Ethyl acetate is an extensively used solvent and can be formed by the vapor-phase esterification of acetic
Question:
CH3COOH + C2H5OH ® C4H8O2 + H2O
The reaction was studied using a microporous resin as a catalyst in a packed-bed reactor. The reaction is first-order in ethanol and pseudo-zero-order in acetic acid. For an equal molar feed rate of acetic acid and ethanol the specific reaction rate is 2.2 L/g cat×min. The total molar feed rate is 10 mol/min, the initial pressure is 10 atm, the temperature is 118oC, and the pressure drop parameter, a, equals 0.01 g-1.
a) Calculate the maximum weight of catalyst that one could use and maintain an exit pressure above 1 atm.
b) Determine the catalyst weight necessary to achieve 90% conversion. What is the ratio of catalyst needed to achieve the last 5% (85 to 90%) conversion to the weight necessary to achieve the first 5% conversion (0 to 5%) in the reactor.