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Experiment No. 5. Mixed Flow Reactor

REACTION KINETIC STUDIES IN A MIXED FLOW REACTOR
Alejano, John Frix G., Dezoller Ann Gwyneth G., Gratis Kyra Nicole

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF TABLES
TABLE OF FIGURES

ABSTRACT

Keywords:

INTRODUCTION

Objectives

REVIEW OF THEORY OF LITERATURE

METHODOLOGY

This section contains the materials, apparatuses, methods, and processes used in
the experiment in a virtual laboratory setting. The procedure included here is integrated to
accommodate the varied setting of a virtual lab.

Materials, Apparatus, and Equipment

Two substances namely, ethyl acetate (C4H8O2) and NaOH were used to conduct
the experiment with respective concentrations of 0.02M and 0.02M. The virtual
laboratory from by Virtual Labs provided the simulation comprising of apparatus and
equipment needed for the experiment. These are, rotameters, valves, pumps, ethyl acetate
and NaOH storage basins, a mixed flow reactor and a conductivity meter probe.
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Procedure

1. Click on the simulation section to enter the simulation window.

2. The window contains 4 tabs on the upper portion, click on the first tab titled
“demo”.
3. There you will see the built in instructions on how to proceed. Click on the “Label
tab” to see the Experimental set-up.
4. Configure the Experimental set-up by entering the 3rd tab “setup”.
5. In the setup phase, set the reaction volume to 10L.
6. In the same page, set the stock concentration of ethyl acetate and NaOH to 0.02M.
7. Set the reactor temperature to 30 degrees Celsius.
8. Click the “Experiment tab” to start the experiment.
9. In this experimental set-up, two handwheels can be turned, one for the ethyl
acetate (C4H8O2) and the other for sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Turn the
handwheel for ethyl acetate up to a reading of 2.5 LPH.
10. Turn the handwheel for NaOH until the message “Check if Molar Ratio is greater
than or equal to 1” disappears.
11. Keep the flowrate of ethyl acetate as a constant, while changing/increasing the
flowrate of NaOH.
12. Do this while clicking the “add current readings” button each time you increase
the flowrate of NaOH.
13. See the results by entering “Observations” button.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This section of the paper provides the results and discussions of the experiment
using the data gathered during the virtual simulation experiment.
Table 1. Calculating Space time

Flowrate of Flowrate of Total Flowrate

EA (Va) NaOH (Vb) Q=Va+Vb Space time
SI no. (LPH) (LPH) (LPH) (min)
1 2.5 5 7.5 80.00
2 2.5 5.63 8.13 73.80
3 2.5 6.25 8.75 68.57
4 2.5 6.88 9.38 63.97
5 2.5 7.5 10 60.00
6 2.5 8.13 10.63 56.44
7 2.5 8.75 11.25 53.33
8 2.5 10 12.5 48.00
Space time for different total flowrates due to increasing flowrate of NaOH were
calculated using a reactor volume of 10L. From the data gathered, it can be inferred that
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as flowrate of NaOH is increased causing the total flowrate to also increase, causes the
space time to decrease. Some of the data are collected from the virtual simulation. While
others are calculated using the following equations:

Equation 1. Total Volumetric Flowrate

Q=Va+ Vb
where: Q = total volumetric flowrate.
Va = volumetric flowrate of ethyl acetate.
Vb = volumetric flowrate of NaOH.

Equation 2. Space time

V
space time=
Q
where: V = reactor volume.
Q= Total volumetric flowrate.

Table 2. Calculating CB

Conductivit Conc. Of
y meter NaOH in
reading reaction
(mS/cm) mix, CB
Cao Cbo M (YT) Y28 (gmol/lit)
0.0067 0.0133 2 25.4 26.14 0.0065
0.0062 0.0138 2.252 29.09 29.93 0.0075
0.0057 0.0143 2.5 32.34 33.28 0.0083
0.0053 0.0147 2.752 35.21 36.23 0.0091
0.0050 0.0150 3 37.67 38.76 0.0097
0.0047 0.0153 3.252 39.89 41.05 0.0103
0.0044 0.0156 3.5 41.82 43.03 0.0108
0.0040 0.0160 4 45.14 46.45 0.0117
Starting at a molar ratio of 2 and using the calculated values of Cao and Cbo,
conductivity readings can be recorded and determined using the virtual simulator.
Ultimately, CB was then calculated. The following equations were used:
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Equation 3. Ethyl acetate initial concentration.

Va∗Cas
Cao=
Q
where: Cao = Initial concentration of ethyl acetate.
Va = volumetric flowrate of ethyl acetate.
Cas = stock solution of ethyl acetate.
Q = Total volumetric flowrate.

Equation 4. NaOH initial concentration.

V b∗C b s
C b o=
Q
where: Cbo = Initial concentration of NaOH.
Vb = volumetric flowrate of ethyl acetate.
Cbs = stock solution of NaOH.
Q = Total Volumetric Flowrate.

Equation 5. Molar ratio.

Cbo
M=
Cao
where: M = molar ratio
Cbo = initial concentration of NaOH.
Cao = initial concentration of ethyl acetate.

Equation 6. Conductivity meter reading at 28 degrees Celsius.

Y 28= [ 1+0.0145 ( T −28 ) ] YT

where: Y28 = conductivity meter reading at 28 degrees Celsius

T = temperature of reactor.
YT= conductivity meter reading at T.
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Equation 7. Concentration of unreacted NaOH

CB=0.00026 Y 28−0.000063

where: CB= concentration of unreacted NaOH

Y28= conductivity reading at 28 degrees Celsius

Table 3. Data for plotting.

CA Xa Y axis X axis
-0.0001 1.01885 -55.0888 0.2
-0.0002 1.032435 -26.1002 0.184502
-0.0002 1.039555 -17.9954 0.171429
-0.0002 1.046416 -13.218 0.159915
-0.0003 1.05376 -10.0713 0.15
-0.0003 1.060434 -8.00657 0.14111
-0.0003 1.067705 -6.48357 0.133333
-0.0003 1.08165 -4.53934 0.12
The CA or the concentration of ethyl acetate on the mixture at steady state were
found to be negative values, signifying that all of ethyl acetate was consumed, backed up
by the Xa data which amounts to values that are greater than one. The Y-axis and X-axis
columns are included for generating a graph that will be used to determine the rate
constant k. Y-axis and X-axis, CA and Xa values are calculated using the following
equations:

Equation 8. Y axis
Xa
Y − AXIS :
(1−Xa)(M −Xa)
where: Xa = degree of conversion
M = molar ratio

Equation 9. X-axis
X −AXIS : CaoT
where: Cao = initial concentration of ethyl acetate.
T = temperature of reactor.
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Equation 10. Concentration of unreacted ethyl acetate

CA=CAo−(CAo−CB)

where: CA= concentration of unreacted ethyl acetate

CAo= initial concentration of ethyl acetate in ethyl acetate-NaOH
CB= concentration of unreacted NaOH
Equation 11. Extent of conversion of ethyl acetate
CA
XA=1−
CAo
where: XA= extent of conversion of ethyl acetate

Figure 1. Determining rate constant

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Figure 2. Plot of f(XA) vs time

CONCLUSION
RECOMMENDATIONS
APPENDICES
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