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Styrenepfr

The document discusses the catalytic dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to produce styrene in a fixed-bed reactor with specific operating conditions, including a pressure of 1.2 atm and a temperature of 898 K. It highlights the role of steam in the reaction, which helps in diluting the reactant, preventing catalyst deactivation, and providing thermal energy. An experimental conversion rate of 45% is reported, indicating that the reaction is either equilibrium-limited or kinetically constrained.

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Maurice Politis
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44 views3 pages

Styrenepfr

The document discusses the catalytic dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to produce styrene in a fixed-bed reactor with specific operating conditions, including a pressure of 1.2 atm and a temperature of 898 K. It highlights the role of steam in the reaction, which helps in diluting the reactant, preventing catalyst deactivation, and providing thermal energy. An experimental conversion rate of 45% is reported, indicating that the reaction is either equilibrium-limited or kinetically constrained.

Uploaded by

Maurice Politis
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Translation

The reactions of gases in the presence of solid catalysts constitute a category


that we almost always encounter in practical problems. Example: The catalytic
dehydrogenation reaction of ethylbenzene (E) to produce styrene (S) in the
presence of steam in an adiabatic fixed-bed catalytic reactor with a bed density
of 1440 kg/m3 , a diameter of 1.22 m, and a length of 1.16 m. The pressure at
the reactor inlet is approximately 1.2 atm, and the temperature is 898 K, while
the feed consists of 6.12 kmol of ethylbenzene per hour and a twentyfold amount
of steam (122.4 kmol of steam per hour). The conversion of ethylbenzene in the
catalytic reactor is sought, for which Wenner and Dybdal report an experimental
value of 45%.

Elaboration
This problem involves a classic chemical engineering scenario: a gas-phase re-
action facilitated by a solid catalyst in a fixed-bed reactor. Let’s break it down
step-by-step to provide clarity and context:

1. Reaction Description
The reaction in question is the catalytic dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene
(C6 H5 CH2 CH3 ) to produce styrene (C6 H5 CH=CH2 ), a key industrial pro-
cess for manufacturing polystyrene and other polymers. The reaction can be
represented as:
C6 H5 CH2 CH3 ⇀
↽ C6 H5 CH = CH2 + H2
This is an endothermic reaction, meaning it absorbs heat, which aligns with
the use of an adiabatic reactor (no heat exchange with the surroundings) and the
high operating temperature of 898 K (625◦ C). Steam is introduced as a diluent
to shift the equilibrium toward styrene production, reduce coke formation on
the catalyst, and maintain thermal stability.

2. Reactor Specifications
• Type: Fixed-bed catalytic reactor (adiabatic).
• Bed density: 1440 kg/m3 (mass of catalyst per unit volume of the bed).
• Dimensions: Diameter = 1.22 m, Length = 1.16 m.
• Volume of the reactor:
V = πr2 h = π(0.61)2 (1.16) ≈ 1.356 m3

• Catalyst mass:
3
mcat = ρbed · V = 1440 kg/m · 1.356 m3 ≈ 1952.6 kg

1
3. Operating Conditions
• Pressure: 1.2 atm at the inlet.

• Temperature: 898 K (625◦ C), typical for this reaction as it requires high
temperatures to overcome the energy barrier.
• Feed:
– Ethylbenzene: 6.12 kmol/h.
– Steam: 122.4 kmol/h (20:1 molar ratio of steam to ethylbenzene).

4. Objective
The problem asks for the conversion of ethylbenzene, defined as:
moles of ethylbenzene reacted
X=
moles of ethylbenzene fed

Wenner and Dybdal provide an experimental conversion of 45%, meaning 45%


of the ethylbenzene is transformed into styrene under these conditions.

5. Additional Insights
• Role of Steam: The large excess of steam (20:1 molar ratio) serves
multiple purposes:
1. It dilutes the reactant, reducing the partial pressure of ethylbenzene
and favoring the forward reaction (Le Chatelier’s principle, since the
reaction produces an additional mole of gas: H2 ).
2. It prevents catalyst deactivation by minimizing carbon deposition.
3. It provides thermal energy to sustain the endothermic reaction in the
adiabatic system.
• Adiabatic Operation: Since the reactor is adiabatic, the temperature
decreases along the reactor length due to the endothermic nature of the
reaction. This could limit conversion unless the inlet temperature is suf-
ficiently high (898 K is indeed appropriate).
• Experimental Conversion: The 45% conversion reported by Wenner
and Dybdal suggests that the reaction is equilibrium-limited or kinetically
constrained under these conditions. To confirm this, one would typically
need reaction kinetics (e.g., rate law) or equilibrium data, which are not
provided here.

2
6. Calculation of Converted Ethylbenzene
If the conversion is 45%:

• Moles of ethylbenzene reacted = 0.45 · 6.12 = 2.754 kmol/h.


• Moles of styrene produced = 2.754 kmol/h (1:1 stoichiometry).
• Moles of ethylbenzene remaining = 6.12 − 2.754 = 3.366 kmol/h.

7. Practical Context
This type of problem is common in chemical engineering for designing and op-
timizing industrial reactors. The high steam ratio and moderate conversion
reflect real-world trade-offs between yield, catalyst longevity, and energy costs.
Would you like me to dive deeper into the kinetics, equilibrium, or reactor
design aspects of this problem?

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