ATUL 2016

INDUSTRIAL TRAINING REPORT

ON

ATUL
LIMITED
(AROMATICS DIVISION)
297, GIDC INDUSTRIAL ESTATE,
ANKLESWAR, GUJARAT -393002

PRESENTED BY:
SOURAV HABIB HALDER
SAYANI GHOSH
SAJAL PRAMANICK
DIBYASHREE PAL

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY &

AGRICULTURE
DEPT. OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITY OF CALCUTTA

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ATUL 2016

June, 2016

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This was a great opportunity for budding Chemical
Engineers like us to have our In-Plant Training in this Aromatic
Division of Atul Ltd. for about 6 weeks period. We are thankful to the
University for arranging such training and grateful to Mr V.Kopakka,
President (AR & BI Division), Atul Ltd. for giving us this opportunity and
have in-plant training in Atul limited (Aromatics Division).
We convey our special thanks to Mr Syamal De
General Manager (Technology , Projects & operation) for his cordial
help & support in completing our Training and preparing this report. It
was a great experience to share knowledge with such a Chemical
Engineer who has vast knowledge in design and operation in chemical
operation.
We are thankful to Dr. Mayank Dave Head (QC), Dr.
Kalpesh Shah Mgr (R&D), Mr. M P Panchal Manger (Electrical),
Mr.H.L.Gajjar- Plant Manager (N.C.P), Mr.A.M.Vakil - Plant Manager
(P.A.A & P.C.D), Mr.B.M.Patel Head (SHE ), Mr. Kiran Savalia ,
Safety Manager & Mr. Rohit Patel Manager (Maintenance), Mr. H L
Gajjar , Sr Manager ( PC) & Mr. Tousif Khan for their continuous
support and enormous help in enriching our knowledge base of
chemical industries.

We are grateful to all the engineers, operators & others who helped us
directly or indirectly to have overview of all plants & understanding the
processes.
We are also thankful to Mr. Bhaskar Chandra Das ,
HOD, Department of Chemical Engineering, special thanks to Prof. Dr.
Sampa Chakraborty for making such wonderful arrangements for our
in plant training which honestly enlightened our chemical engineering
knowledge base.
During this six weeks period, we not only learnt
many practical aspects of chemical engineering but also acquired the
knowledge of how groups of people from diverse cultures work
together as a team and give committed results to fulfill the objective of
the company as a whole.
We also enjoyed the stay in Atul colony where proper
arrangements were made for our accommodation and food.

(SOURAV HABIB HALDER)

(SAYANI GHOSH)

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ATUL 2016

(SAJAL PRAMANICK)

(DIBYASHREE PAL)

ABOUT ATUL

Atul Ltd. is a member of Lalbhai group ,one of the oldest

business houses of India , with interests mainly in textiles aromatic.
The group is strongly committed to serve the society in the fields of
education,. Health as well as culture.
Incorporated in 1947, Atul Ltd (formerly Atul
products limited) was founded by Kasturbhai Lalbhai with a dream to
make reliant in chemicals, generate employment on a large scale and
create wealth for the society. For translating his dream Kasturbhai
Lalbhai brought his confidant, Ballubhai Muzumdar , an economist-and
his son, Siddhart Kasturbhai Lalbhai a Chemical engineer, to lead Atul
ltd and establish a large chemical conglomerate.

Atul Ltd became the first private sector company of India to

be inaugurated by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of the
country. The company has commenced its business with just a few
dyestuffs, the know-how of which was brought from other companies.

Over the years, Atul Ltd joined hands with American

Cyanamid Corp (1952), Imperial Chemical Industries plc (1955), Ciba
Geigy Ltd (1960) to form respectively three joint venture companies,
namely, Cyanamide India Ltd, Atic Industries Ltd & Cibatul Ltd
respectively.

Consequent to worldwide divestment of dyes & polymers

business by ZENECA plc (formerly a part of ICI, UK) and Ciba Geigy
Ltd respectively, Atic Industries Ltd & Cibatul Ltd were merged into Atul
Ltd in 1995 & 1998 respectively.

Atul Ltd operates through six business divisions, namely,

Agrochemicals, Aromatics, Bulk chemicals & intermediates

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ATUL 2016

Pharmaceuticals & Intermediate polymers. Each business, in step with

the company vision, develops & implements growth plans.

Atuls registered office is in Ahmedabad where as its corporate

headquarters are located in Atul, Gujarat. Atul has another corporate
Head quarter in Mumbai. The company has the NSE in India and has
over 35000 shareholders. Atul also has offices in the USA, the UK,
Germany, China and Vietnam to service its international customers.

ABOUT AROMATIC DIVISION

The erstwhile Gujarat Aromatics Limited was reconstituted as

Atul Limited and taken over by Lalbhai Group in 1988.
Gujarat Aromatics Limited was a Government owned
Company having a manufacturing capacity of mixed cresols
of 5000 tpa. The plant was set up and commissioned based
on the Japanese Technology, Honshu Chemicals, in 1978.
However, due to change in the market scenario, the capacity
utilization of was max 10 %. This brought to the entire
company to a huge loss year after year. The company was
taken over by Lalbhai Group in 1988.

Thereafter, Atul Limited (Aromatics Div) was very

successful in Turn Around and made a success story
through diversification and introducing value added
products. Business Turn over of the Division was only
around Rs 2 Crores in 1990.

Aromatics Division is the largest producer of 99%

p-Cresol and 99% Para Anisic Aldehyde and the global
leader in these business. Aromatics Div is also the leading
manufacturer of p-Cresidine and para anisic alcohol. Our
products are sold to diverse industries, including cosmetics,
flavours fragrances, polymer, bulk drugs, dye intermediate

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ATUL 2016

and animal micronutrients. The Division also makes many

perfumery grade products, which are appreciated by the
global customers.

The Division is set to achieve a business turn over

of Rs 700 crs in the current 2012-13 fiscal with an aim to
grow beyond 1000 crores by 2014.

The Divisions manufacturing site is located at

Ankleshwar in Gujarat, about 350 km north of Mumbai.

The Division has always laid great emphasis on

innovation. The state-of-the-art-cost-effective process,
scientific research, ingenious technology and detailed
market knowledge from the basis for the Divisions success.

Aromatics have strengthened its global

competitiveness through process innovation and
have developed new tools to gauge customers.
Through collaborations with universities and research
institutes, the Division gets access to new knowledge
and technology constantly.

INFRASTRUCTURE

The dimensions of the infrastructure facilities at Atul Ltds

manufacturing site at Ankleshwar is given below -

DESCRIPTION MEASUREMENT
Land area 33 acres
Effluent drainage system ZERO LIQUID DISCHARGE
Effluent treatment plants 1000 m3 per day
Captive power plant 5.6 MW per day
Electricity consumption 3.0 million units per month

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ATUL 2016

Steam generation 40 MT per hr.

Water storage 3000 kl
Housing 50 houses

RAW MATERIALS USED IN THIS PLANT

MAJOR RAW MATERIALS:

Toluene
Liquid Sulfur tri Oxide
Caustic Soda Lye (48-50%)
Sulfuric Acid (98%)
Nitric Acid (60%)
Hydrogen
Di Methyl Sulfate
Manganese di-Oxide

PRODUCTS

MAIN PRODUCTS:

Para Cresol (>99%)

Ortho Cresol (>99%)
Para Anisic Aldehyde (99%)
Para Cresidine (>99%)
Para Anisic Alcohol (>99%)
Sodium Sulphite (90 %)

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ATUL 2016

Anhydrous Sodium Sulphate ( > 99%)

Manganese Sulphate Mono-hydrate (> 99%)

PERFUMERY GRADE PRODUCTS:

Para Cresol
Para Anisic Aldehyde
Para Anisic Alcohol
Para Anisyl acetate
Para Cresyl Methyl Ether

UTILITIES OF THE PLANT

Utilities of the plant are

Power
Steam
Water
Instrument Air

1. POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM (COGEN)

As the plant generates electrical power & steam, thats
why the plant is called Co-generation plant (COGEN). The plant
requires around 106,000KWH /day for continuous production.

There are three types of sources of power supply in the plant.

Captive Power plant ( CPP)

Gujarat electricity board (GEB)
Diesel generator (DG)

CAPTIVE POWER PLANT:

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ATUL 2016

There are six gas turbines IC engine (having 12 &16

cylinder engines) in the power generation plant, in which three are in
operating condition & one is kept in stand by mode. Four of them
having capacity of 0.9 MW /day and two have 1 MW. CNG is used as
fuel in the combustion engine, which is supplied by Gujarat Gas
Company Ltd. The supplied gas is of 6 bar pressure and it is reduced to
3 bars before use.

DIESEL GENERATOR:

150TR-chilling plant contains 215HP motors, which need

high electricity to start. DG is started for 15-20 mins when 150 TR
chilling plant starts. If any of the engines fail to produce the power,
then to maintain the continuous power supply, DG set (Having 16
cylinder engine) starts within 10 secs in auto synchronization mode.

GUJARAT ELECTRICITY BOARD:

There is a further back up to draw power from GEB for

non-critical applications. From 66KV supply line of GEB, voltage is
stepped down to 11 KV at first and then reduced to 440V by a
transformer. Cost of power from GEB is Rs 7.5 per unit.

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ATUL 2016

FLOW DIAGRAM OF THE CO-GEN PLANT

From 2012 due to hike in price of CNG total eletricity required for plant
is taken from GEB.

2. STEAM
Each day around 600 MT steam is required to run all the
processes in the plant. There are mainly two types of steam which are
used in this plant-

Low-pressure steam
Medium pressure steam

For production of saturated steam four boilers are running.

