Pure ethanol vapor is fed to a reactor packed with alumina catalyst, at the rate of 100 kmole / hr. The reactor products comprise: ethylene: 95 kmole / hr, water vapour: 97.5 k mole / hr and diethyl ether: 2.5 kmole/hr. The reactions occuring can be represented by: C2H5OH → C2H4 + H2O 2C2H5OH → C2H5 – O – C2H5 + H2O The percent conversion of ethanol in the reactor is________________?

Question

Accepted Answer

97.5. Conversion is based on the amount of reactant consumed. Ethanol reacted = Initial feed - Unreacted ethanol. Since only products are listed, we assume all initial ethanol was consumed in the reactions shown by product amounts.