College of Engineering

Petroleum and Chemical Engineering Department

Spring 2019
Chemical Engineering Reactions
CHPE4512

Project Name:

Production of Cumene
Memo II

Done By:
 Said Nasser AL-Jabri 114812
 Marwan Khamis AL-Qureini 110771
 Mahmood Salim AL-Rahbi 107451
 Waleed Eid AL-Daraai 115965

Submitted 14/March/2019

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2.1. Developing an Isothermal Reactor Model
Isothermal reactor model was developed for the estimation of cumene synthesis weight.
The assumptions that must be considered are:
 Negligible pressure drop
 No side reaction

The single reaction is as follow:

𝐶6 𝐻6 + 𝐶3 𝐻6 → 𝐶9 𝐻12
𝐴 + 𝐵 → 𝐶
The rate of reaction of the production of cumene is as follows [1]:
𝑟1 = 𝑘1 𝑐𝑝 𝑐𝑏 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒⁄
𝑔 𝑐𝑎𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑐
−24.90 6
𝑘1 = 3.5 × 104 exp( ) 𝑑𝑚 ⁄𝑔 𝑐𝑎𝑡 sec. 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒
𝑅𝑇

The table below shows the required information for the calculation needed which are
specified from memo 1:
Table 1: Typical Values Used in the Polymath

Typical conversion 0.99

Typical temperature 623 k

Typical pressure 25 bar
Rate law of the reaction -rA = k CA CB
yA = 0.3167
Inlet compositions
yB = 0.67
(mole fraction)
yC = 0

Inert compositions (I=C3H8) yI = 0.0195

Desired product rate 150000 tons/year

Bulk density 1000 (kg/m3 )[1]

The weight values are obtained from the polymath programme and then are converted
into volume by using the catalyst bulk density. The bulk density is 1000 𝑘𝑔/𝑚3.

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 Weight Vs. Conversion at 623 K
1.2

0.8
Conversion

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000
Weight (kg)

Figure 1 Weight Versus Conversion at 623 K

Note: The polymath model has been done and is shown in the provided appendix.
The output from the polymath at the operating temperature T=623 K, W= 53207 Kg,
and by using the bulk density the volume of the bed is 53.207 m3.

2.2 Effect of Temperature and Catalyst weight on Conversion

The operating temperature range of the process is [ 345 – 405][2]

Weight Vs. Conversion

1.2

0.8 618 K
Conversion X

628 K
0.6
638 K
0.4
648 K
0.2 658 K

0 668 K
0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000
Weight (Kg)

Figure 2:weight vs conversion

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Figure 2 above shows the effect of temperature and catalyst weight on the conversion
with different temperature ranges that is applied for different operating system
conditions. From the figure, the conversion increases as we increase the temperature
until it becomes constant and that identify the equilibrium conversion. This is due to
the production of cumene process is an exothermic reaction. Therefore, For the same
reactor volume, when the operating temperature is increased, the rate constant is
increasing, thus the rate of reaction is increased so the conversion will increase.

3. Group Deities
The Leader of this Memo is Mahmood Salim AL-Rahbi and the tasks have been done
by the members of group as following:
Mahmood Salim AL-Rahbi 2.1+ (hand calculation) + Polymath
algorithm.
Marwan Khamis AL-Qureini 2.1+ (hand calculation) + Polymath
algorithm.
Said Nasser AL-Jabri 2.2+ (hand calculation) + Polymath
algorithm.
Waleed Eid AL-Daraai 2.2+ (hand calculation) + Polymath
algorithm.

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References
1.'' Cumene Production – Change in Reactor Conditions'', available via
https://cbe.statler.wvu.edu/files/d/74c55f02-234e-435f-81e4-
f4a069814ee0/cumene2.pdf
[accessed 10/3/2019.]
2. Cumene Production Plant Simulation”, available via
https://piazza.com/class_profile/get_resource/halehf4tif520p/he1k6d4lzds4o9 [accessed
10/3/2019.]

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Appendix

Figure 3: Programm Code

Table 2: Weight and Conversion Profile

X W(Kg)
0 0
0.11065 1487
0.140324 1912
0.169133 2338
0.197095 2764
0.250542 3615
0.276062 4041
0.300801 4466
0.324778 4892
0.370512 5743
0.392305 6169
0.413404 6595
0.433827 7020

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0.472714 7872
0.491212 8297
0.509102 8723
0.526401 9149
0.55929 10000
0.574913 10430
0.590009 10850
0.604594 11280
0.63229 12130
0.645431 12550
0.658119 12980
0.67037 13410
0.693612 14260
0.704629 14680
0.715262 15110
0.725522 15530
0.744972 16380
0.754186 16810
0.763074 17240
0.771647 17660
0.787891 18510
0.795581 18940
0.802997 19360
0.810148 19790
0.823691 20640
0.830101 21070
0.83628 21490
0.842237 21920
0.853515 22770
0.858851 23200
0.863994 23620
0.868951 24050
0.878334 24900
0.882773 25320
0.88705 25750
0.891172 26180
0.898974 27030
0.902663 27450
0.906218 27880
0.909644 28300
0.916127 29150
0.919193 29580
0.922147 30010
0.924993 30430

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0.930378 31280
0.932924 31710
0.935378 32130
0.937742 32560
0.942214 33410
0.944328 33840
0.946365 34260
0.948328 34690
0.952041 35540
0.953796 35970
0.955488 36390
0.957117 36820
0.960199 37670
0.961657 38090
0.96306 38520
0.964413 38940
0.966971 39800
0.968181 40220
0.969346 40650
0.970469 41070
0.972592 41920
0.973596 42350
0.974563 42780
0.975495 43200
0.977257 44050
0.97809 44480
0.978893 44900
0.979666 45330
0.981128 46180
0.98182 46610
0.982486 47030
0.983127 47460
0.984341 48310
0.984915 48740
0.985467 49160
0.986 49590
0.987007 50440
0.987483 50860
0.987941 51290
0.988383 51710
0.989219 52570
0.989614 52990
0.989809 53210

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