Ch.E. 473 - Assignment No.

Four
Computer Applications in Chemical Engineering
Reading: Chapter 5.
Class Discussion: Mass Balances with Recycle Streams Concepts
Review of Sample Problems
Solutions of Mass Balances with Recycle
Streams Problems Using Excel
Assignment Four (NOTE: PART 2 ONLY)
DUE DATE: October 22, 2015
8:00 a.m. Soft Copy (internet)
10:00 a.m. Hard Copy
FINAL EXAM: October 23, 2015
9:00 a.m. Part I: Divide into teams. Work through a spreadsheet (Tables 5.1
and 5.2, and Figs. 5.8, 5.9, and 5.11), with each person of a
team taking a unit, showing where the parameters are for
that unit and checking the results. Are they correct? Work
through the whole process
Part II : Refer to your Tag Team for your assigned problem
Problem 5.1 and 5.4: , TNF, D2 , mm Hg, TS, , M&N,
Problem 5.2 and 5.3: TSc, Chingu, Co2, Delfab, Crasher, XX
Prepare the flow sheet for the process in Assignment No. 4.
Your report should include a process flow sheet and a table of
stream flow rates. In addition, list the operating parameters for
the process equipment. Also provide an overall balance: what
fraction of the fed to your process ends up in the product
stream?
5.1. The process for making benzene is described below and illustrated in
Figure 5.12, and you are to make mass balances of it using Excel.
(Hydrocarbon Processing, 1975; 54, p. 115; Otani et al., 1968.)
The process converts toluene to benzene and xylenes by
disproportionation (also called transalkylation). The xylenes also
disassociate to form toluene and trimethylbenzene. These reactions
occur with a catalyst in the presence of hydrogen, with a typical ratio
of 7:1 hydrogen to toluene feed to the reactor. The hydrogen also
reacts with toluene to form benzene and methane or with xylenes to

form benzene and methane. The molar consumption of hydrogen is

about 10 percent of that of toluene.

The reactions and their conversion per pass are:

2 C7H8
Toluene

C6H6
+
Benzene

2 C8H10
Xylene

C7H8
+ C9H12
(5.12)
TolueneTrimethyl Benzene; 1% conversion/pass

C8H10
(5.11)
Xylene; 58% conversion/pass

C7H8
+ H2

Toluene
Hydrogen

C 6H 6
Benzene

+ CH4
(5.13)
Methane; 0.14% conversion/pass

C8H10
+ H2

Toluene
Hydrogen

C 6H 6
Benzene

2 CH4
(5.14)
Methane; 28% conversion/pass

The output from the reactor contains all the components, and the
hydrogen and toluene are recycled, the methane is removed from
the process, and the benzene and xylenes are removed from the
process. The vapor pressures of the components at 20oC are:
benzene, 75 mmHg; toluene, 22 mmHg; xylenes, 4.8 6.6 mmHg;
trimethylbenzene, 1.1 mmHg. A separation system is used that
removes the hydrogen and methane first, then separates the
benzene, then the toluene, and then the tri- methylbenzene. The
hydrogen and methane should be somewhat separated (to recover
the hydrogen, which is recycled) and the toluene is recycled. In the
separators, use splits of 99.9 percent of the light component out of the
top and only 0.1 percent of the next heavier component. Use splits of
100 percent for components lighter than the light key and 0 percent for
components heavier than the heavy key. Use Goal Seek or Solver to
adjust the hydrogen makeup feed to insure the proper amount of
hydrogen enters the reactor (necessary for the catalyst).

5.2. The process for making benzene is described below and illustrated in
Figure 5.12, and you are to make mass balances of it using Excel.
(Hydrocarbon Processing, 1975; 54, p. 115; Otani et al., 1968.)

The process converts toluene to benzene and xylenes by

disproportionation (also called transalkylation). The xylenes also
disassociate to form toluene and trimethylbenzene. These reactions
occur with a catalyst in the presence of hydrogen, with a typical ratio
of 7:1 hydrogen to toluene feed to the reactor. The hydrogen also
reacts with toluene to form benzene and methane or with xylenes to
form benzene and methane. The molar consumption of hydrogen is
about 10 percent of that of toluene.
The reactions and their conversion per pass are:
2 C7H8
Toluene

C6H6
+
Benzene

2 C8H10
Xylene

C7H8
+ C9H12
(5.12)
TolueneTrimethyl Benzene; 1% conversion/pass

C8H10
(5.11)
Xylene; 58% conversion/pass

C7H8
+ H2

Toluene
Hydrogen

C 6H 6
Benzene

+ CH4
(5.13)
Methane; 0.14% conversion/pass

C8H10
+ H2

Toluene
Hydrogen

C 6H 6
Benzene

2 CH4
(5.14)
Methane; 28% conversion/pass

The output from the reactor contains all the components, and the
hydrogen and toluene are recycled, the methane is removed from
the process, and the benzene and xylenes are removed from the
process. The vapor pressures of the components at 20oC are:
benzene, 75 mmHg; toluene, 22 mmHg; xylenes, 4.8 6.6 mmHg;
trimethylbenzene, 1.1 mmHg.

