Ethylene oxide is produced by the catalytic oxidation of ethylene:

2c2h4 + o2 → 2c2h4o

an undesired competing reaction is the combustion of ethylene:

c2h4 + 3o2 → 2co2 + 2h2o

the feed to the reactor (not the fresh feed to the process) consists of 3.00 moles of ethylene per mole of oxygen.

the single-pass conversion of ethylene to either ethylene oxide or carbon dioxide is 15.0%, and for every 100.0 moles of ethylene consumed in the reactor, 90.0 moles of ethylene oxide emerges in the reactor products.

a multiple-unit process is used to separate the products: ethylene and oxygen are recycled to the reactor, ethylene oxide is sold as a product, and carbon dioxide and water are discarded.

assume a quantity (100.0 mol/h) of the reactor feed stream as a basis of calculation, draw and label the flowchart, perform a degree-of-freedom analysis, and write the equations you would use to calculate (i) the molar flow rates of ethylene and oxygen in the fresh feed, (ii) the production rate of ethylene oxide, and (iii) the overall conversion of ethylene.

a. calculate the following quantities.

molar flow rate of ethylene in the fresh feed: mol/h c2h4
molar flow rate of oxygen in the fresh feed: mol/h o2
production rate of ethylene oxide: mol/h c2h4o
overall conversion of ethylene: %

b. calculate the molar flow rates of ethylene and oxygen in the fresh feed needed to produce 1 ton per hour of ethylene oxide.

molar flow rate of ethylene:
lb-mol/h c2h4

molar flow rate of oxygen: lb-mol/h o2