Details

Assumptions:

1. the rate-determining step is the surface reaction between carbon monoxide and atomic oxygen

2. carbon dioxide rapidly desorbs from catalyst surface

3. ideal plug flow reactor.

The fractional coverages for the reaction are determined from Langmuir isotherms:

,

,

,

for simplicity, ,

where is the adsorption equilibrium constant of species and is the partial pressure.

The rate of reaction is:

,

where is the rate constant.

The partial pressures of , and are calculated from material balances:

,

,

,

where is distance down the reactor.

Reference

[1] Langmuir Isotherms for a Binary Mixture [Video]. (Sep 1, 2016) www.colorado.edu/learncheme/kinetics/LanmuirIsothermsBinaryMixture.html.