DESCRIPTION

Technical Description

Tubular reactors are continuously operated reactors. They enable economic production of large product quantities with a consistent quality.

The core element of CE 100 is a helical plastic tube. Two pumps convey the reactants separately into the reactor from two tanks. Two coiled tubes located in a water bath preheat the reactants. After preheating, each of the reactants flows through a nozzle. The nozzle outlets are located in a T-piece in such a way that the two reactants are mixed in the centre of the T-piece. The mixture enters into the tube in which the two reactants react. The mixture of products and unconverted reactants leaves the tube and is collected in a tank.

The flow rates, and thus the retention time of the reactants in the tubular reactor, are adjusted via valves and displayed on flow meters. The flow tube is located in the water bath together with the two coiled tubes. The water bath is heated by a controlled heater. The controller on the switch cabinet serves to set the desired temperature and indicates the current temperature of the water bath. An overflow and connections for cooling the water bath via an external water supply are provided. A stirrer ensures an even temperature distribution in the water bath.

The conversion in the tubular reactor is determined by measuring the conductivity. Samples can be taken at the end of the tube for this purpose. A sensor records the temperature at the outlet of the tube. The temperature is displayed on the switch cabinet.

The well-structured instructional material sets out the fundamentals and provides a step-by-step guide through the experiments.

Learning Objectives / Experiments

- fundamentals of a saponification reaction
- conversion
  * depending on retention time
  * depending on the temperature