PROCESS INVOLVING RECYCLE

PROCESS INVOLVING RECYCLE

Ethyl chloride will be produced by the gas-phase reaction of HCI with ethylene over a copper  chloride catalyst supported on silica as

C2H4+HCI→C2H5CI

The feed stream is composed of 50 mol% HCl, 48 mol% C₂H, and 2 mol% N₂ at 100  kmol/hr, 25 °C, and 1 atm. Since the reaction achieves only 90 mol% conversion, the ethyl  chloride product is separated from the unreacted reactants, and the latter is recycled. The

Separation is achieved using a distillation column, where it is assumed that a perfect  separation is achievable. The process is operated at atmospheric pressure, and pressure drops

are ignored.

 To prevent the accumulation of inerts in the system, 10 kmol/hr is withdrawn in a purge stream. W. Show the effect of the flowrate of the purge stream W on the recycle R and on the composition of the reactor feed.