Methanol Production Lab Report

The Methanol Production
Chemical equilibrium, it is simply defined as a reaction occurring at equal rates in its forward and reverse directions, so that the concentrations of the reacting substances do not change with time. It describes the characteristic of maintaining a balance of reactions, and can be applied to varying mediums, many of which are chemical reactions. One such example of chemical equilibrium that is representative in real life is the production of methanol through the combination of both Hydrogen atoms and Carbon Monoxide molecules.

The synthesis reaction can be represented by the equation:
CO(g) + 2 H2(g) ↔ CH3OH(g)
Were all species are in a gaseous state,
In the synthesis of of methanol, large amounts of hydrogen and

But with varying levels of temperature the concentrations of either the reactants or products can change. For example:
CO(g) + 2 H2(g) + HEAT ↔ CH3OH(g)

But with varying levels of pressure the concentrations of either the reactants or products can change. For example:
CO(g) + 2 H2(g) ↔ CH3OH(g)
If the pressure is increased the equilibrium will shift to the right, the side with the fewest moles and create more product, while if there was a decrease in pressure the equilibrium would shift left, to the side with the most moles, creating more reactants.
Now that the main factors affecting the equilibrium are known, the reasons behind why such a disturbance would occur can be explained. throughout the synthesis of methanol, many safety precautions must be adhered many of which include safe operating temperatures and pressures. this is important to note because it allows for technicians to both optimize (in this case increase) both the temperature and pressure to help shift the equilibrium and as a result produce the most product (Methanol) in the safest environment. The maximum temperature allowed during the synthesis is roughly 400 degrees Celsius, while the maximum pressure allowed is around 300 ATM. this is helpful in many ways, since the reaction is optimized a large sum of product will be created which will continue to supply the demand for