The liquid-phase reaction is carried out in a semibatch reactor. The reactor volume is 1.2 m ³ . The reactor initially contains 5 mol of B at a concentration of 0.015 kmol/m ³ . A at an aqueous concentration of 0.03 kmol/m ³ is fed to the reactor at a rate of 4 dm ³ /min. The reaction is first order in A and half order in B with a specific reaction rate of k = 6 (m ³ /kmol) ^1/2 / min. The activation energy is 35 kJ /mol. The feed rate to the reactor is discontinued when the reactor contains 0.53 m ³ of fluid.

(a) Plot the conversion, volume, and concentration as a function of time. Calculate the time necessary to achieve:
(b) 97% conversion of A.
(c) 59% conversion of B.
(d) The reaction temperature is to be increased from 25°C to 70°C and the reaction is to be carried out isothermally. At this temperature the reaction is reversible with an equilibrium constant of 10 (m ³ /kmol) ^1/2 . Plot the conversion of A and B and the equilibrium conversion of A as a function of time.
(e) Repeat part (d) for the case when reactive distillation is occurring. Study the effect of the evaporation rate on conversion.

[2nd Ed. P4-27]