Chemical Engineering: Methanol Production Process

Methanol Production Process

• Methanol is produced by reacting carbon monoxide with hydrogen.

Reactor Outlet Stream

• The outlet stream of the reactor flows at a rate of 300 mol/min.
• The stream composition is:
  • 10% by weight of H2
  • 62.0% by weight of CO
  • 28% by weight of CH3OH

Recycle Stream

• The fraction of methanol in the recycle stream is 0.006.

Process Characteristics

• CO and H2 are not consumed in the process.
• CH3OH is not consumed in the process.
• A portion of the methanol leaving the reactor condenses and is recycled back to the reactor.

Calculate the molar flow rates of CO and H2 in a methanol production process, where a portion of the methanol is recycled back to the reactor.