linked - Investigating the Terror

pounds of urea and 1694 pounds of nitric acid were missing. See G.Ex.
862. Using these figures and Jourdan's basic methodology, a proper
stoichiometric calculation would be as follows: Jourdan assumed, as we
will do here, that the concentration of the urea was 100% and the average
concentration of the nitric acid was 68.7%. A quantity of 1694 pounds of
68.7% nitric acid is the equivalent of 1164 (1694 x .687) pounds of 100%
nitric acid. Since, as noted above, 63 pounds of nitric acid is needed for
every 60 pounds of urea, 1164 pounds of 100% nitric acid is inadequate
to achieve a complete reaction of 1200 pounds of 100% urea. Accordingly,
the nitric acid was the limiting reagent.
For every 63 pounds of completely reacted nitric acid, 123 pounds of urea
nitrate is theoretically (100% yield) produced. Therefore, with a 100%
yield, 1164 pounds of nitric acid would produce 2273 pounds of urea
nitrate. A 97% yield, as obtained by Molnar, would produce 2205 pounds
of urea nitrate.
c. Williams' Salameh Testimony
In his testimony in the Salameh trial, Williams was asked to calculate how
much urea nitrate could be produced from the missing urea and nitric
acid. Williams first addressed the concept of a limiting reagent:
Whenever you have a reaction like this, there is a limiting
reagent when you mix two things together. You can only go so
far because one of the components limits the quantities that
you're going to have.
In the case of manufacturing urea nitrate, urea is the limiting
factor. So, you'd always want to add a little bit more nitric acid
than the recipe calls for to make sure that you've reacted all the
urea.
Next, Williams addressed the issue of yield. He testified that in a
laboratory type environment the [b]est case scenario would be in the
neighborhood of 90 percent. He then testified: