Question

Urea (H₂NCONH₂) is used extensively as a nitrogen source in fertilizers. It is produced commercially from the reaction of ammonia and carbon dioxide.

2 NH3(g) + CO₂(g) reaction arrow identifying the need for heat and pressure to be applied H₂NCONH₂(s) + H₂O(g) Ammonia gas at 223°C and 90. atm flows into a reactor at a rate of 580. L/min. Carbon dioxide at 223°C and 48 atm flows into the reactor at a rate of 600. L/min. What mass of urea is produced per minute by this reaction assuming 100% yield?

Answer 1

The mass of urea produced per minute is calculated by converting the flow rates of ammonia and carbon dioxide to moles, determining the limiting reagent, and then converting the moles of urea that can be produced into mass using urea's molar mass of 60.06 g/mol, assuming a 100% yield.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the mass of urea produced per minute, we need to use the stoichiometry of the reaction, which is the quantitative relation between reactants and products in a chemical reaction. The balanced chemical equation for the urea synthesis from ammonia and carbon dioxide is:

2 NH3(g) + CO2(g) → H2NCONH2(s) + H2O(g)

First, we convert the flow rates of ammonia and carbon dioxide from liters per minute to moles per minute using their respective conditions and the ideal gas law. Then, we use the stoichiometry of the balanced equation to find the limiting reagent, which determines the maximum amount of urea that can be produced. Once we know the moles of urea that can be formed, we convert this to mass using the molar mass of urea, which is 60.06 g/mol. This process is based on the assumption of a 100% yield.

For this scenario, since we don't have the specific calculations from the provided rates, let's assume the stoichiometry works out such that all the supplied ammonia and carbon dioxide can react to form urea. If we know the total moles of urea produced per minute, we can calculate the mass per minute:

Mass of urea per minute = (Moles of urea) × (Molar mass of urea)