Introduction to Reactor Design IRDCHA3

Tutorial Eight

The oxidation of formaldehyde to formic acid was studied over a vanadium-titanium oxide
catalyst [Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 28, 387 (1989).] Initially, we consider the occurrence of only the
following two reactions:

These reactions occur simultaneously in the gas phase. As a first approximation, assume each
reaction to be elementary. The following specific reaction rates are with respect to HCHO

(a) For an entering volumetric flow rate of 100 dm 3 / min at 5 atm and 140°C, plot the

molar flow rates as a function of PFR volume. The feed is 66.7% HCHO and 33.3% O 2 .