Among which three boilers are 1- 3 passes and last one is 1-2 pass,
fire tube dual firing type, as they can handle natural gas and furnace
oil as fuel. Out of these four , two boilers are having capacity of 12
ton/hr another one is of 16 ton/hr and the last one is 24 ton/hour.
Pressure of the LPS and MPS are 2.5 kg/cm 2 and 12kg/cm2 respectively.
All Boilers are dual fuel fired ( NG & FO).
Co-gen plant produces steam of 8kg/cm2 pressure which
is totally converted into low pressure steam.
Each day 600 m3 DM water is required for steam
generation. Supplied raw water from G.I.D.C has a TDS of < 70
ppm.The DM water is first deaerater by heating up to 105 C and
some amount of steam is injected to remove all the dissolved oxygen
and send to economizer to preheat up to 127 o C. The furnace oil is pre-
heated up to 120 C by a electrical Preheater & a steam Preheater
Gear pump is used to pump the furnace oil to bring it to
the burner. Multistage centrifugal pump, operating at 25 Kg /cm, is
used to feed the water in the boiler chamber. There are two pressure
releasing valve operating at 13.5 &14.5 Kg /cm respectively.

USE OF STEAM:

In steam jet ejectors

In heating purpose
In pipe lines to prevent choking
In steam tracing
To drive steam turbine

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ATUL 2016

STEAM GENARATION SYSTEM:

Hot flue gas coming from IC engines enters into boiler. The
boiler is equipped with Preheater and economizer. Feed water first
goes to Preheater then returns to the water tank. From tank heated
water enters into economizer and then enters into boiler. Steam of
8KG/cm2 is produced from it and it is used as low pressure steam.

3. PROCESS WATER

About 1000 m3/day water fresh water required daily for

this plant. Three types of water are utilized in the plant: -

1) Raw water
2) Soft water
3) De-mineralized water.

Total consumption of water in the plant is ~1500 m3/day. Raw

water is used mainly for cooling tower make up ( > 50%).

PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAM

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ATUL 2016

Deminerialized water is used only as boiler feed water. Soft

water is re-circulated in the plant for process use. TDS content of soft
water is < 50 ppm. It is prepared by passing through ion-exchange
resin bed.

COOLING TOWER
A cooling tower is equipment used to reduce the temperature of
a water stream by extracting heat from water and emitting it to the
atmosphere. Cooling towers make use of evaporation whereby some of
the water is evaporated into a moving air stream and
subsequently discharged into the atmosphere. As a result, the remainder
of the water is cooled

There are two types of cooling towers-

Induced draft counter flow cooling tower

Induced draft cross flow cooling tower

Total requirement of cooling water has been full-filled by 12 cooling

towers.

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ATUL 2016

COOLING TOWER CAPACITY TYPE

(m3./hr)
1 1000 Induced Cross flow
2 1000 Induced Cross flow
3 600 Induced Cross flow
4 800 Induced Counter flow
5 500 Induced Cross flow
Rest 7 are

Average temperature difference between inlet and outlet of cooling

tower is 5 oC. Soft water is used in cooling tower for make up. They are
designed at 8-C T. Less T across the tower is maintained to get
the best efficiency.

COUNTER FLOW COOLING TOWER: -

In counter flow induced draft cooling towers water is

sprinkled from the top on packing and airflows from the bottom in
countercurrent. The major advantage of this flow configuration is that
the relatively dry air contacts the coldest water at the bottom, and the
humid air contacts the warm water at the top of the tower. This gives
maximum average driving force for heat and mass transfer.

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ATUL 2016

CROSS FLOW TYPE COOLING TOWER:-

In cross flow induced draft cooling tower air flows

horizontally along the packed height. The airflow is cross current to the
down flowing water. Louvers are provided all along the walls of the
tower to allow the air to move in. For the same airflow rate, the tower
requires less motor H.P than the counter flow type. Growth of algae is
more in it as in get more sunlight.

Components of a cooling tower:

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ATUL 2016

The basic components of a cooling tower include the frame

and casing, fill, cold-water basin,
drift eliminators, air inlet, louvers, nozzles and fans. These are described
below:

Frame and casing. Most towers have structural frames that

support the exterior enclosures(casings),
motors, fans, and other components

Fill. Most towers employ fills (made of plastic or wood) to facilitate

heat transfer by
maximizing water and air contact. There are two types of
fill:

Splash fill: Water falls over successive layers of horizontal splash bars,
continuously
breaking into smaller droplets, while also wetting the fill
surface. Plastic splash fills promote better heat transfer
than wood splash fills.

Film fill: Consists of thin, closely spaced plastic surfaces over which
the water spreads,
forming a thin film in contact with the air. These surfaces may
be flat, corrugated, or other patterns. The film type of fill is
the more efficient and provides same heat transfer in a
smaller volume than the splash fill.

Cold-water basin. The cold-water basin is located at or near the

bottom of the tower, and it receives the cooled water that flows
down through the tower and fill. The basin usually has a low
point for the cold-water discharge connection. In many tower
designs, the coldwater basin is beneath the entire fill.

Drift eliminators. These capture water droplets entrapped in

the air stream that otherwise would be lost to the atmosphere
.
Air inlet. This is the point of entry for the air entering a tower.
The inlet may take up an entire side of a tower (cross-flow design)
or be located low on the side or the bottom of the tower (counter-
flow design).

Louvers. Generally, cross-flow towers have inlet louvers. The

purpose of louvers is to equalize air flow into the fill and retain the
water within the tower. Many counter flow tower designs do not
require louvers.

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ATUL 2016

Nozzles. These spray water to wet the fill. Uniform water

distribution at the top of the fill is essential to achieve proper
wetting of the entire fill surface. Nozzles can either be fixed and
spray in a round or square patterns, or they can be part of a
rotating assembly as found in some circular cross-section towers.

Fans Both axial (propeller type) and centrifugal fans are used in
towers. Generally, propeller fans are used in induced draft towers
and both propeller and centrifugal fans are found enforced draft
towers. Depending upon their size, the type of propeller fans used is
either fixed or variable pitch.

CHILLING PLANT
Chilling is a process by which a fluid can be cooled to a
temperature below that obtainable if water only were used as a
coolant. It uses a refrigerant such as Ammonia or Freon. The
temperature of the brine is decreased down to -20 C.

Chilling plants details are as under :

120 TR chilling plant, uses Ammonia as

refrigerant.
300 TR chilling plants, uses Ammonia as
refrigerant.

TR (Tonnage of Refrigeration):

The cooling effect obtained when 1 ton of ice is melted freely during 24
hours at 0C.

Basic principle of chilling plant is the vapour compression

cycle. The cycle is consists of four stages-

o 1-2 Compression of the gas

o 2-3 Condensation of the hot & compressed gas
o 3-4 Joule Thomson expansion of the condensate
o 4-1 Evaporation of the liquid at low temperature &
pressure

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ATUL 2016

Compression

Evaporation at low
temperature & pressure Condensation

J.T. Expansion

BLOCK CIAGRAM OF VAPOUR COMPRESSION REFRIGERATION CYCLE

Temperature vs. Entropy diagram-

Pressure vs. Enthalpy diagram-

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ATUL 2016

60 TR Chilling Plant:

At first the gas is compressed in a compressor. The hot

compressed gas from the compressor enters into an oil separator
where the gas gets separated from the bearing oil which is mixed with
the gas during compression. The oil is then removed.
The hot gas is then condensed in a condenser by cooling water &
accumulates in a receiver tank.

Fig: 6 cylinder compressor

From the receiver tank the liquid is moved by capillary

action & its pressure gradually decreases & finally it expanded into
vacuum through a J.T. expansion valve into a surge drum. During the
expansion some of the liquid vaporizes & they take the necessary heat
for vaporization from the remaining liquid & hence the temperature of
the liquid is decreased to a very low temperature (less than zero). The
automatic liquid refrigerant feed in the surge drum, according to the

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 ATUL 2016

requirement, is controlled by liquid line solenoid valve & electric float

switch (EFS). Solenoid valve shall be ON/OFF acc. to liquid level in the
surge drum.

The cooled liquid is then fed to a plate heat exchanger

called chiller, where the brine is circulated counter currently & the
liquid is vaporizes to gas. The gas is then again taken to the
compressor & the chilled brine is send to the plant.

Storage Tanks:

In the chilling plant there are two types of storage tank- (1)
Hot Well & (2) Cold Well. In Hot Well all the brine from different plants
are stored & from this Well the brine is fed to the chiller. All the chilled
brine from chiller is stored in Cold Well & from this the chilled brine is
circulated to the different plants according to the requirement.

Refrigerant liquid level controller:

Ammonia Liquid Level Controller consists of a float

chamber and an Electronic Controller. It can be used on all non-
corrosive liquids such as Ammonia, Toluene, Freon etc. The Ammonia
Liquid Level Controller is used to control the Liquid Level in various
refrigeration applications like pump tanks in gas pump system,
condensers, etc.

Ammonia Liquid Level Controllers can also be used as a

protection against too high & too Low Liquid Levels.

Specifications:

1. Refrigerant : NH3
2. Differential Adjustable Between 10 To 40mm

3. Max Operating Pressure For Float Housing 19 Bar

4. Enclosure For Float Housing IP67 & For Controller IP54

Operation:

The Electronic Controller has two digits geared together for

adjusting the Liquid Level or differential level within a maximum range of

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 ATUL 2016

40 mm. Normally circuit loads terminals are provided that breaks an

electric circuit as the liquid rises by a differential value and makes as the
liquid level falls to the set value. At minimum level only one led glows, as
the level increases more led glows and at maximum level all the led light
up.

As this indication is available on Electronic Controller, it can be

mounted to any remote locations. The monitoring of plant becomes very
easy at a single point

BLOCK DIAGRAM OF 60 TR CHILLING PLANT

150 TR Chilling Plant:

This chilling plant consists of two different cycles of liquid

ammonia. In one cycle the gas is compressed by a high pressure, 160
kw, 215 HP compressor. The hot compressed gas from the compressor
enters into an oil separator where the gas gets separated from the
bearing oil which is mixed with the gas during compression. The oil is

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ATUL 2016

then cooled in a oil cooler & then passed through a oil filter & finally
recycled to the motor.

The gas is then condensed in a plate heat exchanger by

cooling water & the condensate-gas mixture is stored in a receiver.
Now the condensate-gas mixture is entered into an economizer in such
a way that one part of the mixture undergoes J-T expansion & entered
into the shell side. Other part of the mixture is passed through the tube
side & cooled down by the shell side liquid. The gas formed in the shell
side of the economizer is back to the compressor.

