Lactic acid can be hydrogenated to

propylene glycol in the vapor phase over

a copper catalyst at 200°C. In this

process a liquid aqueous solution of lac-

tic acid is combined with gaseous H₂,

both at 30°C and 1 atm (760 mmHg)

pressure. The combined stream is then

heated to 200°C in a heater before being

fed to the reactor. Assume the feed

stream to the heater contains 46.51 mol %

lactic acid, 41.86 mol % water, and 11.63

mol% hydrogen, and the molar flow rate

of the feed stream is 215 gmol/min.

Determine whether the stream leaving

the heater is saturated vapor, superheated

vapor, saturated liquid, subcooled liquid,

or vapor-liquid mixture. Determine the

rate of energy supplied by the heater

(kW).