Chemical Reaction Engineering II

Homework #1

Due: April 20, 2018

Problem 1) The reaction mechanism of a gas-phase reaction, A  B + C can be represented

by

A + M  A* + M (rate constant: k1)

A* + M  A + M (rate constant: k2)
A*  B + C (rate constant: k3)
where A* is an active intermediate.
Derive the rate equation and propose a simplified rate law that can be used at high pressures.

Problem 2) Derive the rate equation for mixed inhibition, referring to the reaction mechanism
shown in the textbook.

Problem 3)

Silica (SiO2) production by thermal decomposition of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in the gas-

phase was reported to occur in the following three steps:
TEOS + N2 = TEOS* + N2 (forward rate constant: k1; backward rate constant: k-1)
TEOS* + TEOS = TEOS + TEOS (forward rate constant: k2, backward rate constant: k-2)
TEOS*  SiO2 +2C2H4(g) + 2C2H5OH(g) (rate constant: k3)
TEOS* is an active intermediate. The concentration of TEOS in the carrier nitrogen was
maintained low.
Show that the production of SiO2 is first order at high pressures and second order at low
pressures.

Problem 4)

The concentration (CA) and reaction rate (-rA) of substrate A for an enzyme reaction, A  B
was measured with time to be as follows:
t (min) 0 10 20 100
CA (mol/L) 0.02 0.01775 0.0158 0.005
-rA (mol/L/min) 2.253x10-4 2.102x10-4 1.951x10-4 0.74x10-4
 Determine the Michaelis constant, KM and the maximum rate, Vmax.

Problem 5) The reaction rate of the substrate of a biological reaction represented by

S (substrate) + cells --> more cells + P (product) was expressed by

−𝑟 = with 𝑉 =1 h-1, 𝐾 =0.25 g/L, and 𝑌 / = 0.5 g/g.

(5.1) The reaction was carried out in a batch reactor. The initial concentrations of the
substrate and the cell were 10 g/L and 0.1 g/L, respectively, and the final concentration of the
substrate was measured at 5 g/L. Determine the final concentration of the cell.

(5.2) The reaction was carried out in a CSTR. Determine the dilution rate at which wash-out
occurs when the concentrations of the substrate and the cell that are fed to the reactor are 10
g/L and 0 g/L, respectively. Calculate the cell concentration in the reactor when the dilution
rate is one half of that at the wash-out.

Problem 6)

The reaction rate of the substrate (−𝑟 ) of an enzyme reaction was measured to be as follows:
Inhibitor concentration, Substrate concentration, 𝑚𝑜𝑙
−𝑟 ,
mol/L mol/L 𝐿 ∙ 𝑚𝑖𝑛

0 0.1 1.64
0 0.02 0.90
0 0.01 0.58
0.6 0.1 1.33
0.6 0.033 0.80
0.6 0.02 0.57

(5.1) In the absence of inhibition, determine the constants of Michaelis-Menten equation.

(5.2) Determine the type of inhibition that is consistent with experimental data.