The tube side cooled liquid is then entered into an

intercooler. One part of the liquid is entered into the shell side through
a expansion valve & other part is entered into the tube side. The hot
gas from the 132 kW booster compressor is entered into the shell side
of the intercooler & this gas is cooled by the tube side liquid at the top
& then again cooled down at the bottom because of the expansion of
the liquid in shell side. Gas from the shell side is then fed back to the
high pressure compressor. The intercooler combines two cycles.

From the intercooler the liquid is moved by capillary

action & its pressure gradually decreases & finally it expanded into
vacuum through a J.T. expansion valve into a surge drum. During the
expansion some of the liquid vaporizes & they take the necessary heat
for vaporization from the remaining liquid & hence the temperature of
the liquid is decreased to a very low temperature (less than zero). The
automatic liquid refrigerant feed in the surge drum, according to the
requirement, is controlled by liquid line solenoid valve & electric float
switch (EFS). Solenoid valve shall be ON/OFF acc. to liquid level in the
surge drum.

The cooled liquid is then fed to a plate heat exchanger

called chiller, where the brine is circulated counter currently & the
liquid is vaporizes to gas. The gas is then entered into the surge drum
& then taken to the Booster compressor. The chilled brine is send to
the cold well & from this it is send to the plant according to
requirement

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ATUL 2016

PARA CRESOL PLANT

RAW MATERIALS:

Toluene
Liquid SO3
NaOH
H2SO4

RAW MATERIAL SOURCES:

Toluene Reliance, IOC, MOBIL EXXON, BPCL

Liquid SO3 Amal Ltd.
NaOH Reliance, Gujarat Alkali & Chemicals Ltd.
(GACL), IPCL, DCM Alkali.
H2SO4 Amal Ltd.

PRODUCTS:
1. P-cresol
2. O-cresol
3. Phenol
4. Sodium sulfite (powder)
5. Sodium Sulphate powder, 99%

FUEL: Natural gas from GGCL

This p-cresol plant of Atul Limited is the worlds

largest PC plant.

CHEMICAL REACTIONS:

SULFONATION:

CH3 CH 3
+ SO3

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ATUL 2016

(TOLUENE) SO 3H
(TSA)

SODIATION:

CH3 CH 3
+ NaOH +
H2O

SO3H SO 3Na
(TSA) (NaTSA)

FUSION:

CH3 CH 3
+ NaOH + Na 2SO3 + H2O

SO3Na ONa
(NaTSA) (Na- CRESOLATE)

ACIDIFICATION:

CH3 CH3
+ H2SO4 + Na2SO4

ONa OH
(Na-CRESOLATE) (CRUDE CRESOL)

PROCESS DESCRIPTION:
Continuous process is used to produce Para Cresol in
Atul Ltd

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ATUL 2016

1. SULFONATION:

Liquid SO3 is used as the sulfonating agent in

sulfonation of Toluene, which is kept in a special type of storage tank in
a room maintained at a temperature just above the freezing point of
SO3 Mixtures of Toluene and SO 3 are sent to the plug flow reactor for
sulfonation reaction.The sulfonation of toluene is carried out at low
temperature & toluene sulfonic acid is formed. Temperature is
controlled by the chilled brine.
After sulfonation step, TSA is then sent for sodiation.

2. SODIATION: The sodiation process involves the

neutralization of toluene sulfonic acid by adding NaOH where pH
becomes slightly basic, to form NaTSA.
NaTSA is then stored in the storage tanks. From these tanks, it is fed
to the fusion pots in the fusion unit.

3. FUSION:

In fusion section NaTSA is fused with a concentrated

solution of NaOH. Fusion is very high temp reaction. At first caustic is
fed to the fusion reaction pot & NaTSA is then slowly charged, with
continuous starring. Entire water vapour is taken out from the system
by an ejector system. This is a very critical operation as far as fusion
reaction and safety is concerned.

4. QUENCHING & SULPHITE SEPARATION:

Fusion mass is then quenched in this water.

Then , solid sulphite is separated by centrifuging,
The clear Na-Cresolate oil is sent for
acidification.

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ATUL 2016

5. ACIDIFICATION:

The acidifier is a CSTR type reactor in which

H2SO4 is added with Na-Cresolate oil. This is an exothermic reaction.
After acidification reaction crude Cresols & Na 2SO4 is formed. Here the
crude cresols and Na2SO4 form two different phases. It is separated by a
continuous decanter. The bottom part containing Na 2SO4, The upper
organic part (crude cresols) is pumped into a storage tank and is sent
for distillation.

6. DISTILLATION:

Crude cresols are first fed into kettle type batch distillation equipment
then it is sent to a continuous fractionation system where p-cresol is
separated as 99% pure product.
MASS BALANCE OF PARA CRESOL PLANT:

BASIS: 16 Ton p-cresol per day

1. ACIDIFICATION:

2 Na-Cresolate + H2SO4 2 p-cresol +

Na2SO4
(C7H7ONa) (C 7H7OH)
(130) (98) (108)
(142)

Assumptions:

1. 99% conversion of the Na-Cresolate

2. 98% H2SO4 solution

Input Output
Na-Cresolate = 19.454 P-Cresol =16
T T
H2SO4 = 7.407 T Na2SO4
=10.519 T
Water = 0.151 T Unreacted H2SO4 =
0.148 T
Unreacted Na-Cresolate =

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ATUL 2016

0.195 T
Water =
0.151 T
Total =27.012 T Total = 27.013 T

2 FUSION:

NaTSA + 2 NaOH Na- cresolate +

Na2SO3 + H2O
(C7H7O3SNa) (C7H7ONa)
(194) (40) (130)
(126) (18)

Assumptions:

1. NaOH solution
2. 95% conversion of Na-TSA

Input Output
Na-TSA = 30.559 T Na-Cresolate
=19.454 T
NaOH = 15.962 T Na2SO3 =
18.855 T
Water = 5.321 T Water =
8.015 T
Unreacted Na-TSA =
1.523 T
Unreacted NaOH =
3.990 T
Total = 51.842 T Total =
51.837 T

3. SODATION:

TSA + NaOH NaTSA

+ H 2O

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ATUL 2016

(C7H8O3S) (C7H7O3SNa)
(172) (40) (194)
(18)

Assumptions:

1. 99% conversion of TSA

2. 48% concentration of NaOH

Input Output
TSA = 27.367 T Na-TSA = 30.559
T
NaOH = 15.752 T Unreacted TSA = 0.275
T
Water = 23.628 T Unreacted NaOH = 9.451
T
Water =
26.436 T
Total = 66.747 T Total =
66.748 T

4. SULPHONATION:

Toluene + SO3 Toluene

sulphonic acid
(C7H8)
(C7H8O3S)
(92) (172)

Assumptions:

1. Sulphonation yield is 90%.

Input Output
Toluene = Unreacted Toluene = 1.627
16.265 T T

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ATUL 2016

SO3 = Unreacted SO3 = 1.414

14.143 T T
TSA =
27.367 T
Total = Total =
30.408 T 30.408 T

5. DISTILLATION:

Assumption:

1. 98% of the crude cresol produced is Para rich main cut.

2. 96% of Para rich main cut is P-cresol

Therefore main cut amount is = (16 * 0.98) = 15.68 T

The amount of p-cresol in the main cut = (15.68 * 0.96) = 15.0528 T

6. FRACTIONATION:
Assumptions:

Bottom product contains 99.5% p-cresol.

Therefore amount of bottom product is = (15.0528 * 0.995) = 14.9508

T

Top product amount is = (15.0528 - 14.9508) = 0.1021 T

Ratio of p-cresol to Toluene is= (14.9508 / 16.265) =

0.9192

BLOCK DIAGRAM WITH MASS BALANCE:

27
ATUL 2016

TSA= 27.367 T
Liq.SO3 Toluene = 1.627 T
14.143 T SULPHONATION SO3 = 1.414 T
Toluene
16.625 T TSA

NaTSA = 30.559 T
NaOH TSA = 0.275 T
15.752 T SODATION NaOH = 9.451 T
H2O = 26.436 T
H2O
23.628 T NaTSA

NaOH Na Cresolate= 19.454 T

15.962 T FUSION NaTSA = 1.523 T
Na2SO3 = 18.855 T
NaOH = 3.99 T
H2O Na Cresolate H2O = 8.015 T
5.321T
Crude cresol = 16T
Na cresolate = 0.195 T
H2SO4 ACIDIFICATION Na2SO4 = 10.519 T
7.407 T H2SO4 = 0.148 T
H2O H2O = 0.151 T
0.151 T Crude cresol

Para
DISTILLATION
Cresol

14.9508 T

PRODUCT SPECIFICATION:

28
ATUL 2016

PARA CRESOL (99%):

Nomenclature:
4-methyl phenol
1-hydroxy-4-methyl benzene
P-hydroxy toluene

Description:

Colorless to pale yellow solid at ambient temperature,

melting to a pale yellow liquid above 340 C

Technical data:

Specific Gravity: 1.02-1.03

Melting point: 33-34oC
Boiling point: 202oC
Flash point: 86oC
Auto ignition temp: 559oC

Specification:

Para cresol: 99% minimum

Meta cresol: 0.8% maximum
Ortho cresol: 0.1% maximum
Moisture: 0.1% maximum

Packing:

Galvanized iron drums 200Kgs/ ISO tank containers .

Health hazards:

Eye- Redness, pain

Skin- Burn, pain
Inhalation- Headache, vomiting

Application:

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ATUL 2016

1. As drug intermediate
2. In resin manufacturing
3. As a intermediate of many synthetic organic
4. In perfumery and agrochemical industry etc.

ORTHO CRESOL (99%):

Nomenclature:

2-Hydroxy toluene
2-Methyl phenol

Description:

Transparent, colorless to pale yellow liquid, darkening on storage.

