HABER AND CONTACT PROCESSES: APPLYING CONCEPTS BY DANIELLE POSEN

Directions: Here is your chance to apply anything and everything from topic 7 to two specific industrial processes. Your assignment is to write a prose-style report that looks at both of these processes in depth, including material that is relevant to the assessment statements from this topic. It is possible (and perhaps likely) that you wont find information pertinent to each assessment statement, so dont get overly consumed with finding every detail.

Both the Haber and Contact Process are examples of Dyanamic Equilibrium Reactions. The haber process is used in the production of Ammonia which increases the growth of plants. It was even assumed that it sustained one third of the worlds population. The equation is: N2 + 3 H2 < 2 NH3 (H = 92.4 kJmol1) The forward reaction is exothermic therefore to obtain the highest yield of ammonia a low temperature would be needed as exothermic reactions produce heat. In terms of pressure the greatest yield would be achieved with a high pressure as the forward reaction produces the least amount of moles of gas. These conditions are, however, unideal, because the production of high pressure pipes is expensive and having a low temperature would decrease the rate at which the reaction reaches equilibrium, therefore it would be inefficient. Rather a temperature of between 350 C to 450 C is used while the pressure is about 150-220 atmospheres. This produces 15% yield of ammonia. The catalyst used in this reaction is iron metal. It is used in its powdered form as to increase surface area. The catalyst decreases the activation energy therefore particles can overcome the activation energy more easily. A catalyst does not shift equilibrium as both the forward and reverse reactions are affected equally. The Kc constant expression for the haber process is:

The reverse reaction is position as the numerator while the forward reaction reactants are placed as the denominator the brackets represent concentration of the molecule. The contact process if used in the manufacturing of sulfuric acids. Sulfuric acid is used to make a phosphate fertilizer. The reactions shows the conversion of sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide:

The ideal conditions to produce the highest yield would be to lower the temperature and increase pressure the same as the Haber Process. However, because the manufacturing of high pressure resistant pipes is extremely expensive a lower pressure is used of 1-2 atmospheres with a temperature of 400 C to 450 C. The catalyst V2O5 is used in the contact process, it reduces the activation energy therefore increasing the

speed at which equilibrium is reached. A catalyst will not affect the position of equilibrium as it affects both the forward and reverse reaction equally. The Kc constant expression for the contact process is: