A CSTR mixes reactants instantly to a uniform outlet composition. For a first-order reaction A→B at steady state, mole balance gives:
τ = V / Q
C = C0 / (1 + k·τ)
X = 1 - C / C0 = kτ / (1 + kτ)
- Feed flow rate Q — volumetric throughput; lower Q means longer residence time τ and higher conversion.
- Rate constant k — reaction speed (temperature/catalyst dependent via Arrhenius); higher k boosts conversion.
- Stirrer speed — visual mixing intensity; a real CSTR assumes perfect instantaneous mixing regardless of speed, so this control mainly shows agitation, though very low speeds are flagged as imperfect mixing.
- Feed concentration C0 — inlet reactant concentration; sets particle color saturation and outlet concentration scaling.
Real-world application: CSTRs are used throughout the chemical and pharmaceutical industries (e.g. polymerization, fermentation) wherever continuous, well-mixed production is preferred over batch processing.