Membrane Reactors
Membrane Reactors




Membrane reactors can be used to achieve conversions greater than the original equilibrium value. These higher conversions are the result of Le Chatelier's Principle; you can remove one of the reaction products and drive the reaction to the right. To accomplish this, a membrane that is permeable to that reaction product, but is impermeable to all other species, is placed around the reacting mixture.

Example: The following reaction is to be carried out isothermally in a membrane reactor with no pressure drop. The membrane is permeable to Product C, but it is impermeable to all other species.

For membrane reactors, we cannot use conversion. We have to work in terms of the molar flow rates FA, FB, FC.

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Mole Balances
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Rate Laws
   
   
Stoichiometry
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Parameters


Here are links to example problems dealing with membrane reactors. You could also use these problems as self tests.

Membrane Type 4 Home Problem (Heterogeneous)

Membrane Type 4 Home Problem (Homogeneous)

Membrane Type 7 Home Problem

Membrane Type 8 Home Problem




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