Homogeneous &

Heterogeneous Reactions
Group Members

• Unzila Siddique ( CH-21)

• Imtiaz Alam ( CH-23)
• Muhammad Shakeel Anwer ( CH-25)
• Irfan Hussain ( CH-71)
• Abdulsalam Alnagaar ( CH-75)
• Faizan Nasir (CH-15 )
What is a chemical
reaction ?
 Chemical reaction, a
process in which one or more substances, the reactants, are
converted to one or more different substances, the products. Substances are
either chemical elements or compounds.
 A chemical reaction rearranges the constituent atoms of the reactants to
create different substances as products
 Reactions and mass transfer
• Reactions and mass transfer Chemical reactions are always
coupled with mass transfer since the reactants have to
travel to the location where the conversion takes place .
• Comparing the speed of mass transfer with that of reaction
allows to determine the rate-limiting step and if reactions
have to be accounted for:

reaction rate >> mass transfer rate → neglect reactions

reaction rate ≈ mass transfer rate → include reactions
reaction rate << mass transfer rate → neglect mass transfer

 When reaction rate and mass transfer are comparable, we

need to incorporate reaction into the mass transfer
models!
Types of reaction on the basis of

reactants phase.

 Homogeneous Reactions
 Heterogeneous Reactions
 Homogeneous Reactions
 A reaction in which all substances involve exist in a single homogeneous
phase is called Homogeneous reaction.
 take place THROUGHOUT the volume in the same phase (fuel combustion
in engine). Diffusion and reaction occur by steps partially in PARALLEL.

Examples
N₂₍g₎ + 3H₂₍g₎ → NH₃₍g₎
H₂₍g₎ + I₂₍g₎ → 2HI₍g₎
2SO₍g₎+ O₂₍₎ → 2SO₃₍g₎
Characteristics of homogeneous reactions.

1) All the species involved

(reactants and products) are
in same phase.
2) Thus the whole mixture has
only a single phase.
3) There is no separation
boundary between the
species involved.
 Heterogeneous Reactions
 A reaction in which the substances involved are in different phase
are called Heterogeneous reactions.
 take place AT an interface (e.g. solid catalyst surface, coal
combustion) and diffusion and reaction occur by steps IN SERIES.

Examples
  4Fe₍ꜱ₎ + 3O₂₍g₎ → 2Fe₂O₍ꜱ₎
C₍ꜱ₎ + O₂₍g₎ → CO₂₍g₎
Example:
Characteristics of
heterogeneous reactions.

1) All the species involved (reactants

and products) are not in same phase.
2) Thus the mixture contains two or
more than two phases.
3) There is a clear separation boundary
between the species involved.
1)Diffusion-controlled reaction;

Every diffusion-controlled process involves multiple

steps. E.g. in dehydrogenation of C2H6 on Pt crystals

(1) C2H6 diffuses to Pt surface

(2) C2H6 reacts on the surface
(3) Product diffuses away from the surface

When step 1 takes much longer than

step 2 then we have a diffusion-
controlled reaction
In (a) we have a diffusion-
controlled heterogeneous
reaction where the reactant
diffuses to a (e.g. hot or
catalytic) surface, reacts
and the product diffuses
away.
2)Diffusion and 1st order heterogeneous
reactions (dilute solutions)
To find the overall reaction we must eliminate the surface (or interfacial) concentrations that
are hard to measure.
THANK YOU