Scenario
at an acme plant in scottsdale, arizona, methanol is produced commercially,
utilizing a catalyst that consists of a mixture of copper (ii) oxide, zinc oxide,
and aluminum oxide (cuo, zno, and al2o3

). as the price of copper and zinc
increase, the company wants to develop alternative methods of production of
methanol. your team of engineers has been recruited to design a way to
improve the amount of methanol that is produced, using an alternative
process that does not involve the expensive catalysts described above.
currently, the alternative method’s reaction is carried out in a 1,000 l steel
vessel at 250oc, at a pressure of 50 atm. the gases are injected into the
vessel through two different valves at a rate of 30 ml/sec. this process
produces a 50% yield of methanol. the design of the chemical system needs
to be refined in order to increase the production of methanol (to at least an
84% yield, in order to make this method economically viable). the engineers
have a chiller, a heater, 20 ml/sec injectors, 50 ml/sec injectors, and a
piston-fitted reaction vessel.
external data
methanol is an important alcohol used in fuel mixtures and to make plastics, paints, and adhesives. it
can be manufactured using several different processes. your team is working on the synthesis of
carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas, according to the following chemical reaction:
co (g) + 2h2

(g) → ch3oh (g) + 90 kj

prompt
write a scientific explanation that describes the improvements made to your chemical system and
why it would cause the production to increase.

1

reaction