Ethylene oxide is produced by the catalytic oxidation of ethylene:

CH₄(g) + ₂O₂(g) C₂H₄O(g)

An undesired competing reaction is the combustion of ethylene to CO₂.

The feed to a reactor contains 2 mol CH₄/mol O₂. The conversion and yield in the reactor are respectively 25% and 0.70 mol CH₄O produced/mol CH₄ consumed. A multiple-unit process separates the reactor outlet stream components: C₂H₄ and O₂ are recycled to the reactor, CH₄O is sold, and CO₂ and HO are discarded. The reactor inlet and outlet streams are each at 450C, and the fresh feed and all species leaving the separation process are at 25C. The combined fresh feed-recycle stream is preheated to 450C.

(a) Taking a basis of 2 mol of ethylene entering the reactor, draw and label a flowchart of the complete process (show the separation process as a single unit) and calculate the molar amounts and compositions of all process streams.

(b) Calculate the heat requirement (kJ) for the entire process and that for the reactor alone.

Data for C₂H₄O(g)

_f= -51.00kJ/mol

C_p[J/(mol.K)] = -4.69+0.2061T - 9.995 x 10^-5 T² Where T is in Kelvin.

(c) Calculate the flow rate (kg/h) and composition of the fresh feed and the overall and reactor heat requirements (kW) for a production rate of 1500 kg CH₄O/day.