CAGAMPANG, Julius D.

CHE 15 A1 Assignment 4A
Ethanol is produced by the hydration of ethylene. Some of the product is converted to diethyl ether in the side
reaction. The feed to the reactor contains twice as much water as ethylene. If the fractional conversion of ethylene
is 0.70 and the yield is 25%, find the composition of the product gas.

Ethylene (C2H4) Ethylene (C2H4)

Ethanol (C2H5OH)
Reactor
Diethy Ether (C2H5OC2H5)
Steam (H2O)
Steam (H2O)

Basis: 100 moles per steams

Given: 2H2O= C2H4; 0.70 – Fractional Conversion of Ethylene; 25% – Yield

Required: Composition of product gas

SOLUTIONS:

1. Balancing of chemical equations

a. Ethylene to Ethanol
C2H4 + H2O → C2H5OH
b. Ethylene to Diethyl Ether
2C2H4 + 2H2O → 2C2H5OH
2C2H4 → C2H5OHC2H5 + H2O
2C2H4 + H2O → C2H5OC2H5
2. Reaction
a. Moles on complete conversion

C2H4 + H2O → C2H5OH

100 200 0
0 100 100
b. Yield and Fractional Conversion
𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡
𝑦𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 =
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑

𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡
0.25 =
100

𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑑 = 𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑦𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑 = 25 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠

𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑦𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑 = 100 𝑥 0.70 = 70 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠
𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑦𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑒 𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = 70 − 25 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠 = 45 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠

2C2H4 + H2O → C2H5OHC2H5

45 moles ethylene 45/2 moles of ethylene
3. Composition of Product Gas
a. Ethylene = 100 -0.70(100) = 30 moles
b. Steam = 200-25-45/2 = 152.5 moles
c. Diethyl Ether = 45/2 = 22.5 moles
d. Ethanol = 25 moles

In mole fractions:
30 30
a. Ethylene = = = 0.130
30+152.5+22.5+25 230

152.5 152.5
b. Steam = = = 0.663
30+152.5+22.5+25 230

22.5 22.5
c. Diethyl Ether = = = 0.098
30+152.5+22.5+25 230

25 25
d. Ethanol = = = 0.109
30+152.5+22.5+25 230

Composition of
Moles Mole Fraction
Product Gas
Ethylene (C2H4) 30 0.130

Steam (H2O) 152.5 0.663

Diethyl Ether
22.5 0.098
(C2H5OC2H5)
Ethanol (C2H5OH) 25 0.109

230 1