Technical Data:

Specific gravity@ 30 0 C: 1.03-1.05

Flash point: 81oC
Auto ignition tem: 559oC
Melting point: 29-31oC
Boiling point: 191oC

Specification:

Ortho cresol: 99% min

Para cresol: 0.2% max
Meta cresol: 0.1% max
Phenol: 0.6% max

Packing:

Galvanized iron drums 200Kgs/ ISO tank containers .

Health Hazards:

Eye- Redness, pain

Skin- Burn, pain
Inhalation- Headache, vomiting

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ATUL 2016

Application:

1. Dyes intermediate
2. Drug intermediate
3. As disinfectant like phenol
4. Agro chemicals
5. Novolac resin

PARA ANISIC ALDEHYDE (PAA) PLANT

RAW MATERIALS:

1. Para cresol
2. Dimethyl sulfate(DMS)
3. NaOH
4. Conc.H2SO4
5. Toluene
6. MnO2 powder

RAW MATERIAL SOURCES:

Toluene: IOC, Reliance, Exxon Mobil

MnO2: Imported from Brazil & South Africa
DMS: Imported from China
NaOH: GACL, Atul
H2SO4: Amal Ltd

PRODUCTS:

1. Para Anisic Aldehyde (PAA)

2. p-Cresyl Methyl Ether (PCME)
3. MnSO4

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ATUL 2016

PROCESS CHEMISTRY:

1.At first, 98% p-cresol is mixed with NaOH & DMS in methylation
reaction and para cresyl methyl ether (PCME) is obtained.

CH3 CH3
+ NaOH + (CH3)2SO4 + Na2SO4
O
ONa OCH 3

2.In second step, PCME is mixed with MnO2 for oxidation & para anisic
aldehyde is produced.
CH3 CHO
+ MnO2 + H2SO4 + MnSO4+ H2O

OCH3 OCH 3

PROCESS DETAILS;

1. METHYLATION:

98% p-cresol + DMS + NaOH = PCME

In methylator, p- cresol is added. Then DMS is fed to the

methylator in a alkaline media. This reaction is exothermic in nature,
so a cooling water jacket for cooling is kept outside of the vessel. After
reaction, it is settled down for layer separation, which is done
manually. Now aqueous layer is fed to the aqueous solution storage
tank & organic layer (containing PCME) is fed to the oxidizer.

2. OXIDATION:

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ATUL 2016

PCME + Manganese dioxide + Sulphuric acid

Para anisic
Aldehyde(PAA)

In oxidizer, PCME reacts with MnO2 slurry in an acidic

medium ( 98% H2SO4)
to form PAA. This is also an exothermic reaction and heat is removed
by passing cooling water in the jacket. Then it also cooled.

3. EXTRACTIONS:
Crude mass is extracted in toluene phase and sent for
distillation

4. DISTILLATION:

Distillation is done in batch distillation columns. There

are two-type of distillation column - one is flashing column & another is
fractionation column.
In flashing column mainly toluene is separated from the crude PAA.
Now the toluene free PAA is fed to the fractionation column.

Fractionation column is operated under vacuum(by steam ejector). In

the fractionation columns, final PAA is purified to get 99% purity.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATION:

PARA ANISIC ALDEHYDE (PAA):

Nomenclature: 4-methoxy benzaldehyde.

Description:
A clear, pale yellow liquid.

Technical Data:

Specific gravity @ 250C : 1.119-1.122

Melting point: 0-20C
Boiling point: 2480C
Flash point: 109oC

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ATUL 2016

Packing:

Galvanized iron drums 225Kgs net & ISO tanks.

Health hazard:

Eye- Irritation
Skin- Irritation
Ingestion- Irritation
Inhalation- Irritation

Application:

1. Drug intermediate
2. Perfumery works
3. U.V absorbers
4. Electroplating
5. Flavoring
6. Used as chemical

PARA-CRESIDINE (PCD) PLANT

RAW MATERIALS:

P-Cresol
60% Nitric Acid
DMS
Sodium Sulfide
Tartaric Acid
Acetic Acid
Caustic Lye
Mono chloro Benzene

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ATUL 2016

SOURCES OF RAW MATERIAL:

1. Para Cresol: Atul Ltd.

2. HNO3 : GNFC, Deepak Nitrite
3. DMS : Imported from China
4. Na2S : Atul Limited.
5. MCB : GNFC

PRODUCT: Para Cresidine

PROCESS CHEMISTRY:

CH3 CH3

HNO3 NO2
OH OH
NaOH
(P-Cresol) (3-NPC)

CH3 Toluene , DMS

CH3
+ Na2SO4 + H2O
NO2
NO2
OCH3
ONa
(Na Salt of 3-
NPC)

Na2S , [H]

CH3

NH2
OCH3
(P-Cresidine)

PROCESS DETAILS:

1. NITRATION:

Stirred tank batch reactor is used for the Nitration of Para-Cresol.

It is carried out using nitric acid in presence of a solvent. It is an

35
ATUL 2016

exothermic reaction .So temperature maintaining is done by passing

chilled brine through the cooling jacket . After completion of reaction,
the mass is kept for settling & organic layer is separated from the
above.

2. SOLVENT RECOVERY:

The organic layer is taken to a settler where layer separation is

done. Upper layer of solvent is sent to the storage & the bottom layer
of 3-NPC salt is again taken to the reactor. The reaction mixture is sent
for methylation.

3. METHYLATION:

CSTR methylator is used for methylation at moderate

temperature. At first 3NPC salt from the reactor & NaOH lye from
storage tank is added in the methylator. Then DMS from storage tank
is added into methylator directly. Then acetic acid is added to it for
neutralization. Then the mass is kept for settling. Organic mass is sent
for reduction.

4. REDUCTION:

Na2S solution is used for reduction. After completion of reaction,

crude mass is sent for distillation.

5. DISTILLATION:

PCD is steam distilled and fed to a batch decanter from where it

is separated and flaked as a finished product.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATION:

Nomenclature:
1-Amino-2-Methoxy-5-Methyl Benzene
2-Methoxy-5-Methyl aniline
3-Amino-4-MethoxyToluene.

Description:

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ATUL 2016

Light yellow to brown coloured lumps/flakes/fused

Specification:
Solubility: Soluble in dilute HCL, Alcohol and Ether
Moisture (%W/W): 0.5 Max

Technical data:
Boiling point: 235oC
Melting point: 50-52oC
Flash point: 110oC
Density: 1.022 gm/ml at 60oC

Storage:
Store in a cool, dry, well ventilated area away from
sources of ignition and
strong oxidizers.

Packing:
Mild Steel Iron Drums with polyethylene liners 30 /50 /100
Kg.

Environmental Data:
Substance is toxic to aquatic organisms.

Health hazards:
Eye - Irritation
Skin- Carcinogenic
Ingestion- Toxic, may cause cancer
Inhalation- Irritant to upper respiratory tract

Application:
Intermediate for dyestuffs

PARA ANISIC ALCOHOL (PAAL) PLANT

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ATUL 2016

RAW MATERIALS:

1. Para anisic aldehyde (PAA)

2. Hydrogen
3. Catalyst

Hydrogen gas is kept into storage tank at high pressure (150

kg/cm2). Before fed it to the hydrogenator it is passed through pressure
reducing station composed of different pressure reducing valves to a
low gas pressure.
PAA is coming from the PAA Plant & it is taken to the
hydrogenator.
Special catalyst is used for hydrogenation reaction. Catalyst is kept
under water.

RAW MATERIAL SOURCES:

1. Para Anisic Aldehyde Atul
Ltd.
2. Hydrogen
GIDC, Ankleshwar
3. Catalyst
Imported from UK.

PRODUCT: Para Anisic Alcohol

PROCESS CHEMISTRY:

PAAL is prepared by reduction or hydrogenation of Para anisaldehyde in

presence of suitable catalyst.

CHO CH2OH
H2

OCH3 OCH 3
(Para anisaldehyde) (Para anisic
alcohol)

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ATUL 2016

PROCESS DETAILS :

1. HYDROGENATION:
It is done in two CSTR. PAA is taken from storage tank
and , then catalyst is added in it. Then finally hydrogen is passed.
Agitation is done during the reaction. When the agitator starts rotating
it suck the H2 gas in side the liquid mixture. As a result the gas bubbles
are formed providing huge surface area for the reaction. Reaction is
done at high pressure and high temp.

2. FILTRATION:
Hydrogenated mass is filtered in a special filter to separate
the catalyst. Crude is fed to the filter where the catalyst is filtered off
by the filter pads. Crude PAAL is then fed for the distillation.

3. DISTILLATION:
Crude PAAL is fed to the distillation kettle. Distillation kettle
is operated under vacuum. After distillation, PAAL purity of 99.5 % min
is achieved.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATION :

PARA ANISYL ALCOHOL:

Nomenclature:

Para Anisic Alcohol

Para Methoxy Benzyl Alcohol

Description:

Transparent, colourless, liquid with floral odour

Technical Data:

Specific gravity @ 30oC: 1.105 1.112

39
ATUL 2016

Boiling Range: 255oC 260oC

Flash point: 110oC
Melting point: 23oC 25oC

Specification:

Purity: 99% Min

Para Anisic Aldehyde: 0.5% Max

Application:

In perfumery, for light floral odour,

Pharmaceuticals intermediate,
Flavouring agent

MULTIPLE EFFECT EVAPORATORS

Evaporation means removal of a part of the solvent from a

solution of a non-volatile solute by vaporization. Evaporation is done in
evaporators. Evaporators are mainly of two types-

1. Natural circulation evaporators

2. Forced circulation evaporators

Forced circulation is most useful for viscous, heatsensative, and

materials containing suspended particles.
Depending upon principles, multiple effect evaporators are
more useful than single effect evaporators. This is because-

1. Very often a part of steam is used to provide sensible heat to

solution to raise the temperature of the feed to its boiling point.

2. The latent heat of vaporization of water decreases with

increasing temperature. Steam condensing in the chest is at a higher
temperature than that of solution. So the latent heat released by the
condensation of one kg steam is less than that required for
vaporization of 1kg of water from the boiling solution.

