IChO 1980 · Theory problem 2

Water gas equilibrium

The homogeneous gas reaction

Figure 1

is termed the water gas reaction.

Problems:

2.1 Calculate the Gibbs reaction energy, \(\Delta G^0_{1000}\), for the water gas reaction at 1000 K from the reaction enthalpy: \[ \Delta H^0_{1000}=35040\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}} \] and the reaction entropy: \[ \Delta S^0_{1000}=32.11\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}\,K^{-1}}. \]

2.2 What is the value of the equilibrium constant \(K_p\) of the water gas reaction at 1000 K?

2.3 What are the values of the equilibrium constants \(K_x\) and \(K_c\) (\(x\): mole fraction, \(c\): concentration in \(\mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\) at the same temperature (1000 K)? (Note: The gas behaves ideally.)

2.4 A mixture of gases containing 35 vol. % of \(\ce{H2}\), 45 vol. % of \(\ce{CO}\) and 20 vol. % of \(\ce{H2O}\) vapours is heated to 1000 K. What is the composition of the mixture after the establishment of the water gas equilibrium?

2.5 Calculate the reaction enthalpy value, \(\Delta H^0_{1400}\), at 1400 K from the reaction enthalpy value, \(\Delta H^0_{1000}\), and the values of the molar heat, \(c_p^0\), (valid in the temperature range 1000 K to 1400 K)

\[ \Delta H^0_{1000}=35040\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}} \]

\[ c_p^0(\ce{CO2})=42.31+10.09\times10^{-3}\,T \quad \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}\,K^{-1}} \]

\[ c_p^0(\ce{H2})=27.40+3.20\times10^{-3}\,T \quad \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}\,K^{-1}} \]

\[ c_p^0(\ce{CO})=28.34+4.14\times10^{-3}\,T \quad \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}\,K^{-1}} \]

\[ c_p^0(\ce{H2O})=30.09+10.67\times10^{-3}\,T \quad \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}\,K^{-1}} \]

(It holds that \(\displaystyle \int_a^b(c_1+c_2x)\,\mathrm{d}x=c_1(b-a)+0.5c_2(b^2-a^2)\))

2.6 What can you say on the basis of the above findings on \(\Delta H^0\) about the shift in the water gas equilibrium with increasing temperature?

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 2.1: \(\boxed{\Delta G^0_{1000}=+2.93\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}}\).
  • 2.2: \(\boxed{K_p=0.703}\) at 1000 K.
  • 2.3: \(\boxed{K_x=K_c=K_p=0.703}\), all dimensionless.
  • 2.4: The equilibrium composition by volume is approximately 45.4% hydrogen ([H][H]), 34.6% carbon monoxide ([C-]#[O+]), 9.6% water vapour (O), and 10.4% carbon dioxide (O=C=O).
  • 2.5: \(\boxed{\Delta H^0_{1400}=+31.26\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}}\).
  • 2.6: Increasing temperature shifts the equilibrium towards the products of the stated reaction, \(\ce{CO}\) and \(\ce{H2O}\); the equilibrium constant increases.

Solution

The balanced reaction, with all species gaseous, is \[ \ce{CO2(g) + H2(g) <=> CO(g) + H2O(g)}. \] Reaction quantities below refer to one mole of reaction as written.

2.1 — Gibbs reaction energy

Using \[ \Delta G^0_T=\Delta H^0_T-T\Delta S^0_T, \] we obtain \[ \begin{aligned} \Delta G^0_{1000} &=35040\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}} -(1000\ \mathrm{K})(32.11\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}\,K^{-1}})\\ &=2930\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}}. \end{aligned} \] Thus \[ \boxed{\Delta G^0_{1000}=+2.93\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}}. \]

2.2 — Pressure equilibrium constant

For ideal gases, the dimensionless equilibrium constant is \[ K_p= \frac{(p_{\ce{CO}}/p^0)(p_{\ce{H2O}}/p^0)} {(p_{\ce{CO2}}/p^0)(p_{\ce{H2}}/p^0)} = \frac{p_{\ce{CO}}p_{\ce{H2O}}} {p_{\ce{CO2}}p_{\ce{H2}}}. \]

The standard Gibbs reaction energy satisfies \[ \Delta G^0=-RT\ln K_p. \] Using \(R=8.314\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}\,K^{-1}}\), \[ \ln K_p =-\frac{2930}{8.314\times1000} =-0.35242, \] and hence \[ \boxed{K_p=e^{-0.35242}=0.70299\approx0.703}. \]

2.3 — Mole-fraction and concentration equilibrium constants

The change in the total stoichiometric amount of gas is \[ \Delta\nu_{\mathrm{gas}}=(1+1)-(1+1)=0. \]

