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COMBINED FLOW

REACTOR
Instruction Manual

AIM:
a) To perform kinetic studies to establish rate constant using a series of reactors i.e. PFR
followed by CSTR.
b) To Calculate Individual conversion of both the reactors and total conversion.

APPARATUS:
Experimental set up, conical flasks, pipettes, burette, stopwatch etc.
CHEMICALS
1. N/10 NaOH,
2. N/10 HCI,
3. N/10 Ethylacetate (8.8 gms of ethylacetate in 1 L of water),
4. Indicator (Phenolphthalein)
THEORY:
The concentration of the reactant decreases progressively through the system in a plug flow
reactor whereas in mixed flow reactor the concentration drops immediately to a low value.
Because of this a plug flow reactor is more efficient than a mixed reactor for reactions whose
rates increase with reactant concentration, such as nth order irreversible reactions. When N
mixed reactors are connected in series, though the concentration in each reactor is uniform in
each reactor, there is change in concentration when the fluid moves from reactor to reactor.
This stepwise drop in concentration suggests that the large number of mixed flow reactors in
series perform like a plug flow reactor.

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PROCEDURE:
1.
2.

Prepare 1 litre of 0.1 N HCL by dissolving 9ml HCL in 1 litre of water.


Prepare 5 litre of 0.1 N NaOH solution by dissolving 20 gm of NaOH flakes in 5 litre
of water.

3.

Prepare oxalic acid solution 0.1 N by dissolving 3.15 gm of oxalic acid in 500 ml of
water.

4.

Standardise NaOH with oxalic acid 0.1 N.

5.

Prepare 5 litre of ethyl acetate solution by adding 10 ml per litre of water.

6.

Transfer the NaOH and ethyl acetate solutions to the overhead tanks provided.

7.

Adjusted the flow rates of ethyl acetate and NaOH solution into the first CSTR of the
given series of reactors such that the flow rate of NaOH is slightly higher than that of ethyl
acetate.

8.

Note down the flow rates after steady state has attained.

9.

Collect 10 ml of sample from the outlet of the last reactor of the series.

10.

Transfer the reaction mixture into a conical flask containing 25ml of 0.1 N HCl
solutions.

11.

Take 10 ml of this solution and titrate against NaOH solution.

12.

Repeat the experiment for different flow rates and tabulate the readings.

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OBSERVATIONS:
Standardization of NaOH:
Volume of oxalic acid taken in the conical flask
Normality of oxalic acid
Volume of NaOH run down from the burette (x)
Normality of NaOH

= V1 =
= N1 =
= V2 =
= N2 = (N1V1) / V2

Standardization of HCl:
Volume of HCl taken in the conical flask
Volume of NaOH run down from the burette
Normality of HCl

= V3 =
= V4 =
= (V2V4) / V3 =

OBSERVATION:
Diameter of the reactor
Length of the reactor

Sr. No.

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=D=
=L=

Flow rate of ethyl


acetate cc/sec.

Flow rate of NaOH


cc/sec.

Vol. of NaOH (ml)


(x1)

SPECIMEN CALCULATIONS:
Strength of ethyl acetate CAS =
Mol. Wt. of ethyl acetate
=

=
Strength of NaOH CBS
=
Vol. flow rate of ethyl acetate =
Vol. flow rate of NaOH
=

(5 ) / Mol. Wt.
88
N2
VA
VB

C A 0=

M=

CB0
CA 0

C B=

N 2 ( xx1 )
V mixture

C AS V A
V AV B

C A =C A 0( C B 0C B )

X A=

( C A 0C A )
CA 0

V =V A +V B

Volume of the reactor (VR)

Space time( )
.
k =

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D
L
4

VR
V

xA
C A 0 ( M x A ) (1x A )

C B 0=

C BS V B
V AVB

k =

Sr.no

xA
C A 0 ( M x A ) (1x A )

Graphical Determination of Rate Constant, K


(For A second order Reaction)
PLOT vs
The Slope = 1/k

PRECAUTION:
1. Measure the exact volume of water and weigh the chemicals exactly.
2. Always use distilled water and good quality chemicals and standard solution for titration.
3. Use precision electronic balance for weighing of chemicals. Don't mix the droppers of different
chemicals.
4. Keep all the drain valves closed and vent valve should be open while filling the reactant in feed
tanks.
5. Flow should not be disturbed during the experiments.
6. Handle the chemicals carefully. Refer Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) of chemicals being
used.
7. Use primary standards for standardizing/determining chemical strengths.
8. Do not open the vent of pressurized reactant tanks suddenly. Reduce the pressure in feed tanks
by adjusting pressure setting knob and open vent valves only after pressure gets released
slowly.

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TROUBLE SHOOTING:
1. If any type of suspended particles are come in the Rotameter. Remove the Rotameter clean the
tube and fit that at its place.
2. If there is any leakage; tight that part or remove that and fix that again after wrapping Teflon
tape.
3. If Rotameter is fluctuating either Feed tank may have got emptied or tank pressure is getting
reduced. Determine appropriate cause and rectify that.
(Procedure: two nuts are there lose first nut and tight the second slightly, and then first also.
Both nuts are on Rotameter)

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