Sulfur and white phosphorus are melted separately on cast iron storage pots and

fed to a reactor to produce phosphorus pentasulfide. 185.29 kg/day of Phosphorus

and 2253.44 kg of sulfur are fed o a reactor having a temperature of 350 and the
following reaction occurs:

P4 +10S ----> P4S10

7.10 kg/day of nitrogen is simultaneously fed to and vented out from the reactor to
prevent the sulfur from oxidizing in case there is a large amount of oxygen present
in the reactor. The reaction is carried out with 95% completion. The products from
the reaction are carried out to a electrically heated vacuum still where the product
compound is separated from the excess elements.500 kg of superheated steam
(500C) is used to vaporize the excess reactants. Recovery based on LVC is 100%.
Phosphorus pentasulfide is then fed to a cooling tank where the outlet temperature
is set to 20 C. The solidified phosphorus pentasulfide is placed in a grinder and
screened for the desired particle size. It is desired to separate the mixture into 3
fractions, a coarse fraction retained on the 48 mesh screen; a middle fraction which
passes the 48 mesh screen and retained on the 65 mesh screen; and a fine fraction
which passes the 65 mesh screen. Two Tyler Standard Screens are used to obtain
the middle product. Screen analysis of the feed and the products is given below.

Mesh %Feed %Coarse %Middle %Fine

-20+28 22.41 21.92 11.62 4.79
-28+35 13.11 34.61 21.73 16.4
-35+48 11.325 19.72 15.86 4.09
-48+65 36.875 20.85 50.1 17.74
-65+100 10.59 2.4 0.31 24.92
pan 5.77 0.5 0.38 32.06

Material Balance:

Basis: 1 day

REACTOR (95% completion)

Feed: 185.29 kg of Phosphorus

2253.44 kg of Sulfur
7.10 kg of Nitrogen

Determination of Limiting Reactant

P4 +10S ----> P4S10

Mol.Wts.
P= 30.97 kg/kgmol
S=32.07 kg/kgmol
P4S10= 444.58 kg/kgmol

2253. 44 kg S = 870.4588 kg P >> 185.29 kg P (EXCESS

REACTANT)

185.29 kg P = 479.678 kg S << 2253.44 kg S (LIMITING REACTANT)

Products:

P4S10 = (0.95)(185.29) = 631.72 kg

P= (0.05)(185.29) = 9.2645 kg

S= 2253.44 – [(0.95)(185.29) ] = 1797.75 kg

N= 7.10 kg

STILL COLUMN

Boiling Points:
Sulfur= 444.60 C
Phosphorus= 280 C
Phosphorus Pentasulfide= 514 C

Since temperature of heating medium used is 500 C, Sulfur and Phosphorus are
vaporized in the column.

Stream entering the column: 500 kg superheated steam

1797.75 kg Sulfur
631.72 kg Phosphorus Pentasulfide
9.2645 kg Phosphorus

Stream leaving:
Stream 1 (Vapor): 500 kg superheated steam
1797.75 kg Sulfur
9.2645 kg Phosphorus
Stream 2 (Liquid): 631.72 kg Phosphorus Pentasulfide

COOLING TANK
Phosphorus pentasulfide is fed to a cooling tank where the outlet temperature is set
at 20 C. No mass transfer involved. The product is only allowed to undergo phase
change.

SCREEN ANALYSIS

Mesh %Feed %Coarse %Middle %Fine

-20+28 22.41 21.92 11.62 4.79
-28+35 13.11 34.61 21.73 16.4
-35+48 11.325 19.72 15.86 4.09
-48+65 36.875 20.85 50.1 17.74
-65+100 10.59 2.4 0.31 24.92
pan 5.77 0.5 0.38 32.06

Let: 1: -20+48
2: -48+65
3: -65+100

A: Coarse
B: Middle
C: Fine

Equations:

631.72 = A+B+C
366.02= 0.7625A+0.4921B+0.2528C
196.6367= 0.2085A+0.501B+0.1774C
69.06= 0.029A+0.0069B+0.5698C
Products:
A= 295.42 kg
B=232.95 kg
C=103.34 kg

Total= 631.72 kg

OMB

Feed – Product = 0
(185.29 P +2253.44 kg S + 7.10 kg N) – (9.2645 kg P + 1797.75 kg S + 7.10
kg N + 631.72 kg P4S10) =0
2445.83 kg – 2245.83 kg=0