Chemical equilibrium and its examples in nature

and industry
Chemical equilibrium
Chemical equilibrium is a state in which the rate of the forward reaction equals the
rate of the backward reaction. In other words, there is no net change in
concentrations of reactants and products. This kind of equilibrium is also called
dynamic equilibrium.
And now we’re going to give some examples of a chemical equilibrium in nature
and industries.
Following are the examples of chemical equilibrium in nature:
 Chemical equilibrium in Hemoglobin and Oxygen
This is the most important example of human body. Hemoglobin, a protein
containing iron, is the material in red blood cells responsible for transporting
oxygen to the cells. Each hemoglobin molecule attaches to four oxygen atoms, and
the equilibrium conditions of the hemoglobin-oxygen interaction can be expressed
as follows:
Hb (aq) + 4O 2 (g) ⇋ Hb(O2) 4 (aq)
Where Hb=Hemoglobin
As long as there is sufficient oxygen in the air, a healthy equilibrium is maintained;
but at high altitudes, considerable changes occur.
At significant elevations above sea level, the air pressure is lowered, and thus it is
more difficult to obtain the oxygen one needs. The result, in accordance with Le
Chatelier’s principle, is a shift in equilibrium to the left, away from the oxygenated
hemoglobin. Without adequate oxygen fed to the body's cells and tissues a person
tends to feel light-headed.
When someone not physically prepared for the change is exposed to high altitudes,
it may be necessary to introduce pressurized oxygen from an oxygen tank. This
shifts the equilibrium to the right. For people born and raised at high altitudes,
however, the body's chemistry performs the equilibrium shift by producing more
hemoglobin, which also shifts equilibrium to the right.
  Chemical equilibrium in food
The cooling of food with refrigerators, along with means of food preservation
that do not involve changes in temperature, maintains chemical equilibrium in
the foods and thereby prevents or at least retards spoilage.
 Hemoglobin and carbon mono-oxide
When someone is exposed to carbon monoxide gas, a frightening variation on the
normal hemoglobin-oxygen interaction occurs. Carbon monoxide fool
hemoglobin into mistaking it for oxygen because it also bonds to hemoglobin in
groups of four, and the equilibrium expression can be expressed as:
Hb (aq) + 4CO (g) ⇋ Hb (CO) 4 (aq)
Instead of hemoglobin, what has been produced is called carboxyhemoglobin, which
is even redder than hemoglobin. Therefore, one sign of carbon monoxide poisoning
is a flushed face.
The bonds between carbon monoxide and hemoglobin are about 300 times as strong
as those between hemoglobin and oxygen, and this means a shift in equilibrium
toward the right side of the equation the carboxyhemoglobin side. It also means that
K for the hemoglobin-carbon monoxide reaction is much higher than for the
hemoglobin-oxygen reaction. Due to the affinity of hemoglobin for carbon
monoxide, the hemoglobin puts a priority on carbon monoxide bonds, and
hemoglobin that has bonded with carbon monoxide is no longer available to carry
oxygen.
Carbon monoxide in small quantities can cause headaches and dizziness, but larger
concentrations can be fatal. To reverse the effects of the carbon monoxide, pure
oxygen must be introduced to the body. It will react with the carboxyhemoglobin to
produce properly oxygenated hemoglobin, along with carbon monoxide as follow:
Hb (CO) 4 (aq) + 4O 2 (g) ⇋ Hb (O2) 4 (aq) + 4CO (g)
The gaseous carbon monoxide thus produced is dissipated when the person exhales.
Following are the examples of chemical equilibrium in industries:
 Lime production from Limestone
The chemical reaction is given below:
CaCO3⇋ CaO+CO2 and ΔH=178 kj/mol
In this reaction scheme the solid concentration is constant yielding equilibrium as:
Kp=Pco2 [atm or Pa]
The reaction scheme is endothermic as it absorbs 178 kJ of heat in the form of
energy for conversion to the desired product of CaO whose formation is influenced
by high temperature making the reaction scheme feasible till it reaches the
temperature of denoting the reaction scheme to be always favored on the righthand
side.
In addition, the gaseous carbon di-oxide is evolved from the reaction since there is
no trace of gaseous reactant and hence the lowering of pressure favors the
formation of more product. When compared to old kilns, modern rotary kiln favors
high production rate of lime by continuous extraction of lime from the process.
 Methanol Production
Methanol is used in fuel mixtures, urea-formaldehyde resin glue etc and is a very
important commercial chemical. It is produced by the following reaction:
CO(g)+2H2⇋ CH3OH(g) and ΔH=-19kj/mol
The reaction parameters for producing methanol are achieved by maintaining
temperature at by using the catalysts of by maintaining reactor pressure at 5 MPa
to 10 MPa. In the reaction scheme, 3 moles of synthesis gas are required for
making one mole of methanol vapor which is further condensed to liquid state via
condensing process. By Le-Chatelier’s principle, the high-pressure maintenance is
the main parameter for the formation of the products and the inclusion of smaller
amount of catalyst with moderate temperature maintenance favors the product
formation of methanol. The kinetic expression based on pressure for the reaction
scheme is as follow: