Question

23. Nitrobenzene (NB) is made by nitrating benzene (B) with a mixed acid (39% HNO₃, 53% H₂SO₄, 8% H₂O). The reaction is:

C₆H₆ + HNO₃ ? C₆H₅NO₂ + H₂O

Conversion of B to NB is 97% complete

1000 lb_m of B and 2070 lb_m of acid used

How much xs HNO₃was used?

How much NB is formed?

Answer 1

C6H6 + HNO3 > C6H5NO2 + H2O

X = 0.97

moles benzene = 1000 lbm of B

mass acid = 2070 lbm

a) how much HNO3 was used

report the answer in mass

from equation, 1 mol of HNO3 reacts with 1 mol of B to form NB

only 97% is converted so...

1000 lbm = 970 lbmol of B are converted to NB

how much do we need for 970 lbmol? we need 1:1 ratio so also 970 lbmol of HNO3

1 lbmol of HNO3 = 63 lb/lbmol

970 lbmol of HNO3 = 63*970 = 61,110 lb of HNO3

But we only have an acid of 39%...

So lets calculate the total amount (of course we need more!)

100 % = ?

39% = 61,110 lb

Solving for ? is 156,692 lb of acid!

b) how much NB is formed,

its easy

1 lbmol of B -> 1 lbmol of NB

since we only reacted 97% of 1000 lbmol

970 lbmol reacted to form NB

then 1:1 we got 970 lbmol of NB

probably they are asking how much MASS

so lets calculate mass involved, we need Molecular Weight of nitrobencene

126 lb/lbmol = MW of NB

then

970 lbmol * 12 lb/lbmo = 11,640 lb of NB