Question

If the reaction is endothermic, the temperature at the catalyst surface will be less.

(a) True

(b) False

The question was posed to me in final exam.

Query is from External Mass Transfer in section Heterogenous Reactions of Bioprocess Engineering

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

(a) True

Explanation: In an endothermic reaction, the reaction absorbs heat from its surroundings during the process. For reactions happening in the presence of a catalyst, the temperature at the catalyst surface tends to be lower compared to the bulk of the fluid because the reaction consumes heat.

If the heat is not supplied externally or if the heat transfer to the catalyst surface is not efficient enough, the temperature at the surface of the catalyst will decrease as the reaction proceeds. This is because the reaction itself is consuming energy (heat), leading to a cooling effect at the reaction site.

Thus, for an endothermic reaction, the temperature at the catalyst surface will indeed be lower.