40
ATUL 2016

The evaporator which is installed here in Atul limited is a

multiple effect forward feed evaporator to evaporate water from a
Na2SO4 solution coming from the PC plant. For this evaporator feed rate
is 16T/hr and the feed solution contains 23% solids. It has 4 effects and
steam economy is four.

PROCESS DESCRIPTION:

Feed solution is first fed to a shell and tube type heat

exchanger where it is heated by the hot condensate coming out from
the condensation of vapor. Then the solution goes to Preheater no-4 for
further heating. Preheater is a shell and tube type heat exchanger
installed vertically where heating is done by vapor coming out of
evaporator.

Then the solution goes to PHE-3, PHE-2 and PHE-1

respectively.

FLOW DIAGRAM OF A MULTI EFFECT EVAPORATOR

41
ATUL 2016

EFFECT-1:

From PHE-1 it goes to vapor liquid separator -1 (VLS-1) and

then it is circulated in the evaporator-1(EVP-1) by an axial pump.
In evaporator-1 heating is done by live steam. It is mixed
with the vapor, coming out of the VLS-1 with the help of a vapor
recompress or and fed to EVP-1.The pressure of live steam is 8kg/cm2
and the steam of VLS-1 is around 1kg/cm2.After vapor recompression
the pressure of the mixed steam become around 2.2-3 kg/cm2 and it
enters into the evaporator. In the evaporator a part of the solvent is
vaporized and the feed along with the vapor enters into the vapor
liquid separator-1(VLS-1) .
VLS-1 separates steam from the liquid. The liquid
recirculated in EVP-1 and the vapor goes out through a cyclone
separator. This steam is used for heating in evaporator-2.
Preheater-1(PHE-1), Evaporator-1(EVP-1),Vapour
liquid separator-1(VLS-1) forms the effect-1 of the 4-effect evaporator.

EFFECT-2:

A part of liquid from effect-1 goes to the inlet of axial pump

of effect-2 through a pipe line. The line is equipped with a control
valve, which opens according to the level of liquid in the VLS-2.
Effect 2 contains PH-2, EVP-2, VLS-2.Feed is circulated in
evaporator-2 with the help of an axial pump. Heating is done in EVP-2
by the steam coming from the vapor liquid separator-1. From EVP-2
feed and vapor enters into VLS-2 where steam is separated from the
concentrated feed. The steams formed hear goes to evaporator of
effect-3.

EFFECT-3:

A part of liquid from effect-2 goes to the inlet of axial pump

of effect-3 through a pipe line. The line is equipped with a control
valve, which opens according to the level of liquid in the VLS-3.
Effect 3 contains PH-3, EVP-3, VLS-3.Similar
phenomenon as effect-2 takes place hear and the steams formed hear
goes to evaporator of effect-4

EFFECT-4

Effect 4 contains PH-4, EVP-4, and VLS-4. A part of liquid

from effect-3 goes to the inlet of axial pump of effect-3 through a pipe

42
ATUL 2016

line. The line is equipped with a control valve, which opens according
to the level of liquid in the VLS-4.
Operation of parts of effect-4 is similar to as previous but
the vapor liquid separator-4(VLS-4) is different from the others. Its
upper portion is vapor liquid separator and lower part is a crystallizer.
The liquid from the vapor liquid separator comes to the crystallizer by
a hollow pipe and it is continuously withdrawn from the crystallizer by
an axial pump and fed to the evaporator. For this reason there exists a
continuous flow in the crystallizer. The flow is such that it gives
sufficient time to the solution to form crystals but not allow them to
deposit. The thick liquor is withdrawn from the bottom of the
crystallizer and goes to pusher centrifuge.

SOLID FORMATION:

Solid is formed in pusher centrifuge. In it feed is introduced

in a rotating drum which has pores of certain mesh size on its wall.
Because of the centrifugal force water goes out of the drum through
pores and solid accumulates on the wall. Then a shaft pushes the
solids to a second chamber. The frequency of the stroke can be
adjusted manually. From the second chamber we obtain the solid
product having 8-10% moisture. The solution coming out of the
centrifuge is mixed with the primary feed solution.

The system can be explained more conveniently with the help of these
networks.

FEED NETWORK:

Feed is first heated in heat exchangers by the hot

condensate. Then it is taken to PH-4 where it is further heated. Then it
is send to PH-3, PH-2, and PH-1 respectively.
From PH-1 it is send to VLS-1.With help of an axial pump
feed is circulated between VLS-1 and EVP-1. When its concentration
becomes sufficient it is fed to inlet of axial pump of effect-2 and
circulated between VLS-2 and EVP-2. Similarly it goes to effect-3 and
effect-4.Thick solution coming out of crystallizer of effect-4 goes to a
pusher centrifuge and solid product is taken out from there. The
saturated solution which is separated in pusher centrifuge is again
mixed with the primary feed solution.

STEAM NETWORK:

43
ATUL 2016

Live steam of 8 kg/cm2 is fed to the effect-1. In a thermo

compressor it is mixed with a part of steam coming from VLS-1and fed
to the shell side of EVP-1.In EVP-1 the feed is heated by this steam and
steam condenses in the shell side during heat transfer as it is low
pressure steam. A pert of steam which is fed to EVP-1 goes to PH-1 for
heating.

Steam formed in the tube side of EVP-1 get

separated from the liquid in VLS-1 and it enters into the shell side of
EVP-2.During heat transfer in EVP-2 it condenses totally and the steam
formed in the tube side during heating goes to the shell side of EVP-3.
Same phenomenon occurs in effect-3 andeffect-4.The
steam coming out of the VLS-4 goes to a surface condenser which is
linked with a vacuum pump.

VACUUM NETWORK:

Economy is high in multiple effect evaporation system

because vapour produced in one stage is used for heating in next
stage. So the solution of the next stage should have a lower point
which is attained by maintaining it under vacuum.
In this system vacuum is produced by a vacuum pump
which is connected to the surface condenser. The condenser
condenses the vapor coming from VLS-4. So VLS-4 operates under
lowest pressure. Vacuum is carried over from VLS-4 to EVP-4, from EVP-
4 to VLS-3 and EVP-3 and so on. Pressure is lowest in EVP-4 and
highest in EVP-1. Shell sides of all shell and tube type heat exchangers
(PH-1, 2, 3, 4 and EVP-1, 2, 3, 4) are connected by a vent line with the
vacuum system. So,

P (EVP-1)> P (EVP-2)> P (EVP-3) > P (EVP-4)

From this pressure characteristics it is quite evident that,-

BP (EVP-1)> BP (EVP-2)> BP (EVP-3)> BP (EVP-4)

BP- Boiling point of the solution.

CONDENSATE NETWORK:

In this system live steam (8kg/cm2) is mixed with steam

coming from VLS-1(LPS) in a thermo compressor and fed into shell side
of EVP-1. As the mixed steam is of low pressure it condenses after heat
transfer.

44
ATUL 2016

Hot condensate from EVP-1 goes to EVP-2 and condensate

from PH-2 also comes to EVP-2. From EVP-2 all condensate goes to
EVP-3 and then to EVP-4.
From EVP-4 all condensate goes to a collection tank.
Condensate formed in the surface condenser also comes to the
collection tank. From it the condensate is passed through a shell and
tube type heat exchanger in which initial heating of the fed solution is
done.

DRYING(Na2SO3 and
Na2SO4)
In MEE plant, we have got solid Na 2SO4 which contains 4%-5%
moisture. We cannot eliminate the whole moisture by help of this
process. So we have to dry it further to make it saleable in the market.

PROCESS DESCRIPTION:
Here blower acts as a main drying instrument. It supplies the air
and also it is responsible for creating the driving force. It creates a
vacuum in the whole system.There is a burner which burns the air,
producing hot air.The feed comes into contact to the hot air in the
feeder tank.An agitator is there to reduce and disintegrate the particle
size.There is a cooling system in the agitator only to cool the
mechanical parts of the agitator. As blower creates vacuum so the
whole mixture is lifted up by help of air in the pipe.There is a filtering
bag with suitable mesh size in the upper section of this pipe.Na 2SO4 in
powdered form comes down to the hopper and moisture with air goes
outside from the system. Here temperature is maintained
properly in the system.
Na2SO3 is dried in the same way..

EQIPMENTS REQUIRED:

1) BLOWER
2) BURNER
3) FEEDER TANK
4) AGITATOR
5) HOPPER
6) FILTERING BAG

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ATUL 2016

SEVERAL EQUIPMENTS USED IN THIS

PLANT

PUMPS:

Single stage Centrifugal pump

Multistage Centrifugal pump
Vertical type centrifugal pump
Corrosion resistant polypropylene pump
Metering pump
Double acting reciprocating pump
Canned motor pump
Gear pump
Stoke pump
Vacuum pump
Screw pump

COMPRESSORS:

Screw compressor
Duplex type two stage compressor

HEAT EXCHANGERS

Shell & Tube heat exchanger

Plate heat exchanger

VALVES

Gate valve
Globe valve
Pneumatic control valve
Ball valve
Check valve
Solenoids valve
Butterfly valve

SEPARATORS

Super decanter
Phase separator

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ATUL 2016

Piller type centrifuge

Pressure filter
Cartridge filter

REACTORS

Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor

Plug Flow Reactor

STEAM TRAPS

Thermodynamic Steam Traps

Ball float type

DISTILLATION COLUMN

Kettle type fractionation column

Kettle type flashing column
Continuous Fractionation column

EJECTOR SYSTEM

Four stage Steam Jet Ejector System

BLOWERS

Centrifugal type blowers

Lobe type blowers

47
ATUL 2016

DESCRIPTION OF SOME EQUIPMENTS &

THEIR APPLICATION

BOILER
A boiler is a device for generating steam, which consists of two
principal parts: the furnace, which provides heat, usually by burning a
fuel, and the boiler proper, a device in which the heat changes water
into steam. The steam or hot fluid is then recirculated out of the boiler
for use in various processes in heating applications.

Generally two types of boilers are present-

Fire tube type boiler
Water tube type boiler

Fire tube type boiler:

In this type boiler the fuel is burnt in a burner with the air & the
flue gas obtains is passed through the tube side. In the shell side water
is present which utilizes the heat of the flue gas & converted into
steam. The heat energy from the gases passes through the sides of the
tubes by thermal conduction. For low-pressure steam generation this
type of boiler is used.

