ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

The purpose of the experiment of batch reactor process which is the batch
saponification of ethyl acetate was to measure the rate constant of the reaction between
ethyl acetate and sodium hydroxide under batch condition, to study the liquid phase reaction
kinetics in a batch reactor and to study the effect of temperature on the reaction in a batch
reactor. The experiment was begun by preparing solutions of 1L NaOH (0.1 M), 250 mL
Et(Ac) (0.1 M) and 250 mL HCl (0.1 M) then, 11 sample of 20 mL of HCL been pipette into
each conical flask. The mixture of Et(Ac) and NaOH were mixed and stirrer continuously.
Every 5 minutes (duration time 70 minutes) 20 mL of the reacting mixture been pipetted into
the flask containing of 20 mL of HCl. Then the sample was titrated with NaOH by using drops
of phenolphthalein as indicator which the color of indicator will change from colorless to pink.
Then, the experiment was repeated by withdraw the further samples with different flask until
recorded minutes reach 70 minutes. Trend graphs were plotted to represent the trend of
results obtained.

Based on the results obtained, a graph (graph 1) of conversion vs reaction time was
plotted using data that obtained in table 1. The graph shown that conversion increases with
time thus, the longer the reactants are left in the reactor, the more reactant is converted to
product until reach equilibrium. The reciprocal concentration against time with an equation y
=3.0418x 35.747 had shown in graph 2. However, the graph does not in a straight line.
Based on theory related, this reaction is a second order of integrated rate law method which
the graph supposedly gives a straight line. There might be some error occurred in the
experiment that affected to the results either when preparing the solutions or the chemicals
used was contaminated or expired. Form the graph that value of rate constant k was
obtained is 3.0418 which is the slope of the graph and it is called as integrated rate law
method.

Next, graph 3 is a concentration (C A) against time by using half-life method. Based

on the data the graph is ascending with an equation y = -0.0043 x + 0.0403. Other than that,
in half-life method, the initial concentration (C A0) is 0.05 mol/L were divided by 2. The half-life
was calculated based on the graph which is 31.25 minutes. From the value of half-life, to
calculate the rate constant, k is by using the formula k = 1/t 1/2 .CAo which the value of rate
constant k = 0.64 which called as half-life method. As the value of rate constant, k of both
method was obtained, each of the method present different value this is because the rate
constant for integrated rate law method were use plotted graph to get the gradient of the line
from the equation directly. Since, the graph does not in a straight line so the value of rate
constant might differ from theoretical value. While, rate constant for half-life method were
calculated based in time of the concentration reduce to half of the initial concentration value.

However, during the experiment were conducted there are several errors might be
occurred which affected to the results. First possible error is parallax error which slight
variations in the level of observers eye while reading the meniscus in the graduated cylinder
or during pipette chemicals. Other than that, the results might be affected by contaminated
solutions or chemical during preparation which experimenter used unclean apparatus to
stores chemical or solutions and lastly, is affected by instrument drift where most electronic
instruments have reading that drift over time for example is using of weighing balance to
weight amount of sodium hydroxide powder the reading of balance does not unstable.