Answer ALL parts of this question.
Sodium bicarbonate is synthesized by reacting sodium carbonate with carbon dioxide and water:
Na2CO3 + CO2 + H2O ¨2 NaHCO3
An aqueous solution containing 7%w/w of sodium carbonate is fed to the reactor at a rate of 100 kg min.1, where it mixes with a gas stream containing 70 mol% CO2 and 30 mol% air. All of the sodium carbonate in the feed reacts to form sodium bicarbonate. The gas leaving the reactor, containing the air and unreacted CO2, is saturated with water vapor at the reactor conditions. A liquid-solid slurry containing 9.0%w/w sodium bicarbonate crystals in a saturated solution (containing 2.4%w/w dissolved sodium bicarbonate and no dissolved CO2) leaves the reactor and is fed to a filter. The wet filter cake contains 86%w/w sodium bicarbonate crystals and the balance saturated solution.
a) Which is the limiting reactant in the reactor?
b) Calculate the rate of production of the filter cake in kg h.1.
c) If the reactor operates at 70‹C and 3.0 bar, calculate the composition (component mole fractions) of the gas stream leaving the reactor.
d) Calculate the percentage conversion of CO2 in the reactor.
e) Calculate the flow rate of the gas stream fed to the reactor in standard cubic metres min.1 [m3(STP) min.1]. [3 marks]
DATA: The saturated vapor pressure of water in mm Hg (p*) at T‹ C is given by:
log10(p*) = 8.108 . 1750.29
T + 235
1 bar = 750 mm Hg
MW(Na2CO3) = 106.0, MW(CO2) = 44.0, MW(H2O) = 18.0,MW(NaHCO3) = 84.0