Question: Ethylene oxide is produced by the oxidation of ethylene over a catalyst. Safety consideration dictates that the gaseous mixture entering the reactor should contain 10 mol air per mol ethylene. The conversion per pass is 22%. The ethylene oxide formed is completely condensed out and the remaining gases recycled. Make up oxygen is added to maintain the requisite oxygen levels. For a plant producing 440 kg/h of ethylene oxide,
1) Calculate the quantity of pure make up oxygen to be supplied, (in kg/h), in steady state operation.
The relevant reaction is represented by
2C2H4 + O2 → 2C2H4O