YIELD FROM REACTORS WITH RECYCLE OF REACTANTS

Abstract

In a reactor with recycle of reactants, the relation between yield and recycle ratio of reactants is simply determined by the yield vs. feed-rate relation for single-pass operation of the reactor. If the reaction rate exhibits a maximum at a finite extent of reaction, a maximum yield is obtained at a finite recycle ratio of reactants. In this case, at yield less than the maximum value, dual values of recycle ratio are predicted for each desired yield. Operation with lower recycle ratio is only stable in a similar sense to concentration stability.