A separation system is used that removes the hydrogen and methane

first, then separates the benzene, then the toluene, and then the trimethylbenzene. The hydrogen and methane should be somewhat
separated (to recover the hydrogen, which is recycled) and the tolune
is recycled. In the separators, use splits of 99 percent of the light
component out of the top and only 1 percent of the next heavier
component. Use splits of 100 percent for components lighter than the
light key and 0 percent for components heavier than the heavy key.
Use Goal Seek or Solver to adjust the hydrogen makeup feed to
insure the proper amount of hydrogen enters the reactor (necessary
for the catalyst).
5.3. Vinyl chloride monomer is the raw material for making polyvinyl
chloride (PVC), which is produced in large quantities. When PVC was
invented (as a highly elastic polymer by a University of Washington
graduate, Waldo L. Semon, patent no. 1,929,435), the vinyl chloride
was made by reacting acetylene with hydrogen chloride. A process
which uses cheaper raw materials is now used (Cowfer and
Gorensek, 1997), and a simplification of it is given in Figure 5.14.
Prepare a mass balance for this process using Excel.

Chlorine and ethylene are fed to a direct chlorination reactor where

the reaction
C2H4

Cl2

ClC2H4Cl

(5.17)

takes place with essentially 100 percent conversion of the limiting

reagent. The selectivity to ethylenedichloride is 99 percent with the
main byproduct (and the only one considered here) being 1,1,2trichloroethane. Ethylene and oxygen are mixed with a hydrogen
chloride recycle stream and sent to an oxychlorination reactor, where
the reaction.
C2H4 + 2HCl

O2

ClC2H4Cl

+ H2O

(5.18)

takes place with a conversion of 96 percent for ethylene and

ethylenedichloride selec- tivities of 95 percent.
Here you can assume the byproduct is all 1,1,2-trichloroethane. The
output from the direct chlorination reactor is sent to a distillation tower
where the heavy components are distilled off. The light components
are sent to a furnace where a pyrolysis reaction takes place:
2 C2H4Cl2

2C2H3Cl

+ 2HCl

(5.19)

The feed to the furnace must be very pure (99.5 percent

ethylenedichloride) toachieve good cracking. The output is quenched.
The liquid is the vinyl chloride product and the vapor is hydrogen
chloride, which is recycled to the oxychlorination reactor. The output
from the oxychlorination reactor is cooled to remove the liquid (mostly
water). A vent is used to remove light gases. The remainder goes to a
distilla- tion column where ethylenedichloride is the heavy component
(and is sent to the furnace) and the light components are recycled to
the oxychlorination reactor. The feed to the oxychlorination reactor
uses a slight excess of oxygen and ethylene to ensure that all the
hydrogen chloride reacts. The feed to the direct chlorination reactor is
stoichiometric.
5.4. Vinyl chloride monomer is the raw material for making polyvinyl
chloride (PVC), which is produced in large quantities. When PVC was
invented (as a highly elastic polymer by a University of Washington
graduate, Waldo L. Semon, patent no. 1,929,435), the vinyl chloride
was made by reacting acetylene with hydrogen chloride. A process
which uses cheaper raw materials is now used (Cowfer and
Gorensek, 1997), and a simplification of it is given in Figure 5.14.
Prepare a mass balance for this process using Excel.

Light gases
Air
Oxychlor.
reactor

Splitter
water

Ethylene
chlorine

Direct chl.
reactor

Splitter

HCl

HCl

Splitter
Vinyl chloride
EDC

Furnace

Splitter
EDC

Figure 5.14. Vinyl chloride process.

Splitter

Chlorine and ethylene are fed to a direct chlorination reactor where the reaction
C2H4

Cl2

ClC2H4Cl

(5.17)

takes place with essentially 100 percent conversion of the limiting reagent. The
selectivity to ethylenedichloride is 99 percent with the main byproduct (and the
only one considered here) being 1,1,2-trichloroethane. Ethylene and oxygen are
mixed with a hydrogen chloride recycle stream and sent to an oxychlorination
reactor, where the reaction.
C2H4 + 2HCl

O2

ClC2H4Cl

+ H2O

(5.18)

takes place with a conversion of 96 percent for ethylene and ethylenedichloride

selectivities of 95 percent. Here you can assume the byproduct is all 1,1,2trichloroethane. The output from the direct chlorination reactor is sent to a
distillation tower where the heavy components are distilled off. The light
components are sent to a furnace where a pyrolysis reaction takes place:
2 C2H4Cl2

2C2H3Cl

+ 2HCl

(5.19)

The feed to the furnace must be very pure (99.5 percent ethylenedichloride) to
achieve good cracking. The output is quenched. The liquid is the vinyl chloride
product and the vapor is hydrogen chloride, which is recycled to the
oxychlorination reactor. The output from the oxychlorination reactor is cooled to
remove the liquid (mostly water). A vent is used to remove light gases. The
remainder goes to a distillation column where ethylenedichloride is the heavy
component (and is sent to the furnace) and the light components are recycled to
the oxychlorination reactor. The feed to the oxychlorination reactor uses a slight
excess of oxygen and ethylene to ensure that all the hydrogen chloride reacts. The
feed to the direct chlorination reactor is stoichiometric.