Advantages of Fire tube Boilers include:

1. Relatively inexpensive
2. Easy to clean
3. Compact in size
4. Available in sizes from 600,000 btu/hr to 50,000,000 btu/hr
5. Easy to replace tubes
6. Well suited for space heating and industrial process
applications

Disadvantages of Fire tube Boilers include:

1. Not suitable for high pressure applications 250 psig and

above
2. Limitation for high capacity steam generation

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ATUL 2016

Water tube type boiler:

This type of boiler is used for high-pressure steam generation.

Here the water is passed through the tube side & converted into
steam. The flue gas is passed through the shell side.

Advantages of the Water tube design include:

1. Available in sizes that are far greater than the fire tube
design. (2) Up to 2. Several million pounds per hour of
steam.
3. Able to handle higher pressures up to 5,000 psig
4. Recover faster than their fire tube cousin
5. Have the ability to reach very high temperatures

Disadvantages of the Water tube design include:

1. High initial capital cost

2. Cleaning is more difficult due to the design
3. No commonality between tubes
4. Physical size may be an issue

Here there are four Fire Tube type boilers are present-

Two 12 Ton/hr capacity boiler.

One 16 Ton/hr capacity boiler.
One 24 Ton/hr capacity boiler.
Among these three boilers are in running situation & one is in standby
position.

Water used: Demenaralised water

Fuel used: Natural Gas & Furnace Oil

Operating principle:

In the Fire Tube type boiler, fuel is burnt in a firebox to produce

hot combustion gases. The firebox is surrounded by a cooling jacket of
water connected to the long, cylindrical boiler shell. The hot gases are

49
ATUL 2016

directed along a series of fire tubes, or flues, that penetrate the boiler
and heat the water thereby generating saturated ("wet") steam. The
steam rises to the highest point of the boiler, the steam dome, where it
is collected. The dome is the site of the regulator that controls the exit
of steam from the boiler.

Fig : 1-3 PASS FIRE TUBE BOILER

After steam generation the flue gas is entered into an

economizer where the boiler feed water is preheated around 90 degree
& the temperature of the flue gas is decreased down to around 100
degree.

Advantages of Economizer:

A lowering of the flue gas temperature by 100 C

will improve the efficient rate by 5%-points.
No falling below the dew point.
No probes by condensation.
No special requirement on the material for flue
gas ducts and chimney.

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ATUL 2016

Sufficient thermal buoyancy for the flue gases

Boiler feed Water :

The boiler receives the feed water, which consists of
varying proportion of recovered condensed water (return water) and
fresh water, which has been purified in varying degrees (make up
water). The make-up water is usually natural water either in its raw
state, or treated by some process before use. Feed-water composition
therefore depends on the quality of the make-up water and the amount
of condensate returned to the boiler.
Proper treatment of boiler feed water is an
important part of operating and maintaining a boiler system. As steam
is produced, dissolved solids become concentrated and form deposits
inside the boiler. This leads to poor heat transfer and reduces the
efficiency of the boiler. Dissolved gasses such as oxygen and carbon
dioxide will react with the metals in the boiler system and lead to boiler
corrosion. In order to protect the boiler from these contaminants, they
should be controlled or removed, trough external or internal treatment.

Safety considerations:

Because the fire-tube boiler itself is the pressure vessel, it

requires a number of safety features to prevent mechanical failure.
Boiler explosion, which is a type of BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding
Vapor Explosion), can be devastating.

Safety valves : Release steam before a dangerous pressure can

be built up

Fusible plugs : Over the firebox, melt at a temperature lower

than that of the firebox plates, thereby warning the operators by
the noisy escape of steam if the water level is too low to cool the
firebox crown safely.
Stays or ties: Physically link the firebox and boiler casing,
preventing them from warping. Since any corrosion is hidden, the
stays may have longitudinal holes, called tell-tales, drilled in
them which leak before they become unsafe.

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ATUL 2016

BLOCK DIAGRAM OF BOILER

For producing steam, DM water is used as feed water. At first, it is fed

to condensing pre heater at room temperature. Then, the water goes
to non-condensing pre-heater at 60 degree C. To prevent mechanical
damage of boiler, deaerator is used to remove O2 at a temperature
103C. To recover heat economizer is used where the outlet
temperature is 137C. Then the water enters at the shell side 1-2 pass

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ATUL 2016

fire tube boiler and produces steam at a pressure of 11.5 kg/cm2.

Natural gas is used in the boiler as a combustible material. The waste
heat of the flue gas is recovered by the economizer and condensing&
non-condensing pre-heater. Flue gas exits from the chimney to
atmosphere at a temperature about 55-60C.

STEAM TRAPS

INTRODUCTION:
A steam trap is an automatic device i.e. the basic function
of a steam trap is to drain accumulated condensate from the system
without loss of steam. Along with condensate, traps must vent air &
incondensable gases such as oxygen & carbon dioxide, which cause
corrosion.
Traps are not separators. They do not separate the
condensate from the steam, but only drain out condensate that has
already separated & collected at the inlet to the trap. This is why traps
are located at the low points of the system.

REQUIREMENT OF STEAM TRAP:

Requirement of steam can explained shortly in the following way-

Steam generated in a boiler is carried through pipelines to

different equipments, either for the purpose of heating, or motive
power.
At start up of the boiler, the system is full of air. This air must
be vented, to make room for the steam to fill the system, leads to the
formation of large amounts of condensate. This too drained before the
system can stabilize for normal operation.
After that, a small amount of condensate is formed in the
distribution line by losing some amount of heat from the steam to the
atmosphere. Water droplets in the pipes, collect at low points & from
slugs of water. With the force of the steam as it travels through the
pipes, these slugs of water are carried forward & slammed into bends,
valves, and any other fittings in the piping system. This is called
WATER HAMMER, which is extremely detrimental, & cause extensive
damage.
Once the steam reaches the user equipment, the steam
gives up its heat & condenses. Large amounts of condensate are
generated, which must be drained regularly, to prevent the condensate
from covering the heat transfer surfaces. If condensate is allowed to

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collect & cover these surfaces, the heating efficiency of the process
decreases, resulting in reduced plant output & higher fuel costs. Steam
coming into contact with accumulated water in the steam space also
causes sudden localized pressure variation known as THERMAL SHOCK,
which is harmful to the equipment.
When water boils, carbonates present in the water release
carbon dioxide gas. This gas dissolves in the hot condensate to form
carbonic acid, which is corrosive. Dissolved oxygen present in the
water also becomes gaseous on heating, & enhances corrosion.

How steam traps operate:

There are three basic types of steam traps:-

Thermodynamic steam traps.

Mechanical (buoyancy operated) steam traps.
Thermostatic steam traps.

All these are differentiated according to their operating

principles.

1. Thermodynamic steam traps:

Operate on the principle of thermodynamics & fluid

dynamics. They utilize the heat energy of hot condensate & the kinetic
energy in the steam to open & close.

ADVANTAGE LIMITATION

Simple ,small& light construction Condensate discharge temp.

cannot be adjusted.
Can be mounted in any position Poor air handling capacity
Rugged, not affected by water Excessive back pressure may
hammer effect operation
Operate over a wide pressure High noise level
range
Follow the steam saturation curve Reduced life at high pressure

Performance easy to check

Primary failure mode open

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Fig:- CROSS SECTION OF THERMODYNAMIC

STEAM TRAP.

2. Mechanical (buoyancy operated) steam traps:

Mechanical steam traps rely on the difference in density
between steam and condensate in order to operate. They can
continuously pass large volumes of condensate and are suitable for a
wide range of process applications.
There are two types of mechanical traps are available:-

1. Ball float type steam traps:

Advantage: Limitation:
1. Simple construction. 1. Float easily damaged
by water
2. Unaffected by pressure fluctuation. hammer.
3. Follow the steam saturation curve. 2. Mounted only in a
single position.
4. Respond to changing condensate 3.Require auxiliary air
vent.
loads. 4. Performance difficult
to check. 5. Operate under back pressure. 5.
Primary failure mode closed.

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Fig. Float trap with air cock. Fig. Float trap with
thermostatic
air vent.

2. Inverted bucket type steam trap:-

Advantage: Limitation:

1. Simple constriction. 1. Condensate

discharge temp. cannot be 2.Rugged, not easily affected by water
adjusted. hammer.
2. Marginal air-handling capacity. 3. Follow the steam saturation
curve. 3. Have to be specifically selected for the
4.Reliable. correct operating
pressure. 5. Operate under high back pressure.
4. Can be mounted only in a single 6.Respond to changing
condensate loads. position. 7.
Primary failure mode open. 5. Care must be taken to
ensure that 8.Performance easy to check. a trap
does not lose its prime.

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FIG. INVERTED BUCKET TYPE STEAM TRAP

2. Thermostatic steam trap:-

It is operated based on temperature difference

between steam & condensate. Most important type is bi-metallic steam
traps.
Bi metallic steam trap:

Advantage:
Limitation:
1. Extremely rugged & reliable. 1. Sluggish operation.
2. Energy efficient, capable of discharge 2. Affected by dirt.
temperature adjustment. 3. Condensate
discharge temp. reduces 3.Follow the steam saturation curve.
as back pressure increases. 4. Can be mounted in several
position. 4. Difficult to check when operating in
5.Primary failure mode open. throttling condition.

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Fig. Bi METALLIC STEAM TYPE STEAM TRAP.

