Equilibrium position

Equilibrium position: for a reversible reaction, an equilibrium position favouring products can increase the amount obtainable before separation or recycling.

If the equilibrium position favours the products, a relatively large proportion of the equilibrium mixture contains the desired product. If it favours the reactants, less desired product is present at equilibrium, reducing the amount obtained on each pass through the reactor. Unreacted material may sometimes be separated and recycled, but this requires additional equipment and energy.

For this course, the important evidence includes atom economy, percentage yield, reaction rate, equilibrium position and the usefulness of by-products. These factors can point towards different routes, so selecting a pathway usually involves a trade-off rather than finding one measure that is best in every situation.

The equilibrium position describes their relative amounts: an equilibrium lying towards the products gives a greater equilibrium yield of the desired product.