Question: A plant produces ethylene oxide ( EO , C 2 H 4 O ) from the reaction of ethylene ( E , C 2 H

A plant produces ethylene oxide (EO, C2H4O) from the reaction of ethylene (E, C2H4) and
oxygen (O, O2). The process includes three different unit operations. The fresh feed to the
process is 196kmol/hr of E and 84.5kmol/hr O. The fresh feed mixes with a recycle stream
before entering a reactor. In the reactor, there is a 6% single pass conversion of the E fed to
the reactor. The exiting stream from the reactor enters a separator. The separator removes
97% of the EO product. The remainder of EO goes in the recycle stream which mixes with fresh
feed. The separator removes 98% of the E entering the unit and recycles this back into the
process with the remainder exiting with the EO product. The separator removes 99.5% of the O
entering the unit and recycles this back into the process with the remainder exiting with the EO
product.
a) Balance the reaction;
b) Sketch the flowsheet, labeling the fresh feed as Stream 1, the stream into the reactor
Stream 2, the stream into the separator Stream 3, the product Stream 4 and the recycle
Stream 5.

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