ABSTRACT
An isothermal batch reactor has constant temperature both with respect to time as well as with respect to position within the reactor. These ideal conditions may be approximated but not rigorously met in a real batch reactor. This chapter starts with the analysis of the ideal isothermal batch reactor by writing a mole balance. For most of the industrial applications involving parallel reactions, one of the competing reactions is desired while the others are undesired. Ideally, one would like to maximize both overall yield and overall selectivity. However, this may not be possible all the time and economic considerations often dictate the operation. If the cost of separation were less than the cost of operating the batch reactor, low fractional yield is preferred. On the contrary, if the cost of separation were more than the cost of operating the batch reactor, high fractional yield is preferred.
