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CPDE Assignment - For Merge

chemical

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53 views4 pages

CPDE Assignment - For Merge

chemical

Uploaded by

ayyyubahmad46
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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2021-CH-46

Process Title:
Production of Acetone

Block Flow Diagram:

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2021-CH-46

Process Flow Diagram:

2021-CPDE-T02
2021-CH-46

Description:
Figure 2 is a preliminary process flow diagram (PFD) for the acetone production process. The
raw material is isopropanol. The isopropanol (IPA) feed is a near azeotropic mixture with water
at 88 wt % IPA at 25°C and 1 atm. The feed is pumped through a centrifugal pump into the heat
exchanger (E-301). The feed is heated, vaporized, and superheated in a heat exchanger (E-301).
This unit heats, vaporizes, and superheats the feed to 235°C at 2.2 bar. It is then sent to the
reactor (R-401) in which acetone is formed. Here the following reaction occur
CH3CHOHCH3 CH3COCH3 + H2
The reaction occurs at 350°C, and the conversion at this temperature is 90%. The reactor exit
pressure is 1.9 bar. The reaction is endothermic with heat being supplied by hot molten salt
through fired heater. As the reaction is endothermic, so the reactor was tube heated. Fired heater
(H-301) heats the molten salt that provides heat to the reactor. Energy is supplied by combustion
of natural gas, which may be assumed to be pure methane. The molten salt enters the fired heater
at 360°C (Stream 4) and leaves the fired heater at 410°C (Stream 5). The heat capacity of molten
salt is 1.56 J/g K. The heat exchanger (E-302) cools and partially condenses the reactor effluent.
None of the hydrogen condenses. The exit pressure may be at any pressure below 1.6 bar and
any temperature below 85°C that can be achieved by using cooling water (cw) or refrigerated
water (rw) is possible. Then in effluent is sent to unit V-301, which is a separation vessel. This
unit disengages the vapor and liquid effluent from E-302. In this separator, all hydrogen in the
feed enters the vapor phase, Stream 8. The combination of E-302 and V-301 is often called a
flash operation.
In unit C-301, which is an acetone absorber, more acetone is recovered. Fresh water is used in
the absorber to extract the acetone from the hydrogen vapor stream as acetone is miscible in
water. Water is pumped to C-301 through a centrifugal pump. Water and acetone is feed to
acetone distillation column (C-302) with the bottom liquid product of flash drum (V-301). While
the top product of C-301 is hydrogen gas, which is a valuable by-product. It can be used as fuel
or sell as by-product.

In the distillation column (C-302) the acetone, IPA, and water in Stream 11 are separated. The
column operates at 1.4 bar. Here about 99% of acetone is recovered. Acetone as more volatile
will leave the column from the top, while the water and some unconverted isopropyl alcohol will
leave from the bottom of the column. In heat exchanger (E-303), the acetone in Stream 13 is
condensed from saturated vapor to saturated liquid. The cost is for the amount of cooling water
needed to remove the necessary energy. In heat exchanger (E-304) we may assume that one-half
of the flow of Stream 12 is vaporized from saturated liquid to saturated vapor at 1.4 bar and is
returned to the column. The cost is for the amount of low-pressure steam needed to supply the
necessary heat. We may add another distillation column to separate the isopropyl alcohol and
water, but it is not required as through this column we only recover very small amount of
unreacted IPA, but this increase the capital and operational cost. We may discharge this waste
water. At end of process we get 99.5 mol% pure acetone through stream 13.

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Comparison of Acetone Production Methods:


Dehydrogenation of
Feature Cumene Process
Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA)
Raw Material Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) Benzene & Propylene
C6H6 (Benzene) + C3H6 (Propylene)
2CH3CHOH (IPA) --->
--->C6H5CH(CH3)2 (Cumene) --->
Reaction CH3COCH3 (Acetone) + H2
CH3COCH3 (Acetone) +
(Hydrogen)
C6H5CH=CH2 (Styrene)
Alkylation followed by
Reaction Type Catalytic dehydrogenation
dehydrogenation and cleavage
Catalyst Metal oxides (e.g., CuO, ZnO) Solid acid catalysts (e.g., zeolites)
Cumene (co-product), α-Methylstyrene,
Byproducts Hydrogen
heavy aromatics
Operating 90-120°C (alkylation)
200-400°C
Temperature 250-350°C (cleavage)
Operating
1-4 atm 1 atm
Pressure
70-85% (Acetone co-produced with
Acetone Yield Up to 90%
Benzene & Styrene)
Isopropanol can be produced Benzene is readily available from
Feedstock from various sources like petroleum refining, propylene requires
Availability propylene hydration cracking process
 Lower operating temperature
 More readily available starting
 Relatively simple process
Advantages materials
 High acetone purity
 Valuable Co-produces such as,
(Benzene & Styrene)
 Requires high operating
temperatures  More complex process steps
Disadvantages
 Recyclability of hydrogen  Lower acetone yield
can be challenging
Environmental Lower emissions compared to Potential for benzene emissions if not
Impact cumene process well-controlled

The choice of method depends on various factors, including feedstock availability,


desired product purity, and economic considerations.

2021-CPDE-T02

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