6.82 The reaction of cyclohexanol and acetic acid in dioxane solution as catalyzed by sulfuric acid was studied by McCracken and Dickson (Ind. Eng. Chem. Proc. Des. and Dev., 6, 286, 1967). The esterification reaction can be represented by the following stoichiometric reaction:
A + B → C + W
acetic acid + cyclohexanol → cyclohexylacetate + water
The reaction is carried out in a well-stirred batch reactor at 40°C. Under these conditions, the esterification reaction can be considered as irreversible at conversions less than 70%. The following data were obtained using identical sulfuric acid concentrations in both runs.
Run 1: C₀ = 2.5 kmol/m³, Ca(r) (kmol/m³), Time, t (ks)
2.070, 7.2
1.980, 9.0
1.915, 10.8
1.860, 12.6
1.800, 14.4
1.736, 16.2
1.692, 18.0
1.635, 19.8
1.593, 21.6
1.520, 25.2
1.460, 28.8
Run 2: C₀ = 1; C₀ = 8 kmol/m³, Ca(r) (kmol/m³), Time, t (ks)
0.885, 1.8
0.847, 2.7
0.769, 4.5
0.671, 7.2
0.625, 9.0
0.544, 12.6
0.500, 15.3
0.463, 18.0
Determine the order of the reaction with respect to each reactant and the rate constant for the forward reaction under the conditions of the two runs. The rate constant should differ between runs, but the conditions are such that the order will not differ. The individual and overall orders are integers.
