Department of Chemical Engineering

University of Puerto Rico

Mayagüez Campus
Problem Set I
InQu 4017
1. (a) Construct a stoichiometric table in terms of partial pressures (Pi) for the gas –
phase decomposition of nitrosyl chloride (NOCl) to nitric oxide (NO) and
chlorine (Cl2) in a constant-volume batch reactor based on the following initial
conditions : PNOCl, 0= 0.5 bar, PCl2, 0 = 0.1 bar, and (inert) PN2, 0 = 0.4 bar.
(b) If the reaction proceeds to 50 % completion at a constant temperature, what is the
total pressure (P) in the vessel?
(c) If the temperature changes as the reaction proceeds, can the table be constructed
in terms of moles? Molar concentrations? Partial pressures? Explain.
(d) If instead the total pressure is kept constant at 1.0 bar and the temperature
constant at 400 K, determine the concentration of NO for a 50% conversion.
2. Rate constants for the first-order decomposition of nitrogen pentoxide (N2O5) at
various temperatures are as follows (Alberty and Silbey, 1992, p. 635):
T [K] 273 298 308 318 328 338
105k [s-1] 0.0787 3.46 13.5 49.8 150 487
Show that the data obey the Arrhenius relationship, and determine the values of the
Arrhenius parameters.
3. (a) Construct a stoichiometric table in terms of molar flow rates (Fi) for the gas –
phase oxidation of ethylene (C2H4) to ethylene oxide (C2H4O) in a constant-
pressure plug flow reactor based on the following initial conditions : FC2H4, 0 = 1.0
mol/s, yO2, 0 = 0.4, P = 1.0 Bar, and T = 400 K.
(b) If the reaction proceeds to 80 % completion at a constant temperature, what is the
concentration of ethylene oxide and the volumetric flow rate in the reactor outlet?
(c) If the temperature changes as the reaction proceeds, can the table be constructed
in terms of molar flow rate? Molar concentrations? Partial pressures? Explain.
4. Rate constants for the liquid-phase, second-order, aromatic reaction of 2-
chloroqinoxaline (2CQ) with aniline in ethanol (inert solvent) were determined at
several temperatures by Patel (1992). The reaction rate was followed by means of a
conductance cell (as a Batch Reactor). Results are as follows:
T [°C] 20 25 30 35 40
105k [dm3 mol-1 s-1] 2.7 4.0 5.8 8.6 13.0

Calculate the Arrhenius parameters A and EA for this reaction, state the units of each.