Stirred tank reactor studies part II. Conversion models

Abstract

Conversion data for the continuous hydrolysis of ethyl acetate has been studied in the same stirred tank vessel previously used for mixing parameter determinations. Two solutions, pure water and aqueous ethylene oxide, were used as reaction media at various stirring speeds. The reaction conversion was found to approach that of ideal microscopic mixing at stirrer speeds above 800 rpm in pure water. The segregated model worked well for Polyox solutions above 400 rpm. A large number of runs were inaccurately described by the zero parameter models (p.f.r., m.f.r., segregated and maximum-mixedness) or by single parameter models (tanks-in-series, dispersion and recycle).