Material Balance for

Multi-Unit Operations

Process Flow sheet (Flow Chart)

1.

Process Information: key properties data, market conditions, technical

information, etc., are collected.

2.

Input /Output Diagram: All major inputs and outputs streams and their
stoichiometric balances are illustrated, according to the potential chemical
pathways.

3.

Functions Diagram: All the major functions of the process and materials
flow to and from those functions are specified. The functions include reaction
boxes, separation boxes, finishing boxes, etc.

4.

Operations Diagram: Detail technologies used such as types of reactor,

operating conditions, etc. are specified.

5.

Process Flow sheet: Details for each function are described, ready to use.

Process Flowsheet Development

Function Diagram

Operation Diagram

Process Flow sheet

MB for Multiple Units Process

Example on MB for Multi-units Process

Recycle System
The stream containing the recycled material is known
as a recycle stream.
Because of relatively high cost of industrial feeds,
recycle of unused reactants/feed is a common
practice.
Recovery of catalyst, circulation of working fluids,
dilution of process streams, control of process
variables, etc., are all reasons for applications of
recycle system.

Recycle with Chemical Reaction

Bypass and Purging

Bypassing wastewater to waste Lagoon

Limiting reactant
In practice a reactant may be used in excess of the
stoichiometric quantity for various reasons. In this case
the other reactant is limiting i.e. it will limit the yield of
product(s)

Excess reactant
A reactant is in excess if it is present in a quantity
greater than its stoichiometric proportion.
% excess = [(moles supplied stoichiometric
moles)/stoichiometric moles] x 100

Conversion
Fractional conversion = amount reactant
consumed/amount reactant supplied
% conversion = fractional conversion x 100

Note: conversion may apply to single pass reactor

conversion or overall process conversion

Yield
Yield = (moles product/moles limiting reactant
supplied) x s.f. x 100
Where s.f. is the stoichiometric factor = stoichiometric
moles reactant required per mole product

Multiple Reactions
There are four basic type of multiple reactions: series, parallel, complex, and independent.
Parallel reactions (competing reaction)
k1

k2

A
The reactant is consumed by two different reaction pathways to form different products.
Series reactions (consecutive reaction)
k1
k2
A
B
C
The reactant forms an intermediate product, where reacts further to form another product.

Complex reactions

ABCD
ACE

formation of butadiene from ethanol

C 2 H 5OH C 2 H 4 H 2O
C 2 H 5OH CH3CHO H 2
C 2 H 4 CH3CHO C 4 H 6 H 2O

Involving a combination of both series and parallel reactions

Independent reactions
cracking of crude oil to form gasoline

A BC
DEF

C15H 32 C12H 24 C3H 6

C8 H18 C3H14 C 2 H 4

Occurring at the same time but neither the products nor reactants react with themselves
or one another.

Selectivity
Selectivity tells us how one product is favored over another when we have
multiple reactions. We can quantify the formation of Desired product (D)
with respect to Undesired product (U) by defining the selectivity and yield
of the system.
The instantaneous selectivity of D with respective to U is the ratio of the rate
formation of D to the rate of formation of U.
/ =

Overall selectivity

~
SD / U = =

Selectivity
Selectivity = (moles product/moles reactant converted) x s.f. x 100
OR
Selectivity = moles desired product/moles byproduct
Where s.f. is the stoichiometric factor = stoichiometric moles reactant required per
mole product

Selectivity and Yield

Instantaneous

Overall

Selectivity:
Yield:
r D k1 C 2A C B

Example:

k 2 C A C 2B ,
desiredrUproduct
undesired product ,

To keep the selectivity of the desired products high with

respect to the undesired products, carry out the reaction
at high concentration of A and low concentration of B. A
high selectivity can easily be achieved in a semibatch
reactor where B is fed slowly compared to A.