Chemistry - Industrial Chemistry - Important Industrial Processes

What are the reactions that are green?

Addition and rearrangement reactions and those with less harmful side products

What is the condition required for the compression of syngas to make methanol?

Al2O3/ZnO/Cu 200-300 degree Celsius 50-100 atm

What are the conditions of Haber process?

Finely divided iron, 500 degree Celsius, 200 atm

What are the characteristics of methanol

Flammable and toxic

Where does the nitrogen of Haber process come from

Fractional distillation of liquefied air

What is the catalyst for water gas shift reaction?

Pd at 350 degree Celsius

Why are nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas purified before entering the catalytic chamber?

To prevent impurities from poisoning the catalyst.

What are the major processes of production of HNO3?

1. Catalytic oxidation of NH3 to NO. 2. Oxidation of NO to NO2 3. Dissolving NO2 in hot H2O in the presence of oxygen.

Where does the hydrogen for Haber process come from?

1. Cracking of petroleum. 2. Electrolysis of brine. 3. By steam methane reforming

What are the methods to prepare ethanoic acid?

1. Fermantation; 2. Direct oxidation of butane; 3. Wacker process; 4. Carbonylation of methanol; 5. Monsanto process and CATIVA process.

How can catalysis make reactions greener?

1. It lowers the activation energy that less energy is required; 2. It improved the selectivity of a reaction that side products are reduced.

What are the uses of chlorine gas?

1. Make bleaching powder. 2. Sterilise drinking water and swimming pool water.

What are the major processes of making methanol?

1. Steam methane reforming. 2. Compression of syngas.

What are the uses of hypochlorite?

1. for bleaching clothing. 2. sterilize water in the swimming pool.

What is the importance of methanol?

1. fuel. 2. make dimethyl ether. 3. To make MTBE as an anti-knocking agent in petrol.

What is the chemical formula for the catalytic oxidation of NH3 to NO?

4NH3 + 5O2 ---Pt----> 4NO2 + 6H2O

What is the chemical formula for dissolving NO2 in hot H2O in the presence of oxygen

4NO2 + O2 + 2H2O ------> 4HNO3

What is the chemical equation for steam methane reforming?

CH4 (g) + H2O (g) <-----> CO (g) + 3H2

What is the chemical equation for water gas shift reaction?

CO (g) + H2O (g) <----> CO2(g) + H2(g)

What are the reactions that are not green?

Condensation and elimination

Why is Haber process performed at a lower air pressure than its optimum air pressure?

High pressure requires very expensive pump and extra thick pipes, it increases the production cost.

What is the disadvantage of a diaphragm cell?

It allows the passing through of Cl- ions to form NaCl in NaOH

What is the function of the diaphragm in the diaphragm cell for electrolysis of brine?

It keeps chlorine and sodium hydroxide apart and allow ions to pass through to balance the charges

What is the function of membrane cell in the electrolysis of brine?

It keeps chlorine and sodium hydroxide apart and allow the passage of Na+ to balance the charges. It prevents the passing through of Cl- and OH- so no NaCl is formed.

What is the importance of Haber process?

It makes fixation of nitrogen gas available. It produces ammonia which is the starting material for the synthesis of most nitrogenous fertilizers.

What are the advantages of using a flowing mercury cell?

It prevents the direct mixing of H2 and Cl2. It also prevents the contact of Cl2 and NaOH.

In Haber process, product mixture is removed from the reaction chamber before reaching the yield of 20%, explain why?

It takes a long time to reach equilibrium that the NH3 is of highest yield to be attained. It can increase the total amount of NH3(g) produced per unit time.

What are the common nitrogen fertilizers?

NH4NO3, (NH4)2SO4, urea

What are the conditions of steam-methane reforming?

NiO, 850 degree Celsius, 10-20 atm

Will addition of Fe catalysts increase the yield of Haber process?

No. Catalysts have no effect on the magnitude of equilibrium constant, thus the yield cannot be improved. It only shortens the time to reach equilibrium.

What are the disadvantages of using hydrogen peroxide as bleaching agent?

The bleaching reaction requires high temperature, pressure and long reaction time. Many side reactions occur as well.

What are the advantages of production methanol in this way?

The direct catalytic oxidation of alkane is an advance technology having a high energy efficiency. Methane is renewable source. It also reduce the release of CO2

What is the advantage of using hydrogen peroxide as bleaching agent?

The major products of primary decomposition of hydrogen peroxide are water and oxygen which are non-toxic.

Why is Haber process performed at a higher temperature than its optimum temperature.

The reaction rate is too low at low temperature. Higher temperature increases the reaction rate.

What is the disadvantage of flowing mercury cell?

Waste from the cell contains poisonous mercury compound which pollute the environment.