In the manufacture of sulphuric acid by the contact process, S02 is oxidized to SO3 over a vanadium catalyst:
The reactor is adiabatic and operates at atmospheric pressure. The gases enter the reactor at 410°C with the following composition:
N2 79 vol%
SO2 10 vol%
O2 11 vol%
a) If the reactor exit stream is at thermodynamic equilibrium, what is the temperature and composition of the gas?
b) What will be the effect of each of the following changes on the equilibrium conversion? Will the conversion increase, decrease or remain the same? Why?
i) an increase in the reactor inlet temperature.
ii) an increase in the operating pressure.
Data:
Δh°rxn at 298 K = -98.923 kJ/mol
Δg°rxn = -98.893 + 0.0941 T(K) kJ/mol
