UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

ECH51
Material Balances
Practice Final Exam
(On the final exam there will 4-5 problems; extra problems are included in the practice exam)

Prof. B. G. Higgins

Winter 2008

Given for Exam:

Total Mass Balance

HtL

r V +

HtL

r Hv - wL n A = 0

(1)

Axiom I: Species Balance (molar form)

HtL

cA V +

HtL

cA HvA - wL n A =

HtL

RA V,
(2)

A = 1, 2, , N
Axiom II:
MWA RA = 0

(3)

A=1

In order to get partial credit for a problem you must show your reasoning and intermediate calculations based on
Axioms I and II above

Problem 1
This problem deals with the hydrodealkylation of aromatics by reaction with hydrogen to form the parent
aromatic compound. The potential reactions are converting toluene (C6 H5 CH3 ) to benzene (C6 H6 ), xylene
(C6 H4 HCH3 L2 ) to toluene (C6 H5 CH3 ), and pseudocumene (C6 H3 HCH3 L3 ,called C9 ) to xylene
(C6 H4 HCH3 L2 ).

In this particular application a reformate stream #1 consisting of 5% benzene, 20% toluene, 35% xylene and
40% C9 is fed to a reactor with a hydrogen stream #2. Stream #2 has 5 mol H2 per mol of stream #1. The
stream #3 contains toluene, benzene, xylene pseudocumene, hydrogen, methane HCH4 L as well as a small

conversion of toluene is 80%, the conversion of xylene is 74% and the conversion of C9 is 70%. The product
amount, 0.1% diphenyl (HC6 H5 L2 ) as a consequence of a side reaction.

ECH51PracticeFinal_08.nb

In this particular application a reformate stream #1 consisting of 5% benzene, 20% toluene, 35% xylene and
40% C9 is fed to a reactor with a hydrogen stream #2. Stream #2 has 5 mol H2 per mol of stream #1. The
stream #3 contains toluene, benzene, xylene pseudocumene, hydrogen, methane HCH4 L as well as a small

conversion of toluene is 80%, the conversion of xylene is 74% and the conversion of C9 is 70%. The product
amount, 0.1% diphenyl (HC6 H5 L2 ) as a consequence of a side reaction.

(i) Determine the constraints on the rates of productions Ri for this system.
(ii) Select a suitable control volume and write down the species balances.
(iii) What is the composition (in terms of species molar flow rates) of the reactor exit stream #3 if the exit stream
contains 12.3% benzene. Assume the stream #1 has a molar flow rate of 100 mol/hr

Problem 2

The synthesis of methanol HCH3 OHL is accomplished by reacting CO2 with H2 . The flow chart for the process is
shown in Fig. 2

Figure 1

The feed stream to the process (Steam # 1) contains hydrogen HH2 L, carbon dioxide HCO2 L and 0.40 mol % inerts
(I). The output from the reactor (stream #3) contains CO2 , H2 O, H2 , CH3 OH and inerts (I) The reactor output is
passed to a condenser that removes all the water HH2 OL and methanol HCH3 OHL as a liquid stream #4. The gas
stream #5 from the condenser contains H2 , CO2 and inerts and is sent to a splitter to form a purge stream #7 and
a recycle stream # 6. Note a splitter divides a feed stream into specified fractions for each output stream, and all
output streams have the same composition as the feed stream. The feed to the reactor (not the fresh feed to the
process) contains 28.0 mol% CO2 , 70 mol% H2 , and 2.00 mol% inerts. The single pass conversion of hydrogen
in 60%. If the total molar flow rate to the reactor is 100 mol/h, determine
(i) the molar flow rates of all the species in stream #3
(ii) the molar flow rate and molar compositions of the fresh feed stream #1
(ii) the molar flow rate of the recycle stream #6
(iii) the molar flow rate and the species mole fractions in the purge stream #7

ECH51PracticeFinal_08.nb

Problem 3
(a) Determine the minimum theoretical oxygen to obtain complete combustion of CX SY OZ . The combustion
products are SO2 and CO2 .
(b) The waste gases from a viscous rayon fiber plant have a composition of 35% CS2 , 10% SO2 , and 55% H2 O.
It has been suggested that these gases be disposed of by burning with excess air. Calculate the minimum percent
excess air that must be used if the local air pollution regulations limit SO2 in the stack gas to 2%. Assume the
complete combustion of the carbon disulfide is obtained.

Problem 4
A synthesis gas is made by the reforming of methane. The feed stream to the reformer consists of 50% methane
HCH4 L, 35% water and 15% carbon dioxide HCO2 L. The reformer is operated to produce a synthesis gas with a
H2 : CO ratio of 2.2. If 80% conversion of methane can be expected in the reformer calculate the complete
composition of the synthesis gas leaving the reformer in terms of the molar flow rate of CO in the product
stream. The species leaving the reformer are CH4 , H2 , CO2 , H2 O, CO.

Problem 5
A fuel of unknown composition is burned with 20% excess air. The flue gas (on a dry basis) is analyzed and
found to contain 8.4% CO2 , 1.2% CO, 4.2% O2 and the rest N2 . If the fuel is known to contain methane HCH4 L,
ethane HC2 H6 L, and N2 , calculate its composition.

ECH51PracticeFinal_08.nb

Problem 6
Two hundred kg-mole/hr of saturated liquid feed containing 20 mole percent ethanol and 80 mole percent water
is fed into a stripping column which operates at P1 mm Hg. Assume that the relative volatility of ethanol out of
water is 2.0 at P1 mm Hg. The vapor for the stripping column is produced by partially reboiling the liquid stream
leaving the bottom of the stripper. The bottoms product leaving the reboiler for the stripper contains 2 mole
percent ethanol.
The vapor from the top of the stripper is used to reboil a second distillation column operating at P2 mm Hg
where the relative volatility of ethanol out of water is 2.5. After the stripper overhead is condensed, it is fed into
this second column. Since it is saturated liquid at P1 mm Hg, 100 % of the feed flashes when fed into the column
at P2 mm Hg.
The second column produces a distillate product with composition 90 mole percent ethanol and bottoms product
with composition 2 mole percent ethanol.
The bottoms product flow from the stripping column is B1 = 2 B2 . Assume equimolar overflow, theoretical
trays, saturated reflux to the second column, partial reboilers, and total condensers. A schematic of the operation
is shown below.

Figure 2
(i) Determine the composition and flow rates of all streams entering and leaving the two columns. Check that
your answers satisfy a material balance.
(ii) Derive the operating line for the stripper.
(iii) Calculate the compositions of the streams leaving the third tray from the bottom, in the stripper?

ECH51PracticeFinal_08.nb

Problem 7
A batch reactor illustrated in Figure 3 is used to study the irreversible, decomposition reaction
A

products

The proposed chemical kinetic rate equation is

RA = - k cA

and this decomposition reaction is catalyzed by sulfuric acid. To initiate the batch process, a small volume of
catalyst is placed in the reactor as illustrated in Figure 4 At time t=0, the solution of species A is added at a
volumetric flow rate Q0 and a concentration c0A . When the reactor is full, the stream of species A is shut off and
the system proceeds in the normal manner for a batch reactor. During the start-up time, the volume of fluid in the
reactor can be expressed as
HtL = V0 + Q0 t

and the final volume of the fluid is given by

1 = V0 + Q0 t1

Here t1 is the start-up time. In this problem you are asked to determine the concentration of species A during the
start-up time and you are given that the reactor is perfectly mixed. The analysis of the start-up time can be
simplified by means of the transformation
y HtL = XcA \ HtL

Do not consider the process after start-up.

Figure 3