 5. Calculate the single pass
conversion