1. Formaldehyde (HCHO) is an important petrochemical precursor to produce thermoset resins. It is commonly manufactured via a two-step process using carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen gas (H2) as the feedstocks in the presence of air: со +2 На — СНЗОН CH3ОН + 0.5 02 — НСНО + Н-о (50 – 100 atm, 250 °C) (1 atm, 300 – 400 °C) In a chemical plant, HCHO production is carried out by two catalytic packed bed reactors in series, one for each reaction. 100 mol/day of CO and 300 mol/day of H2 are fed into the first reactor, with a target conversion set at 85%. The produced CH3OH and the remaining CO and H2 from the first reactor are subsequently fed into the second reactor, along with additional 300 mol/day of air to produce HCHO. The target conversion of the second reactor is set to be 80%. a) What is the overall atom economy of the reaction system (assuming HCHO is the only desired product)? b) What is the E-factor of the process? c) Propose 3 ideas to improve (i.e., reduce) the E-factor of this process? What could be the potential drawbacks of the ideas that you propose?

Introduction to Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics
8th Edition
ISBN:9781259696527
Author:J.M. Smith Termodinamica en ingenieria quimica, Hendrick C Van Ness, Michael Abbott, Mark Swihart
Publisher:J.M. Smith Termodinamica en ingenieria quimica, Hendrick C Van Ness, Michael Abbott, Mark Swihart
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1. Formaldehyde (HCHO) is an important petrochemical precursor to produce thermoset
resins. It is commonly manufactured via a two-step process using carbon monoxide (CO) and
hydrogen gas (H2) as the feedstocks in the presence of air:
CO + 2 H2 → CH30H
CH3OH + 0.5 02 → HCHO + H20
- 100 atm, 250 °C)
(1 atm, 300 – 400 °C)
(50
In a chemical plant, HCHO production is carried out by two catalytic packed bed reactors in
series, one for each reaction. 100 mol/day of CO and 300 mol/day of H2 are fed into the first
reactor, with a target conversion set at 85%. The produced CH3OH and the remaining CO and
H2 from the first reactor are subsequently fed into the second reactor, along with additional
300 mol/day of air to produce HCHO. The target conversion of the second reactor is set to be
80%.
a) What is the overall atom economy of the reaction system (assuming HCHO is the
only desired product)?
b) What is the E-factor of the process?
c) Propose 3 ideas to improve (i.e., reduce) the E-factor of this process? What could
be the potential drawbacks of the ideas that you propose?
Transcribed Image Text:1. Formaldehyde (HCHO) is an important petrochemical precursor to produce thermoset resins. It is commonly manufactured via a two-step process using carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen gas (H2) as the feedstocks in the presence of air: CO + 2 H2 → CH30H CH3OH + 0.5 02 → HCHO + H20 - 100 atm, 250 °C) (1 atm, 300 – 400 °C) (50 In a chemical plant, HCHO production is carried out by two catalytic packed bed reactors in series, one for each reaction. 100 mol/day of CO and 300 mol/day of H2 are fed into the first reactor, with a target conversion set at 85%. The produced CH3OH and the remaining CO and H2 from the first reactor are subsequently fed into the second reactor, along with additional 300 mol/day of air to produce HCHO. The target conversion of the second reactor is set to be 80%. a) What is the overall atom economy of the reaction system (assuming HCHO is the only desired product)? b) What is the E-factor of the process? c) Propose 3 ideas to improve (i.e., reduce) the E-factor of this process? What could be the potential drawbacks of the ideas that you propose?
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