Synthetically produced ethanol is an important industrial commodity used for various purposes including: as a solvent $($especially for

substances intended for human contact or consumption$)$; in coatings, inks, and personal$-$care products; for sterilization; and as a fuel.

Although a great deal of attention has been given to the production of ethanol by fermentation of sugars, industrial ethanol is a

petrochemical synthesized by the hydrolysis of ethylene:

$C_2{H}_4(g)+H_{2}O(v)C_2{H}_{5}OH(v)$

Some of the product is converted to diethyl ether in the undesired side reaction

$2C_2{H}_{5}OH(v)(C_2{H}_5{)}_{2}O(v)+H_{2}O(v)$

The combined feed to the reactor contains $53\mathrm{.}7$ mole $\%C_2{H}_4,36\mathrm{.}7\%H_{2}O$ and the balance nitrogen which enters the reactor at

$310\mathrm{.}0C.$ The reactor operates isothermally at $310\mathrm{.}0C.$ An ethylene conversion of $35\mathrm{.}0\%$ is achieved, and the yield of ethanol $($moles

ethanol produced $\frac{?}{\text{m}\text{o}\text{l}\text{e}}$ ethylene consumed$)$ is $0\mathrm{.}900.$

Data for Diethyl Ether

Calculate the reactor heating $($positive $Q)$ or cooling $($negative $Q)$ requirement in $k\frac{J}{m}ol$ feed.

$Q=,k\frac{J}{m}ol$ feed.

Physical Property Tables