well as the water of reaction created during the course of the reaction was calculated to be 0 2 wt based on the total weight of reactants the reaction was conducted in the plug flow apparatus described above a mixture of acetone to n butyraldehyde 12 4 molar ratio was fed at 150 ml min preheated to 60 2 u00b0 c and mixed with 0 30 ml min of 50 caustic 0 038 molar ratio of caustic to n butyraldehyde prior to entering the reaction zone the total amount of water present in the reaction mixture at the start of the reaction based on the total weight of reactants was thus about 0 19 wt the reaction zone was sampled after the first reactor section to give a residence time of about 2 2 minutes with an outlet temperature of 63 8 u00b0 c selectivity and conversion data is summarized in table 2 the calculated combined total amount of water in the reaction mixture at the end of the reaction including both the amount of water provided at the start of the reaction as well as the water of reaction created during the course of the reaction was calculated to be 0 27 wt based on the total weight of reactants the reaction was conducted in the plug flow apparatus described.