Since \(p_i=x_iP\), \[ K_p =\frac{(x_{\ce{CO}}P)(x_{\ce{H2O}}P)} {(x_{\ce{CO2}}P)(x_{\ce{H2}}P)} =\frac{x_{\ce{CO}}x_{\ce{H2O}}} {x_{\ce{CO2}}x_{\ce{H2}}} =K_x. \]

Similarly, the ideal-gas relation \(p_i=c_iRT\), with consistent units, gives \[ K_p =\frac{(c_{\ce{CO}}RT)(c_{\ce{H2O}}RT)} {(c_{\ce{CO2}}RT)(c_{\ce{H2}}RT)} =\frac{c_{\ce{CO}}c_{\ce{H2O}}} {c_{\ce{CO2}}c_{\ce{H2}}} =K_c. \]

All pressure and concentration units cancel because \(\Delta\nu_{\mathrm{gas}}=0\). Therefore \[ \boxed{K_x=K_c=K_p=0.703}. \]

2.4 — Equilibrium composition

For ideal gases, volume fractions equal mole fractions. Initially there is no carbon dioxide, so the reaction proceeds in the reverse direction: \[ \ce{CO(g) + H2O(g) -> CO2(g) + H2(g)}. \]

The total amount of gas remains constant. Let \(z\) be the equilibrium mole fraction of carbon dioxide. Stoichiometry then gives:

Gas Initial mole fraction Equilibrium mole fraction
\(\ce{CO2}\) \(0\) \(z\)
\(\ce{H2}\) \(0.35\) \(0.35+z\)
\(\ce{CO}\) \(0.45\) \(0.45-z\)
\(\ce{H2O}\) \(0.20\) \(0.20-z\)

The physically permitted interval is \(0<z<0.20\). Substituting into the equilibrium expression for the reaction as originally written, \[ K_x=\frac{(0.45-z)(0.20-z)}{z(0.35+z)}=0.7029865. \]

Expansion gives \[ (1-K_x)z^2-(0.65+0.35K_x)z+0.0900=0, \] or \[ 0.2970135z^2-0.8960453z+0.0900=0. \]

The roots are approximately \(0.1040285\) and \(2.91282\). Only the first satisfies the physical bounds: \[ z=0.1040285. \]

Thus the equilibrium composition is:

Gas Equilibrium volume percentage
Hydrogen, \(\ce{H2}\) \(45.4\%\)
Carbon monoxide, \(\ce{CO}\) \(34.6\%\)
Water vapour, \(\ce{H2O}\) \(9.6\%\)
Carbon dioxide, \(\ce{CO2}\) \(10.4\%\)

These percentages sum to \(100.0\%\). Using the unrounded mole fractions also reproduces \(K_x=0.7029865\).

2.5 — Reaction enthalpy at 1400 K

Kirchhoff’s law gives \[ \Delta H^0_{1400} =\Delta H^0_{1000} +\int_{1000\ \mathrm{K}}^{1400\ \mathrm{K}} \Delta c_p^0(T)\,\mathrm{d}T, \] where \[ \Delta c_p^0 =c_p^0(\ce{CO})+c_p^0(\ce{H2O}) -c_p^0(\ce{CO2})-c_p^0(\ce{H2}). \]

The constant coefficient is \[ 28.34+30.09-42.31-27.40=-11.28, \] and the coefficient of \(T\) is \[ (4.14+10.67-10.09-3.20)\times10^{-3} =1.52\times10^{-3}. \]

Therefore \[ \Delta c_p^0(T) =-11.28\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}\,K^{-1}} +\left(1.52\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}\,K^{-2}}\right)T. \]

With temperatures inserted numerically in kelvin, \[ \begin{aligned} \Delta H^0_{1400}-\Delta H^0_{1000} &=\left[ -11.28(1400-1000) +\frac{1.52\times10^{-3}}{2}(1400^2-1000^2) \right]\mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}}\\ &=(-4512+729.6)\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}}\\ &=-3782.4\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}}. \end{aligned} \]

Consequently, \[ \Delta H^0_{1400} =35040-3782.4 =31257.6\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}}, \] so \[ \boxed{\Delta H^0_{1400}=+31.26\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}}. \]

2.6 — Effect of increasing temperature

The forward reaction is endothermic at both temperatures: \[ \Delta H^0_{1000}=+35.040\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}, \qquad \Delta H^0_{1400}=+31.26\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}. \]

Moreover, \(\Delta c_p^0<0\) throughout 1000–1400 K, so the reaction enthalpy decreases continuously between these positive values and remains positive throughout that interval.

The van ’t Hoff equation therefore gives \[ \frac{\mathrm{d}\ln K_p}{\mathrm{d}T} =\frac{\Delta H^0(T)}{RT^2}>0. \]

Increasing temperature increases \(K_p\) and favours the endothermic forward reaction: \[ \boxed{\ce{CO2(g) + H2(g) -> CO(g) + H2O(g)}}. \] The equilibrium shifts towards carbon monoxide and water vapour.

The solution was checked against the official solution.