• Home
  • Solution Library
  • catalytic process of producing acetic acid with methanol and carbon monoxide

Solution Library

Catalytic Process of Producing Acetic Acid with Methanol and Carbon Monoxide

Question

Most synthetic acetic acid is produced using the Cativa process.  This process converts methanol and carbon monoxide to acetic acid using an iridum/ruthenium catalyst according to the following reaction:

CH3OH + CO → CH3COOH

A schematic of the reaction is shown in Figure 1. Methanol and carbon monoxide are fed in a stoichiometric ratio into the catalytic reactor which operates at 35 bara and 325 °C. The reaction proceeds to 85% conversion. The products exiting the reactor are passed into a flash drum which operates at 33 bara and 270 °C. The flash drum is fed cooling water available at 25 °C and which exits at 42 °C. You may assume that the flash drum condenses all of the actetic acid fed to it and does not condense any of the methanol or carbon monoxide.  For a flow rate of 25,000 kg/hr of methanol into the reactor, determine:

a)    The flow rates of all components (in kg/sec) of streams 1 through 5.  
b)    The rate of cooling (in kW) required by the flash drum
c)    The flow rate of water (in kg/sec) required by the flash drum.
d)    Methanol is available at 1.5 bara and 25 °C.  It is passed into a pump where its pressure is increased isothermally to 36 bara.  The methanol is then passed through a heat exchanger where it is heated to 300 °C and then sent to the reactor.  The piping before and after the pump have identical diameters and the pump operates at 65% efficiency.  Determine the minimum required power (in kW) of the pump.
e)    How could this process be made more efficient?

 


Heat capacity constants:
Acetic acid:

Liquid:        
a = 94.25×10-3        b = 0                     c = 0                    d = 0

Gas:
a = 50.19×10-3        b = 0.8600×10-5    c = 0.9505×10-8    d=-4.491×10-12

Summary

the question belongs to Chemical Engineering and it is about acetic acid production using methanol and carbon monoxide. The process is known as Cativa process. The solution addresses questions about the efficiency of the process.

Total Word Count 495

 

Download Full Solution

Comments

  • HWA
    Rasha

    this is a very good website

  • HWA
    maani

    I have 50 questions for the same test your page is showing only 28

  • HWA
    joeanne

    hi can you please help or guide me to answer my assignments. thanks

  • HWA
    joeanne

    hi can anyone help or guide me to my assignments. thanks

  • HWA
    Monik


  • HWA
    Cristina

    This solution is perfect ...thanks

  • HWA
    Janete

    Hello Allison,I love the 2nd image that you did! I also, had never heard of SumoPaint, is something that I will have to exolpre a bit! I understand completely the 52 (or so) youtube videos that you probably watched. Sometimes they have what you want, sometimes they don't! However, it is always satisfying when you are able to produce something that you have taught yourself. Great job!Debra 0 likes

  • HWA
    Sandeep

    Perfect bank of solution. 

  • HWA
    Oxana

    great !

  • HWA
    Paul Brandon-Fritzius

    thanks for the quick response. the solution looks good. :)

  • HWA
    tina Johnson

    thnx for the answer. it was perfect. just the way i wanted it. 

  • HWA
    Giuseppe

    works fine.