A mathematical model has been developed for predicting the outlet gas composition of a fluidized bed reactor in which the oxychlorination of ethylene process takes place. The oxychlorination of ethylene is a two-step process. In the first reactor, ethylene is passed through a bed of cupric chloride particles in which ethylene is converted to ethylene dichloride. In the second reactor, the cuprous chloride generated in the first reactor is converted back into cupric chloride by reacting with a mixture of HCl and oxygen gases. In the present paper, a mathematical model is developed for predicting the outlet concentration and conversion of ethylene in the first reactor, which is fluidized bed reactor. A three-phase fluidization has been assumed in which bubble phase, cloud-wake phase and emulsion phase exist. A first order reaction between cupric chloride and ethylene has been assumed. The model predicts the outlet concentration of ethylene, Ethylene Dichloride (EDC) and percentage conversion of ethylene. Further, the model predicts the variation of concentration of gaseous species along with bed height. The results have been compared with the results available in the literature. The results reveal a good agreement between the model and the literature.

Ethylene oxychlorination has attained commercial importance since 1960. Vinyl chloride monomer is produced by the cracking of 1, 2 dichloroethane (Ethylene Dichloride or EDC) which is manufactured worldwide by either direct chlorination or oxychlorination of ethylene.

In the oxychlorination process, gaseous ethylene, HCl and air (or) oxygen catalytically react at temperatures above 200 °C to produce EDC. The reaction sequence proceeds via chlorination of ethylene by cupric chloride. The copper salt is then regenerated by HCl and oxygen.

Chemical Engineering Journal, Metal Ions Onto Eggshell Powder, Heavy Metal Contamination, Water Resources, Traditional Treatment Techniques, Aquatic System, Equilibrium Biosorption Data, Biosorption Processes, Biomass Concentration, Biosorption Equilibrium, Biosorption Isotherm, Redlich Peterson Models.