CPE 553 CHEMICAL THERMODYNAMICMac - July , 2013

ASSIGNMENT 3
Question
The reaction of nitrogen and hydrogen to form ammonia in the presence of a catalyst is given
as:
1
3
N 2 ( g ) H 2 ( ( g ) NH 3 ( g )
2
2
The gas-phase reactor in which this reaction is to be operated is maintained at 450 K and
has a sufficiently long residence time that equilibrium is achieved at the reactor exit stream.
The reaction occurs in an isothermal constant-volume vessel with a feed consisting of
stoichiometric amounts of N2 and H2. The initial pressure of the reactant mixture (before
reaction takes place) is 4 bar and the pressure in the reactor depends on the number of
moles of gas. Given the AG = -0.737x103 J.mol-1 and the fugacity coefficient for each
species in the mixture at equilibrium pressure as below:

NH3 0.83

N 2 0.97

H 2 0.95

Assuming that the equilibrium mixture is a non-ideal solution and the system behaves as a
non-ideal gas, determine the pressure in the reactor and the species mole fractions when
equilibrium is achieved.