CHE2001 CHEMICAL REACTION ENGINEERING

EXPERIMENT NO-8
AIM:

To study the performance of a plug flow reactor for the second order reaction of Saponification
of Ethyl acetate by Sodium hydroxide.
THEORY:
Plug flow reactor is characterized by the fact that the flow of fluid through the reactor is orderly
with no element of fluid overtaking.(or) mixing any other element ahead (or) behind. Actually
there may be lateral mixing of fluid in PFR however there must be no mixing or diffusion along
the flow path. The necessary and sufficient condition for the plug flow is for the residence time
in the reactor to be the same for all elements of fluid. For equimolar concentration of NaOH
and ethyl acetate, the performance equation is

Plot a graph of xA/1-xA (Vs) t, the slope of the approximated straight line is k C A0, from which
the rate constant k can be determined experimentally.

REACTION:
NaOH + CH3COOC2H5 -> CH3COONa + C2H5OH
EXPERIMENTAL SET UP:
The set up consists of a transparent glass tube of 8mm diameter and 1.5 length, 15 in number,
connected together. The reactants are allowed to enter at a constant flow rate by means of
Rotameters

PROCEDURE:
Sodium hydroxide and Ethyl acetate solutions of known concentration (CA0 = CB0 = 0.05N) are
allowed to enter at constant flow rates in to the plug flow reactor. Sufficient time is given for
system to attain steady –state conditions. Now, product is collected and reaction is arrested by
adding excess acetic acid (20ml, 0.05N). The titration with standard NaOH is done taking 10ml
of mixture.

OBSERVATIONS:

Volume of reactor =V= litres

Volumetric flow rate = v = lits/min
Residence time = t = V/v = min
Normality of acetic acid =0.05 N

Volume of acetic acid for arresting the reaction = 20ml

Normality of NaOH = 0.05 N
Volume of sample = 10ml
Titrate value of NaOH = X ml
Moles of acetic acid used for arresting =(20-X) * 0.05 * 10-3

Moles of unreacted NaOH = (20-X) * 0.05 * 10-3

CA = Concentration of NaOH at any time = (20-X) * 0.05 * 10-3 /10*10-3
CAO = initial concentration of NaOH = 0.05 /2 =0.025
XA,expt = Conversion of NaOH = (CA0-CA) * 100/CA0