he reaction was studied using a microporous resin as a catalyst in a packed-bed microreactor [Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 26(2), 198(1987)]. The reaction is first-order in ethanol and pseudo-zero-order in acetic acid. The total volumetric feed rate is 25 dm3/min, the initial pressure is 10 atm, the temperature is 223˚C, and the pressure-drop parameter, α, equals 0.01 kg–1. For an equal molar feed rate of acetic acid and ethanol, the specific reaction rate is about 1.3 dm3/kg-cat -min. (a) Calculate the maximum weight of catalyst that one could use and maintain an exit pressure above 1 atm. (b) Write out the CRE algorithm and then solve these equations analytically to determine the catalyst weight necessary to achieve 90% conversion. (c) Write a Polymath program to plot and analyze X, p, and f = v/v0 as a function of catalyst weight down the packed-bed reactor. You can either use your analytical equations for x, p, and f or you can plot these quantities using the Polymath program. (d) What is the ratio of catalyst needed to achieve the last 5% (85% to 90%) conversion to the weight necessary to achieve the first 5% conversion (0% to 5%) in the reactor? [Note: You can use the results in part (c) to also answer this part.]
