Chemical synthesis Flashcards
What is the Haber process
The Haber process is the synthetic production of ammonia
N2 + 3H2 -> 2NH3
the Haber process typically occurs under high pressure (200 atmospheres) and at high temperatures (400-500 Celsius) and the ammonia yield is increased as the pressure increases and decreases at higher temperatures due to the exothermic nature of the reaction
What is the Contact process
The contact process is the synthetic production of sulfuric acid and consists of 3 main stages
How is ethanol produced from ethene
What is the base-catalysed transesterification method of biodiesel production
This process occurs in two main steps
1. Methanol is mixed with sodium hydroxide, which acts as the catalyst. Sodium hydroxide dissociates into Na+ and OH–. The sodium hydroxide needs to be very dry; otherwise, a saponification reaction occurs, which produces soap and alcohol. The OH– removes a proton from methanol to form water and CH3O–
2. The alcohol–catalyst mixture is added to the triglyceride at atmospheric pressure and 60–70°C, which results in the transesterification reaction. The triglyceride reacts with 3 moles of methanol. The three attached carbons and their hydrogens from the triglyceride molecule (highlighted red in Figure 2) react with OH– and form propane1,2,3-triol (also known as glycerol or glycerin). The CH3 group reacts with the free fatty acid to form the fatty acid methyl ester that we use as biodiesel
What is the lipase-catalysed method of biodiesel production
This is a different method of producing biodiesel involves the use of an enzyme - lipase which is a catalyst for fat (lipid) hydrolysis. this method is slower, more expensive and produces lower yields than the base-catalysed method. However, it is more environmentally friendly and produces a higher purity as well as making the glycerol by-product more easy to sperate
How does a hydrogen fuel cell under acidic conditions work
How does a hydrogen fuel cell under alkaline conditions work
Power is produced through a redox reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. an alkaline solution such as NaOH or KOH is in the centre compartment (green) which speeds up the reduction of oxygen. an alkaline fuel cell consumes hydrogen which is oxidised at the anode side (yellow)