MULTISTAGE STEAM JET

EJECTOR
Steam jet ejectors are used in process industries as a vacuum
creating device. They are required in Evaporators, Distillation column
etc. The principle of the steam jet ejector system is also used in
scrubbing systems.
A steam jet ejector consists of three basic parts-

The Nozzle
The mixing chamber &
The Diffuser

Steam enters the steam chest at the ends & it passes through
the nozzle into the suction chamber at a high velocity. The pressure in
this chamber remains very low. As a result the gas is sucked from the
system & mixed with the steam. The gas-vapour mixture is then moved
through a venturi shaped converging-diverging section. In the
diverging section (Diffuser) velocity head is converted into pressure
head so that the mixture can be discharged into the atmosphere.
For the high vacuum requirement, multistage ejector system is
used. Here four stage steam jet ejector systems are used. Last two

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stages are fitted with surface condensers. In these shell & tube type
condensers the vapour condenses by the cooling water. Since there are
some non-condensable are present in the inlet vapour, which
accumulate in the condenser & tend to raise the pressure gradually. So
the condenser is connected to the suction of the next steam-jet ejector
to withdrawal the non-condensable & water vapour continuously. In
this way the vacuum in the condenser & in the system is stabilized.
The vapour & non-condensable are sucked from the last stage
condenser by the last ejector & discharged to the atmosphere.

Fig: 4 STAGE STEAM JET EJECTOR

SPARKLER FILTER

Sparkler Filter is used in the plant to separate the fine

sludge from the required mass. . It consists of SS shell & top cover with
swing to give pressure tight enclosure. Inside the shell it consists of
horizontally arranged disc type filter plates (generally 12-15 plates)
with perforated supporting screen filter medium (filter paper & a pad

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made of clothe) & interlocking cups. The entire assembly completed

with pump & piping connection mounted on suitable position.

The liquid to be filtered is pumped into the filter shell. It

enters at the top of the first plate through the opening of the plate. As
the liquid pressure increases, the filter medium holds back the
impurities & allows the clear filtrate to enter the next filter plate
through the central channel. The clear liquid is taken out from the last
plate. Maximum amount of solid is retained in the first 5-6 plates & in
the other plates small amount is retained. 5-6 time recirculations
ensure the totally clear filtrate.

Applications:

In pharmaceuticals
In Chemical Industries
In Food processing Industries
In Beverage Industries
For Edible Oil Preparation
In Sugar Mills
For Ink Preparation

Fig: SPARKLER FILTER

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GEAR PUMP
A gear pump consists of one or two or more rotating gears
which mesh together. One of the gears is turned by a power source and
drives the other gears. The spaces between the gear teeth carry the
fluid from the inlet to the outlet whilst the gear mesh point prevents
fluid from returning to the inlet.

Advantages for gear pumps:

Smooth, pulse less flow

Good accuracy and repeatability
Choice of inert wetted parts including 316 stainless steel, PTFE
and Hastelloy
Many control options including manual, analogue, computer via
RS-232 interface

Typical Application for gear pumps:

Chemical Processing including filtration applications and

analysis equipment
Energy and Fuels precision water addition, water recirculation
in fuel cells and pipeline sampling
Industrial dispensing of chemicals and additives in water
treatment, paper production and cooling applications
Laboratory general transfer and sample delivery which
requires smooth flow
Paints & Inks pulse less delivery in industrial ink jet printers
and colour mixing
Pharmaceutical filling and dispensing applications requiring
pulse less flow

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Fig: GEAR PUMPS

CANNED MOTOR PUMPS

Canned motor pumps are the special type of centrifugal
pumps. The construction of the Hydrodyne canned motor pump is
hermetically sealed & provides primary & secondary fluid containment.
The process fluid would need to breach two separate physical barriers
before any leakage from the pump/motor unit can occur. There is no
external shaft in canned motor pumps.

Advantages:
Can handles toxic, explosive, expensive, hazardous,
cryogenic & corrosive fluids without any possibility of
emissions into the environment.
Canned motor pumps need only 1/3 the space required
for the same model of conventional pump as here motor
& pump form a single unit.
Idle for vacuum services or for fluids that react to
contact with the atmosphere.
Low noise level since no fans is used to cool the motor &
all the rotating parts are contained within a thick shell.
No mechanical seal or gland packing significantly
reduces no of parts.

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The process fluid acts as lubricant i.e. self-lubricating, so

no external lubrication is required.
These are totally leak proof, so no product loss is there.
All wear parts are easily changeable.
All canned motors are provided special protection &
flameproof enclosure to prevent explosion.
Canned motor pumps are self-priming pump.
Pump & motor coupling is not needed.
No vibration
No misalignment on thermal shock.
Maintenance cost is very negligible in Canned motor
pump.
No rigid foundation is required.
Operation of canned motor pump is safe.
.Use:
Canned motor pumps are widely used in Chemical Industries for
handling acids, salt solution, alkalis, aromatic compounds,
hydrocarbons, monomers & polymers, alcohol, halogenides,
liquefied gasses, oils, heat transfer oils & coolants, peroxide,
plasticiser, detergent & also water.

Fig: CANNED MOTOR PUMP

MELT CRYSTALLIZER

Melt crystallizer is used instead of Scraped Surface

Exchanger. It separates two components depending upon their freezing
property when the boiling points of the two components are very close.
Here at first simple water cooling is done then the batch is cooled by
chilled water. As a result Para Cresol with some Meta product

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crystallizes in Cresol plant & the liquid part which is mainly Meta Cresol
(Eutectic Oil) is taken out. Then a very little amount of heat is given &
sweating (is a phenomenon where one component, which is present in
very small amount is melted out instead of other component by giving
very small amount of heat) occurs & the little amount of Meta product
sweated out & we get pure Para product (99.9%) as crystal. Then we
give more heat & get Para product in liquid form.

Fig: MELT CRYSTALLIZER

FILTER PRESS
Filter presses generally work in a "batch" manner. They are
loaded with slurry before completing a filtering cycle and producing a
batch of solid filtered material, called the filter "cake". The solid is
removed, the press re-loaded with slurry and the filtering cycle
repeated. A filter press uses increased pressure to maximize the rate of

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filtration and produce a final filter cake with low water content. This is
more efficient than filtration using a funnel and paper which utilizes the
low pressure caused by the weight of liquid above the filter paper.

A filter press consists of a series of filter chambers

containing square, rectangular or round filter plates supported in a
frame. Once the filter chambers are loaded with slurry, the filter plates
are forced together with hydraulic rams. The filtrate can be drained
away for safe disposal, or it can be kept in a water tank for recycled
use. At the end of filtration, the solid filter cake can be removed. The
whole filtration process is often controlled by electronics to make it
automatic or semi-automatic.

Fig: FILTER PRESS

SUPER DECANTOR

Solids are continuously separated from the liquid

phase by the application of centrifugal force ranging up to 3000 times
the force of gravity, efficiently and economically. A characteristic
feature of the Pennwalt Decanter Centrifuge is the cylindro-conical
bowl containing within a helical/quasi-axial screw conveyor of matching
profile that rotates in the same direction at a slightly slower speed with
respect to the bowl.

Advantages:

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1. Handling a wide range of solid particle sizes from 5.0 mm to

a few microns
2. Handling slurries with a solid percent as low as 0.5%w/v to
as high as 55% w/v

Applications:

1. Clarification of liquids.
2. Dewatering or deliquoring of solids
3. Thickening or concentration of solids

Fig: SUPER DECANTER

COOLING DRUM FLAKER

It is applicable to the flake solid transformed from the high-
temperature fluid via heat exchange on the moving surface (drum) of
the inner cooling metallic roller. It is used here in PCD Plant to produce
solid PCD. It consists of a tray over which a drum is rotated in a fixed
low rpm. The feed is supplied on the tray in liquid form by steam
tracing as the melting point of the PCD is just above the atmospheric
temperature (54 C). The drum just touches the liquid while rotating. A
thin liquid layer of the product is stick on the wall of the drum &
gradually solidified by the cooling water circulated in side the drum. At
the end of the rotation there is a knife which cuts out the solid product
for packing.

Special Features of Cooling Drum Flaker:

- Product has easy to handle flake form.

- Melts with wetting property to metal surface, can be flaked.
- Low power demand
- Continuous operation

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- Compact installation
- Closed construction available
- To avoid dust contamination
- For inert gas blanketing

Fig: COOLING DRUM FLAKER

PEELER CENTRIFUGE
The Suspension is fed from the Storage tank to the basket
rotating at full operational speed. The liquid is separated out from the
solid particle by the influence of centrifugal force, passing through the
sieve(usually filter cloth) of the filter to the outside of the filter &
drained out. The solids are collected as cake in the basket. The solid
is then washed by water to remove the traces of mother liquor from
the solid products. Then the solid product is dried by steam heating
before other treatment. Then the Solids are peeled off by means of
full-basket-width scrapper and is discharged through chute in front
cover of the machine or conveyed by discharged screw.

It is used in PC Plant for the recovery of Na 2SO3 which is a

byproduct of the plant.

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Fig: PELLER CENTRIFUGE

PUSHER CENTRIFUGE

It consists of a rotating cylindrical drum with a concentric

perforated cylindrical shell fixed to the drum. Over the shell there is a
cylindrical sieve plate of certain mesh size. The feed is entered into the
cylindrical drum & due to the high centrifugal force of the rotating
drum; solid particles are thrown towards the radial direction. But the
sieve retains the solid & allows the liquid to pass through it. As a result
a solid layer is formed on the sieve. The cylindrical shell is continuously
pushed the solid layer towards the outer side. The stroke length & the
frequency of the pusher can be set manually & it depends on the feed
rate & requirement. There is a knife at the outer side, which cuts out
the solid product continuously.

