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Question 3

An industrial chemical manufacturer has stocks of ethene and ethanol. The manufacturer evaluates two processes:

  • Process 1: converting ethene to ethanol
  • Process 2: converting ethanol to ethene

A chemical equation for Process 1 is:

C2H4+H2O→C2H6O \text{C}_2\text{H}_4 + \text{H}_2\text{O} \rightarrow \text{C}_2\text{H}_6\text{O} C2​H4​+H2​O→C2​H6​O
a.

Which set of conditions is used industrially in Process 1?

  • A: Temperature of 100 °C and 1 atm pressure
  • B: Phosphoric(V) acid catalyst at 300 °C and 60 atm
  • C: Sodium hydroxide catalyst at room temperature
  • D: Yeast catalyst at 37 °C
[1]
b.

The equation for Process 1 is written using molecular formulae. Describe the displayed formulae of ethene and ethanol, specifying all atoms and bonds.

[2]
c.

Explain why ethanol is classified as saturated, but cannot be classified as a hydrocarbon.

[2]
d.

An analyst for the manufacturer makes the following projections regarding future feedstock availability:

  • Crude oil reserves will become highly depleted, significantly raising the cost of petrochemical fractions.
  • Breakthroughs in biotechnology will allow rapid, high-yield fermentation of agricultural waste to produce ethanol.

Discuss how each of these projections would affect the economic and environmental viability of Process 1 and Process 2.

[4]

Alkenes Questions

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