Flow Rate of

NaOH
(ml/min)

Flow Rate of
Et(Ac)
(ml/min)

Residence
Time,
(min)

300

Total flow
rates of
solutions,
V0
(ml/min)
600

300

8.5

6.6

11.00

250

250

500

8.7

6.6

12.35

200

200

400

8.5

6.3

12.75

150

150

300

7.7

5.4

15.90

100

100

200

7.2

4.9

16.00

50

50

100

6.7

4.3

17.25

Residence Time,
, (min)
6.667
8.000
10.000
13.333
20.000
40.000

Conversion, X,
(%)
72

Conductivity
Inlet
Outlet
conductivity, conductivity,
Q1
Q2

Reaction Rate Constant,k

(L.mol/min)
3.8571
3.6907

74.7

Volume of
NaOH (ml)

Rate of Reaction, -rA

(mol.L/min)
0.003024
0.002362

75.5

3.0816

0.001850

81.8

3.3709

0.001117

82

2.2778

0.000738

84.5

1.3629

0.000327

Conversion vs Residence Time

Conversion, %

90
88
86
84
82
80
78
76
74
72
70
5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Residence Time, min

8.0 CALCULATION

For flow rate 300 ml/min

1. Residence time, T

Residencetime , T =

Residencetime , T =

Reactor volume ( L ) ,V
L
Total flow rate
,V 0
min

( )

4 ( L)
=6.667 min
L
0.6
min

( )

2. Conversion

Moles of reacted NaOH , n1 =Concentratio n NaOH Volume of NaOH titrated

n1=0.1 M 0.011 L=0.0011 mole
Moles of unreacted HCl , n2=moles of reacted NaOH ,n1

n2=n1=0.0011 mole
Volume of unreacted HCl , V 1=

Volume of unreacted HCl , V 1=

n2
concentration HCL quench
0.0011 mole
=0.0044 L
mole
0.25
L

Volume of reacted HCl, V 2=Total volume HClvolume unreaacted HCl ,V 1

Volume of reacted HCl, V 2=0.01 L0.0044 L=0.0056 L
Moles of reacted HCl , n3 =concentration HCl V 2
Moles of reacted HCl , n3 =0.25 0.0056=0.0014 mole
Moles of unreacted NaOH , n4 =moles of reacted HCl , n3

Concentrationof unreacted NaOH , C NaOH unreacted =

C NaOH unreacted =

0.0014
=0.028 M
0.05

X unreacted =

concentration of NaOH unreacted

concentration NaOH

X unreacted =

0.028
=0.28
0.1

X reacted =1X unreacted

X reacted =10.28=0.72
Conversion = 0.72 100% = 72%
3. Reaction rate constant, k

k=

v0
X
V TFR C AO 1X

)
10

n4 =n3 =0.0014 mole

n4
volume sample

V0
VTFR
CAO
X

k=

= Total inlet flow rate

= 0.6 L/min
= Volume for reactor
=4L
= inlet concentration of NaOH
= 0.1 M
= 0.72

0.6
0.72
=3.857 L . mol /min
4( 0.1) 10.72

4. Rate of reaction, -rA

r A=k ( C A 0 )2 ( 1 X )2
2

r A=3.857 ( 0.1 ) ( 10.72 ) =3.024 10 mol . L /min

7.0 DISCUSSION
In this experiment, there are two solutions used which is Sodium Hydroxide, NaOH
and Ethyl Acetate, Et(Ac) where the two solutions is reacted in the Plug Flow Reactor, PFR
to completed saponification reaction. As known, the objective of this experiment is to study
the effect of residence time on the performance of the PFR. In this experiment, residence
time is determining by varying and changes the flow rates of the feed solutions. Formula
shown as:

=
Residence Time,

Reactor volume ( L ) ,V
L
Total flow rate
, v0
min

( )

Based on the equation above, the residence time is a fuction of total flowrates of the
feed. Thus, the several residence time and the effect of each one can be identified and
studied by varying the flow rate of the feed solutions.
The result and information given for PFR is obtained and recorded from the
experiment. Hence, the data consist of inlet flow rates, conductivity value and volume of
NaOH used in the titration process as tabulated in result. Based on this data, the values of
residence times, conversion of the reactions, rate constants and the rate of reaction is
calculated as shown in sample calculation and tabulated in the table at result section.

11

Thus, the result also shows the rate constant is increasing while the rate of reaction is
decreases as the residence time is increases. The higher the flow rate of the feed solution
the rate of reaction also decreases.
Thus, form the result obtained in the calculation which is the residence time and
conversion, a graph is plotted. The graph shows in result. Then, the graph can be studied
between the relationship of residence time and conversion where conversion is a property
that shows how much of the reaction has taken place. Therefore, the effects of increasing
residence time will also affect the conversion of the reaction.
By studied of the graph, it can be seen clearly that the conversion of the reaction is
hugely increase with the increasing the residence time at 5 to 15. Besides, the conversion of
the reaction is increasing fairly with the increasing of the residence time at 15 to 80. The
objective of this experiment is to evaluate the rate constants and rate of reaction values of
the reaction and it is shown in the result section.

8.0 CONCLUSION
There is a few objectives while conducting the experiment which is to carry out a
saponification process between Sodium Hydroxide, NaOH and Ethyl Acetate, Et(Ac). The
saponification process was completed by using Plug Flow Reactor, PFR where the two
solutions was mixed and the reaction occurs at a certain period of time. Besides that, the
experiment is to determine the reaction rate and it was done by calculating using a formula
as shown in sample calculation. As the result shows, the relationship between the residence
time and the conversion of the reactants was successfully studied based on the graph in
result. As conclusion, the objective of this experiment is achieved.

9.0 RECOMMENDATIONS
In this experiment, there is several precaution need to be ensure to make the results
obtained better and less errors.

12

The recommendations that should be implementing in this experiment are all valves
must be properly placed before run the experiment to avoid any wrong doing while the
experiment is conducted. The flow rates of the PFR should be monitored so that it remains
constant while the reaction is take places. The titration process should be done in the fume
tube to avoid smelling of dangerous chemical. The titration should be immediately stopped
when the indicator turned pink. When take reading at the burette, ensure the eye is parallel
to the scale on the reading to avoid parallax error. So that, the reading obtained is accurate
and will not affect the obtained data. The general start-up procedure and shut-down
procedure must be done correctly. This will ensure the unit operation in a good condition for
another experiment.

10.0 REFERENCES
1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug_flow_reactor_model
2) Fogler, H.S (2006). Elements of Chemical Reaction Engineering (3rd Edition).
Prentice Hall.
3)http://www.egr.msu.edu/~hashsham/courses/ene806/docs/Plug%20Flow
%20Reactor.pdf

11.0 APPENDIX

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