Investigating the Effect of Baffles on CSTR Performance for Liquid Phase Reaction

In this work, the effect of baffles on the performance of CSTR was investigated experimentally under different operating conditions. The results obtained for baffled reactor were analyzed and compared with data obtained in case of absence of baffles. The operating conditions considered for investigation are temperature, feed flow rate, reactor volume, and residence time and stirrer rate. The effect of operating conditions on the reaction conversion and specific rate constant has been studied for liquid phase hydrolysis of sodium hydroxide with ethyl acetate. Experiments were conducted at concentrations of 0.1 M NaOH and 0.1 M CH₃COOC₂H₅ and at a pressure of 1 atmosphere. Reaction conversion of 48.6 % and specific rate constant equal to 4.89 dm³/mol.sec was obtained in the presence of baffles in the reactor system as compared to conversion of 48.2 % and specific rate constant of 4.78 x10^-3 dm³/mol.sec in case of without baffles under steady state conditions highlighting the industrial importance of baffles. The conversion and specific rate constant increases with increase of temperature both with and without baffles, moreover baffled CSTR contributes to higher conversion. Reaction conversion of 63.4 % with baffles was noticed as compared to lower value of 61.12 % under constant operating conditions of reactant flow rate, concentration, reactor volume and stirrer rate. Conversion and specific rate constant increase as function of stirrer rate and conversion and specific rate constant of 54.2% and 6.80 dm³/mol.sec respectively were obtained for baffled CSTR as compared to lower conversion of 47.2 %  at a stirrer rate of 140 rpm. High conversion and specific rate constant were obtained as compared with unbaffled system as a function of reactants flow rate. Results also show that increase of reactants flow rate leads to decrease of residence time and consequently, reaction conversion decreases. On the other hand, it is also observed that presence of baffles contributes negatively to the conversion as volume of reactor increases and it is noticed that conversion of 51.8 % with baffles was obtained as compared to conversion of 53.0% without baffles in the reactor system. It is concluded that above findings summarize the significance of baffles and operating conditions may be optimized to achieve maximum conversion and hence overall optimization of chemical process for industrial level production of ethanol and sodium acetate.