TO ISSUE INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF THE MASS TRANSFER PROCESS IN AGITATORS

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of impeller design on the rate of esterification reaction in a batch reactor. Different impeller designs were tested and compared, including Backswept impeller, C-shaped, Double Blade impeller, and Pitched impeller. The results showed that the choice of impeller design has a significant effect on the rate of esterification reaction, with the Backswept impeller proving to be the most effective. In this work, it is aimed to investigate the esterification of acetic acid and methanol in a batch stirred reactor for the synthesis of methyl acetate. The temperature range of 303.15 K is examined, with sulphuric acid used as the homogeneous catalyst in varying concentrations of 0.0633 mol·L1 to 0.3268 mol·L-1. The feed molar ratio of acetic acid to methanol also varied from 1:1 to 1:4 to observe its influence on the reaction rate. The research delves into the effects of temperature, catalyst concentration, and reactant concentration on the reaction rate. The experimental data is correlated using a second-order kinetic rate equation, and the forward and backward reaction rate constants and activation energies are determined from the Arrhenius plot. The developed kinetic model is compared with previous models in literature. In order to find the most effective impeller for esterification reaction, diameter of impellers was accepted same in the constant volume and dimension of batch reactor. The obtained kinetic equation proves useful for the simulation of a reactive distillation column for the synthesis of methyl acetate. Keywords: the batch reactor, impeller, esterification, effectivity, mass transfer, mixing, mechanical mixers, Logarithmic Shear Rate, Eddy Diffusivity.