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Fig : PUSHER CENTRIFUGE

A ZERO LIQUID DISCHARGE (ZLD) PLANT

ATUL ( AR) is a completely Zero Liquid discharge plant.
Liquid waste water coming out from various plants is treated in ETP in
a biological system and COD of the treated effluent is brought down to
< 100 ppm. This is monitored through a on-line Shimadzu make
( Japan) TOC analyser 24/7 basis. Treated water is fed to 3 stages RO
plant where about 90% water is recovered as permeate which is
recycled in boilers and process. About 10-12% reject is sent to partly
recycled in process and MEE. Salt coming out from MEE contains
mainly Sodium Sulphate and non-toxic. It is sent to an approved
disposal site. The plant is highly integrated. Environment treatment
plant of Atul Ltd ( AR) is one of the best plants in the world for which
many Awards have been received by the Div for making a radical
difference/improvement in this field.
Process overview:

Conventional effluent treatment involves three stages,

called primary, secondary and tertiary treatment. Primary treatment

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consists of temporarily holding the sewage in a quiescent basin where

heavy solids can settle to the bottom while oil, grease and lighter
solids float to the surface. The settled and floating materials are
removed and the remaining liquid may be discharged or subjected to
secondary treatment. Secondary treatment removes dissolved and
suspended biological matter. Secondary treatment is typically
performed by indigenous, water-borne micro-organisms in a managed
habitant. Secondary treatment may require a separation process to
remove the micro-organisms from the treated water prior to discharge
or tertiary treatment. Tertiary treatment is sometimes defined as
anything more than primary and secondary treatment. Treated water is
sometimes disinfected chemically or physically (for example by micro
filtration) prior to discharge into a stream, river, bay or wetland, or it
can be used for the irrigation of a golf course, green way or park. If it is
sufficiently clean, it can also be used for agricultural purposes.

Atul Ltd. is a zero liquid discharge plant. Here all the effluent
streams coming from plants are treated in three stages biological
system where COD, DO, BOD and other parameter are controlled and
the finally treated liquid having < 100 ppm COD and avg 2500 ppm
TDS is sent to RO plant. In RO plant hardness & silica are brought down
to an allowable value and the permeate water is reused as raw water.
85-88% of liquid is recovered here as Permeate Water. And the another
10-12% comes out as RO reject is sent to Multiple Effect Evaporator
(MEE) plant for further treatment and recirculation.

ETP INFRASTRUTURE
Stage 1 : Equalization Tank:

There are two equalization tanks. All the effluents from the
whole plant are coming into these tanks. Neutralization of the effluent
(pH=7) is done here. Here the avg value of COD & TDS is 3000 & 2500
ppm respectively. Here in Atul the nature of the effluents is so that
external chemicals generally are not required.

Stage 2 : Primary Clarifier:

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It is a cylindrical in shape & the bottom portion is conical.

There is a scraper at the central position, which is rotated in a very low
rpm by a motor. The effluent from the equalization tank is entered into
this tank. The solid sludge (suspended solids) is settled down while
grease and oils rise to the surface and are skimmed off. The
mechanically driven scraper that continuously drive the collected
sludge towards a hopper in the base of the tank where it is pumped to
sludge treatment facilities. A typical sedimentation tank may remove
from 60% to 65% of suspended solids, and from 30% to 35% of BOD
from the sewage. The clear liquid is pumped out by centrifugal pumps
& sent to the aeration tanks.

Stage 3 : Aeration Tank (Diffusers):

The process involves air or oxygen being introduced by a

blower into a mixture of primary treated or screened effluent water
combined with organisms to develop a biological floc which reduces
the organic content of the sewage. This material, which in healthy
sludge is a brown floc, is largely composed of saprotrophic bacteria but
also has an important protozoan flora mainly composed of amoebae
and a range of other filter feeding species. H 3PO4 & Urea are added for
better bacterial growth.

Here two parameter are regularly measured-

Mixed Liquid Suspended Solid (MLSS)

Mixed Liquid Volatile Suspended Solid (MLVSS)

Higher the ratio of (MLVSS/MLSS) higher will be the active biomass.

A filter removes a small percentage of the suspended

organic matter, while the majority of the organic matter undergoes a
change of character, only due to the biological oxidation and
nitrification taking place in the filter. With this aerobic oxidation and
nitrification, the organic solids are converted into coagulated
suspended mass, which is heavier and bulkier that can settle to the
bottom of a tank. DO is maintained around 2.3-2.5%. The effluent of
the filter is therefore, passed through a sedimentation tank, called
secondary clarifier.

Stage 4 :Secondary Clarifier:

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In the secondary clarifier dead biomass & solid particles

gets separated as sludge. The active biomass is recirculated to the
aeration tank. Sludge is collected from the bottom & sent to the sludge
bed. The overflowing liquid part is sent to the aeration tank of the OLD
ETP section.

Sludge Drying Bed:

Sludge coming from the bottom of primary and

secondary clarifier are stored over here and dried. After drying, the
solid waste is sent to TSDF.

Stage 4 : Aeration Tank (Surface Aerators):

The surface aerators provide two functions: they transfer

air into the tanks required by the biological oxidation reactions, and
they provide the mixing required for dispersing the air and for
contacting the reactants. 5%-10% BOD & 10%-12% COD is reduced
here. Here the effluent is converted into non-biodegradable
substances. Then the effluent is sent to the secondary clarifier where
the non-biodegradable substances are settled down at the bottom of
the secondary clarifier & are sent to the sludge bed. The clear liquid is
taken out by an over flow line & sent to the tertiary clarifier.

Secondary clarifier:

In the secondary clarifier dead biomass & solid

particles gets separated as sludge. Sludge is collected from the bottom
& sent to the sludge drying bed. The overflowing liquid part is sent to
the effluent holding tank by pumps and for recirculation it can also be
sent to the aeration tank.

Tertiary clarifier:

The purpose of tertiary treatment is to provide a final

treatment stage to raise the effluent quality before it is sent to the
carbon bed for further treatment. Fine particles are removed here. It is
also called "effluent polishing". Sludge is collected from the bottom and
sent to sludge drying bed.

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Carbon Bed:

The bed is made of activated charcoal. This bed

removes colouring bodies from the treated effluent. It also removes
colour (decolourisation) & odour (deodorizations) of the final effluent.
Finally COD is brought down to < 100 ppm and TDS is around 2500
ppm before feeding to RO plant.

ATUL ( AR ) achieves overall 99% bio-degradation efficiency in

the entire ETP system.

Sludge Drying Bed:

Sludge coming from the bottom of secondary and

tertiary clarifier are stored over here and dried. After drying, the solid
waste is sent TSDF.

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BLOCK DIAGRAM OF EFFLUENT TREATMENT PLANT

RO PLANT
Water coming out of ETP plant is sent for further treatment into RO
plant. The water coming out of ETP plant has very high TDS. RO is
installed to make the plant a zero liquid discharge plant and to lower
the TDS very close to 40 ppm.

ACTIVATED CARBON FILTER (ACF):

The bed is made of activated charcoal. This bed removes
the fine particles present in the stream coming out from ETP. It also
removes color (de-colorization), odor (deodorizations) & trap oil &
grease of the final effluent.

STILLING TANK:
The stream coming out from ACF is treated here with
several chemicals as NaHCO3, NaHSO3, NaOH, polyelectrolyte, CMF-
90, H2SO4 etc. for flocculation.

CLARIFIER:
The purpose of this stage is to separate suspended solids
to raise the effluent quality before it is fed to DMF. Here the sludge is
settled down from the stream coming from stilling tank. The sludge is
taken out to sludge bed for further treatment and the main water
stream is fed to DMF.

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DUAL MEDIA FILTER (DMF):

Dual media filter also known as pressure sand filter,
these are used to remove the turbidity and suspended solid from
water.
The filter media used here is layer of anthracite & sand.
It provides very efficient particle removal under high filtration rate.
Sand is used to remove the suspended particle and carbon is used to
remove the odor and color etc. to make the water fit for feeding to UF.

ULTRAFILTRATION (UF):
Ultra filtration is the process of separation or
concentration of a large molecular weight solute or a colloidal
suspension by using a membrane having pores in the size range 1-100
nm. It lies between DMF and RO in the context of membrane pores size
or particle size.
Here polyamide of pore size of 0.1 mm is used as
membrane and the operating pressure is around 1.5 kg/cm2.

MICRON CARTIDGE FILTER (MCF):

In MCF spun of silk of pore size 4.5 micron is used as
the filter media. It operates at 0.2 kg/cm 2 pressure and separates
mainly oil particles.

REVERSE OSMOSIS (RO):

When aqueous solution of a substance is kept
separated from water by a semi-permeable membrane in a two
compartment cell, water diffuses through the membrane into a higher
concentration compartment. This occurs because of a difference of
chemical potential of water between the two compartments. The
chemical potential of pure water is larger than that of water containing
a dissolved solid. If the level of the solution is maintained at a certain
elevated position, depending upon the concentration of the solute, the
flow of water through the membrane to the higher concentration side
stops. This condition is called osmotic equilibrium and the extra
pressure due to elevated level of the solution is called the osmotic
pressure. The chemical potential of water in a solution increases if it is
subjected to an elevated pressure. Thus, on application of an extra
pressure higher than the osmotic pressure, the chemical potential of
water in the solution becomes larger than that of pure water. Under

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such a condition the flow of water through the membrane from the
solution side to the water side occurs. This is reverse osmosis.
Here the reverse osmosis is carried out in two stages, named
as RO-1 and RO-2. RO-1 is again divided into two parts. First one
consists of six horizontal tubes and second one consists of three
horizontal tubes. Each tube contains five RO membranes in series.
The water coming from MCF is passed through the six horizontal
tubes where polyamide membrane is used and it operates at a
pressure 25 kg/cm2.Reject water coming out from these six tubes is fed
to the next three tubes and operating pressure are maintained same
by booster pumps. The permeate is stored in a tank. And the reject is
send to RO-2 for further treatment. RO-2 having three horizontal tubes,
consisting of polyamide membranes, operates at a pressure 25 kg/cm 2.
The permeate water is stored with the permeate coming from RO-1
and used as boiler feed water. Almost 85% of water is recovered in RO.
Here the TDS is reduced from 2500 ppm to < 25 ppm and
COD is reduced from 100 ppm to less than 5 ppm in Permeate water.
The RO reject liquid having TDS 25000-30000 ppm and COD 500-800
ppm is sent to partly in process and partly in MEE for further the
separation of solid and recirculation of liquid.
RO opeartes in 3 stages :
RO 1 : from 3 to 10 bar
RO-2 : From 10 to 22 bar
RO-3 : From 22 to 42 bar
RO module : Hydro-phobic , Hydraunatics make, USA, Cross flow type.

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Water coming
out of ETP
TDS~2500pp
m COD<100
ppm

Dual Media
Filtration

BLOCK DIAGRAM OF RO PLANT

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