Additional Homework Problems

CDP8-26B

The following hydrodealkylation reactions occur over a Houdry Detol catalyst near 800 K and 3500 kPa:

The feed is equimolar in hydrogen and pentamethylbenzene.

  1. For an entering volumetric flow rate of 1 dm3/s, what ratio of hydrogen to pentamethylbenzene and what PFR reactor volume would you recommend to maximize the formation of C6H4(CH3)2 (i.e., C8)? [Hint:Plot the overall selectivity as a function of reactor volume.]

  2. How would your answer change if you were to maximize the overall selectivity of C8 to C9, i.e.S89? Of C8 to C7?

  3. What do you think the point of this problem to be?

Make a plot of the mole fraction of each component as a function of conversion of pentamethylbenzene. Make a plot of the mole fraction of each component as a function of PFR volume. Discuss any optimization that could be done.

[3rd Ed. P6-16]