Reaction networks irreversible kinetics

A kinetic description of large reaction networks entirely in terms of elementary reactionsteps is often not suitable in practice. Rather, enzyme-catalyzed reactions are described by simplified overall reactions, invoking several reasonable approximations. Consider an enzyme-catalyzed reaction with a single substrate The substrate S binds reversibly to the enzyme E, thereby forming an enzyme substrate complex [/iS ]. Subsequently, the product P is irreversibly dissociated from the enzyme. The resulting scheme, named after L. Michaelis and M. L. Menten [152], can be depicted as... 

Extensions of the simple network of consecutive irreversible reactions can easily be expanded to include multiple steps and products, formed by reversible and irreversible elementary reactions. In all complex processes the writing of a reaction network produces the most general description of the kinetic process. Fortunately, in many cases the network is such that the steady state assumptions can be invoked. When this is possible, the kinetic rate expressions for the elementary processes of the reaction mechanism can often be solved analytically, as in the example above, to yield a simpler rate expression for the overall process. The identification of such a mechanistic rate expression, using experimental rate data from a kinetic study, can serve to identify the likely mechanism of that reaction. 

The overall reaction network results in ten-simultaneous equations which can be solved in a step-wise fashion due to the irreversible reactions. The matrix of rate constants is lower triangular involving 20 kinetic constants (plus deactivation function parameters). 

Consider a reaction network consisting of irreversible first-order reactions. The basic unit for the most complex case is shown in Figure 3.4. Suppose that / is the lumped reactant from which all products originate, and B and C are the product lumps that are the end products of the process. Suppose further that the problem is to find a consistent kinetic structure. The lump 1 is an unknown lump added to the structure for consistency as shall be seen. Given these three lumps (/, B, and C), the task is then to find the reaction paths connecting these lumps and the rate constants in such a way that the kinetic structure is consistent. The first step is to find out which lump does not have any disappearance (as opposed to formation) reaction paths. Such a lump, which is lump C in Figure 3.4, should be at the end of the kinetic structure as shown since otherwise it... 

The kinetic model developed in Sect. 2.4 for the phenol-formaldehyde reaction belongs to a wider class of kinetic networks made up of irreversible nonchain reactions. In this section, a general form of the mathematical model for this class of reactive systems is presented moreover, it is shown that the temperature attainable in the reactor is bounded and the lower and upper bounds are computed. 

Practically any experimental kinetic curve can be reproduced using a model with a few parallel (competitive) or consecutive surface reactions or a more complicated network of chemical reactions (Fig. 4.70) with properly fitted forward and backward rate constants. For example, Hachiya et al. used a model with two parallel reactions when they were unable to reproduce their experimental curves using a model with one reaction. In view of the discussed above results, such models are likely to represent the actual sorption mechanism on time scale of a fraction of one second (with exception of some adsorbates, e.g, Cr that exchange their ligands very slowly). Nevertheless, models based on kinetic equations of chemical reactions were also used to model slow processes. For example, the kinetic model proposed by Araacher et al. [768] for sorption of multivalent cations and anions by soils involves several types of surface sites, which differ in rate constants of forward and backward reaction. These hypothetical reactions are consecutive or concurrent, some reactions are also irreversible. Model parameters were calculated for two and three... 

Most of the theory of diffusion and chemical reaction in gas-solid catalytic systems has been developed for these simple, unimolecular and irreversible reactions (SUIR). Of course this is understandable due to the obvious simplicity associated with this simple network both conceptually and practically. However, most industrial reactions are more complex than this SUIR, and this complexity varies considerably from single irreversible but bimolecular reactions to multiple reversible multimolecular reactions. For single reactions which are bimolecular but still irreversible, one of the added complexities associated with this case is the non-monotonic kinetics which lead to bifurcation (multiplicity) behaviour even under isothermal conditions. When the diffusivities of the different components are close to each other that added complexity may be the only one. However, when the diffusiv-ities of the different components are appreciably different, then extra complexities may arise. For reversible reactions added phenomena are introduced one of them is discussed in connection with the ammonia synthesis reaction in chapter 6. 

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