Question: Ethanol is produced commercially by the hydration of ethylene: C2H4 (g) + H2O (v) C2H5OH (V) some of the product is converted to diethyl ether

Ethanol is produced commercially by the hydration of ethylene: C2H4 (g) + H2O (v) C2H5OH (V) some of the product is converted to diethyl ether in the undesired side reaction 2 C2H5OH (v) = (C2H5)2O (v) + H2O (v) the combined feed to the reactor contains 53.7 mole% C2H4, 36.7% H2O and the balance nitrogen which enters the reactor at 310°C. The reactor operates isothermally at 310°C. An ethylene conversion of 5% is achieved, and the yield of ethanol (moles ethanol produced/mole ethylene consumed) is 0.900.

(a) Calculate the reactor heating or cooling requirement in kJ/mol feed.

(b) Why would the reactor be designed to yield such a low conversion of ethylene? What processing step (or steps) would probably follow the reactor in a commercial implementation of this process?

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a Basis 1 mol feed 1 mol at 310C 0537 CH v 0367 H0 v 0096 Ng CH4v HOv CHOHv 2CHOHv CH Ov HOv 5 ethyl... View full answer

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