OVERVIEW

This class deals with thermodynamics fundamentals, which are deepened and applied to main Industrial Chemistry processes. The main inorganic and industrial synthetic processes (ammonia, nitric acid, sulphuric acid, soda synthesis, industrial crystallization) are described in details

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The aim of the course is to introduce the foundations of industrial chemistry by providing the theoretical foundations and cultural tools (thermodynamics of real systems) to address the applied and operational chemical-physical aspects through which a technological process of industrial chemistry is defined, with particular emphasis reference to the operational aspects of some inorganic industrial syntheses

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the class, the student will be able to use in a deep way tools and functions of thermochemistry for real systems (thermodynamic potential, fugacity, activity, chemical potential, vapor pressure, compressibility factors). Moreover, He/she must be able to use the group contribution method to calculate the equilibrium constant and its temperature dependence considering the contribution of molar heats as well as to exploit generalized diagram for thermodynamics function at different pressure/temperatures. He/She must be able to work with fundamental of chemical kinetics to describe the conditions for maximum reaction speed as a function of temperature for exothermic chemical reactions

According to the advanced knowledge previously discussed, students must be able to discuss the industrial production process for ammonia, nitric and sulphuric acids, and sodium carbonate Moreover, students must know kinetic and thermodynamic fundamentals of industrial crystallization in order to control the crystal size distribution.

PREREQUISITES

Basic fundamentals of thermodynamics and chemical kinetics, fundamentals of chemistry

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures delivered by Power Point presentations (teaching notes) available to students on AulaWeb since the first lesson.  Moreover, it’s fundamental to refer to the book “Principi della Chimica Industriale 1” di G. Natta e I. Pasquon (free available at www.giulionatta.it ).

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

SECTION 1: THERMODYNAMICS RECALL

Systems under evolution and at the equilibrium

Un-compensed heat

Entropy generation and reaction velocity

Free Enthalpy and chemical potential

Fundamental equation of thermodynamic chemistry

Gibbs-Duhem equation

Fugacity and activity

Standard states

Ideal and real solutions

Henry and Raoult laws

The equilibrium constant

Free Enthalpy, standard enthalpy and entropy for compound formation

Favoured/unfavoured chemical reactions

Thermodynamic stability of compound with respect of elements

Oxidation standards – electrochemical series. (Optional)

Temperature dependence of thermodynamical functions

FORSEEN CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL FUNCTIONS FOR IDEAL GASES, PURE LIQUIDS, PURE SOLIDS (AND ELECTROLYTES)

Group contribution methods for the free standard entalpies for gas and condensed substances

Molar heat for pure gases, liquids and solids

Latent vaporization heat for liquids

APPLICATION OF FORMATION FREE ENTHALPIES AND BOND DISSOCIATION ENERGY FOR THE STUDY OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS

Chemical yield at the thermodynamic equilibrium

Francis diagram – relative hydrocarbon stability

Radical and ions relative stability

Thermodynamic properties of selected chemical reactions . Role of temperature and pressure

The SynGas

REAL GASES AND PURE LIQUIDS PROPERTIES, CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM AND REACTION HEAT IN REAL GAS SYSTEMS

The equation of state for pure real gases

Corresponding states law

Density of pure liquids

Fugacity coefficients

Non ideal gas system thermodynamic properties

Amagat and Dalton laws, pseudocritical conditions

Examples

CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIA AND REACTION HEAT IN CONDENSED SYSTEMS

Solution integral heat and solution properties

Reaction heat in liquid systems

Example sof chemical equilibrium in condensed systems

SECTION 2: SYNTHETIC INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES AND INDUSTRIAL CRYSTALLIZATION

BRIEF REMINDER ON CONSTRUCTION AND PLANT MANAGEMENT (optional)

APPLICATION OF THERMODYNAMICS AND KINETICS TO RELEVANT INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES – PLANT STRUCTURE

Ammonia synthesis

Sulphuric acid synthesis

Nitric acid synthesis

The Solvay process- for sodium carbonate synthesis

Industrial crystallization

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

• G. Natta, I. Pasquon, Principi della Chimica Industriale, Vol. 1, Città Studi, Milano (1993)

http://www.giulionatta.it/pdf/pubblicazioni/00537.pdf

This book is the reference for the first section of the class. For details not explicitly reported in the book, the teacher notes are available on aula Web.

For the section relative to thermodynamics recall, student might find useful:

• G. Natta, I. Pasquon, P. Centola, Principi della Chimica Industriale, Vol. 2, CLUP, Milano (1978)

http://www.giulionatta.it/pdf/pubblicazioni/00615.pdf

• H.S. Fogler, Elements of chemical reaction engineering 2nd ed., Prentice-Hall International Editions, New Jersey, 1992.
• E.W. Comings, High Pressure Technology, McGraw-Hill, New York (1956). Cap. 8 e 12.
• S. Carrà, Introduzione alla Termodinamica Chimica, Zanichelli, Bologna (1972). Paragrafi vari.
• E. Keszei, Chemical Thermodynamics: An Introduction, Springer (2013).
• O.A. Hougen, K.M. Watson, R.R. Ragatz, Principi dei Processi Chimici, Casa Editrice Ambrosiana, Milano (1966)

For the section relative to the industrial processes, teacher notes are available. Moreover, students might find useful:

• E. Mariani “Chimica Applicata Industriale 1”, UTET, Torino, 1972. Paragrafi vari.
• A. Girelli, L. Matteoli, F. Parisi “Trattato di Chimica Industriale e Applicata 1”, Zanichelli, Bologna, 1969. Paragrafi vari.
• C.A. Vancini “La Sintesi dell’Ammoniaca”, Ulrico Hoepli, Milano, 1961. Paragrafi vari.

Additional notes and bibliography can be provided to worker-students and unpaired students in order to fulfill specific requirements

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

DAVIDE COMORETTO (President)

SILVIA VICINI

MARINA ALLOISIO (President Substitute)

MAILA CASTELLANO (Substitute)

PAOLA LOVA (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

The class schedule is available at https://easyacademy.unige.it/portalestudenti/ 

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral exam held by two professors, one of them being D. Comoretto. The duration of the exam is no shorter than 30 minutes. The student usually discusses one of the industrial synthetic processes and the corresponding thermodynamics principles used for. The student must show to have understood main physical/chemical/technological fundamentals related to the topics and to logically report in a suitable technical vocabulary. Both part of the exam have the same weight on the final evaluation.

In emergency case only – according to specifi rules issued by the University – the exam could be telematic

For students with specific unparities, the assessment method will comply with the UNIGE rules summarized in https://unige.it/disabilita-dsa.

Students have to make an appointment with professor Comoretto for the exams.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Goal of the exam is to verify the achievement of the class aims. If aims are not achieved, the student is invited to make a deeper study and to ask the teacher for additional explanations before repeating the exam. In order to guarantee the correspondence between aims and exam topics, the detailed program is uploaded to aulaweb and decribed at the beginning of the teaching.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

For any other information, studentes are invited to directly contact the teacher by email (davide.comoretto@unige.it), telephone (0103538736/8744) or visiting him in his office/lab.