AGGREGATE BEHAVIOR AND LUMPED KINETICS OF MANY REACTIONS IN BACKMIXEDAND PLUG-FLOW REACTORS

The long-time behavior of a reaction mixture containing infinitely man y species in isothermal continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTRs) is an alyzed and contrasted with that in a plug-flow reactor (PFR). The reac tion kinetics considered are irreversible first-order, irreversible co upled pseudo first-order, and reversible first-order. Asymptotic lumpe d kinetics for the mixture as a whole ave developed as a function of f eed properties and reactor type. Such lumped kinetics in many cases ar e of the power law form, with the exponent for a CSTR being lower than that for a PFR. Conditions under which non-power-law kinetics arise a re given. Due to the wide spread of reactor residence times, the mixtu re in CSTRS admits a much richer variety of asymptotic possibilities t han in the PFR. The results uncover some behavioral differences and re lationships between CSTRs; and a PFR for converting complex mixtures s uch as petroleum distillates or coal liquids.