Sodium bicarbonate is synthesized by reacting sodium carbonate with carbon dioxide and water at 70C and 2.0 atm (gauge):

Na2CO3 + CO2 + H2O --> 2NaHCO3

An aqueous solution containing 7.00 wt% sodium carbonate and a gas stream containing 70.0 mole% CO2 and the balance air are fed to the reactor. All of the sodium carbonate and some of the carbon dioxide in the feed react. The gas leaving the reactor, which contains the air and unreacted CO2, is saturated with water vapor at the reactor conditions. A liquidsolid slurry of sodium bicarbonate crystals in a saturated aqueous solution containing 2.4 wt% dissolved sodium bicarbonate and a negligible amount of dissolved CO2 leaves the reactor and is pumped to a filter. The wet filter cake contains 86 wt% sodium bicarbonate crystals and the balance saturated solution, and the filtrate also is saturated solution. The production rate of solid crystals is 500 kg/h.

See Example 6.5-1 for help getting started. Suggestion: Although the problems to be given can be solved in terms of the product flow rate of 500 kg NaHCO3(s)/h, it might be easier to assume a different basis and then scale the process to the desired production rate of crystals.

a. Calculate the composition (component mole fractions) and volumetric flow rate (m3/min) of the gas stream leaving the reactor.