
14 Green Chemical Engineering
2.1.3.2 Limiting Reactant
Consider the chemical reaction between compounds A and B, aA + bB → cC, and let the
rate equation be
(2.9)
Both reactants A and B will get completely converted into products if the reactants A and
B are present in the exact stoichiometric mole ratio.
B0
is the minimum initial concentration of B required for the complete conversion of A.
C
C
∗
=
(2.10)
where C
A0
is the initial concentration of A.
Assume that reactant B is made available very much in excess of the minimum quantity
required, that is,
∗
Then reactant A, but not reactant B, will get completely con-
ver