Unit Operation and unit process

A formula for successful chemical industry production can be expressed as the

equation commercial production = f [chemical changes +Physical changes]. For solving this
equation, chemical engineer applies fundamental knowledge of unit process and unit
operation in a co-ordination of chemical process and product.

The unit operation approach is already familiar to chemical engineering students. By

combination of science and engineering principle, a series of unit operation for handling
problems of physical changes has been developed by chemical engineering profession. This
unit operation can be applied to widely manufacturing production with no changes in
concept, mainly a change in condition. In like manner, the unit process in systematic
chemical system, which is found in many type of chemical industries.

From the previous discussion one might think that it is relatively easy job to
commercialize a chemical process however the permutation and combination of the
selection of construction material and equipment for unit process can also categorized,

Unit operation

Sr. Unit operation Schematic representations Comments

no

1 Distillation
a) Batch Used for intermittent
operation and handling
small volume of feed and
product.

b) Continuous Used for high volume

Fractionators continuous separation of
complex mixtures such as
petroleum fractions
Connect these with
appropriate pumps,
reboilers, condensers and
automatic controls

2 Drying of Solids
a) Spray Drier Suitable for large capacity
operation on liquid feed
to give powered,
spherical, free flowing
product; used in
 production of pigments,
detergents, synthetic
resins and misc. Inorganic
salts
b) Rotary Drier Suitable for drying free-
flowing granular solid
which do not dust or stick;
high-temp. Versions are
kilns for calcining cement,
lime, etc.
c) Tunnel Drier Applicable to drying
pastes or powders in
trays; also used into dry
pottery, lumber, leather,
etc., in sheet or shaped
forms

3 Evaporation
a) Open pan Used for small batches;
often of viscous mat’ls;
such designs are easy to
clean
b) Multiple Used to achieve max. Heat
effect economy in evap’n of
paper mill black liquor,
sugar syrups and solutions
of inorganic chemicals

4 Extraction
a) Liquid- Used to contact solvent
liquid and feed to give raffinate
and extract; widely
adapted to removal of
naphthens from lube oil
fractions using solvents
such as furfural
b) Solid-liquid Involves removal of a
(leaching) solute from solid by
means of a liquid solvent;
often used in ore
treatment to recover
metal values

5 Fluid handling
a) Centrifugal Most widely used for
pump liquids of all types; simple
in construction and
maintenance.
 b) Reciprocati Generally used for higher
ng pump or pressure delivery ; may be
compresso used for metering or
r proportioning

c) Jet ejector Used for low pressure

operation or production of
vacuum; steam often used
as motive fluid.

6 Fluid solid
contacting Most widely used type of
a) Fixed bed. catalytic reactor ; used
with precious metal
catalysts to minimize
attrition losses ; catalyst
usually in form of pallets
b) Fluid bed. Used to contact finely
divided solids with
reactants gases, e.g.
cracking catalyst with oil
vapours and then with air;
also used in roasting of
sulfied ores to give oxides
and so2
c) Moving Combines virtues of fixed
bed bed reactor with ability to
regenerate catalyst by
movement to separate
regeneration zone

7 Fluid- solid
separation
a) Centrifuga Used to separate very
tion finely divided solids from
liquid or liquids from solid
emulsion
b) Settling Simple device used to
tank remove large particles
from gas stream by simple
settling in low velocity
zone

c) Wet Effective means of

scrubber removing suspended
particles from gas stream
by contact with liquid
shower
 d) Crystallizer Hot, nearly-saturated
solutions are stirred and
cooled to effect
nucleation and crystal
growth; widely used with
inorganic salts
e) Filter Vacuum applied to
(rotary) interior of drum pulls
filtrate out of cake; used
to separate minerals from
slurries, pulp fibres from
water, etc.
f) Filter press Simplest type of pressure
filter; widely used; plates
and fabric filter media
may be made up of a
variety of corrosion-
resistant materials
g) Cyclone Used to separate solid
separator particles or liquid droplets
from gases to permit
product recovery or to cut
down product loss and air
pollution.
h) Electrostati Used to remove fine dust
cs or mists suspended in
precipitato gases features high
r collection effiency at wide
variety of operating
conditions.

i) Bag filter Batteries of tubular fabric

bags are mounted so
solids may be removed
continuously by flow
reversal and mechanical
shaking.

j) Thickener- Used to separate slurry in

classifier to sludge’s and cleared
liquid used widely in
mineral industries and in
sewage effluent
clarification.

8 Fluid storage
a) Gas Used for low pressure
holders storages of gases at
constant pressure using
liquid seal.
 b) Tanks Widely used for storage of
liquids of all types usually
at atmospheric pressure
may have floating roof.

c) Used for pressurized

Pressurized storage of liquefied gases
spheres or high vapour pressure
liquids to permit safe
storage with no vapour
losses.
d) Undergrou Used for large volume
nd caverns storage of liquids or of
liquefied gases.

9 Gas liquid
contacting
a) Absorption Used for taking up a
solution in a solvent liquid
and producing a solution
plus a lean exit gas e.g.
used in H2S removal from
hydrocarbons.
b) Stripping Used for removing a
soluble gas from solution
by counter current contact
with an inert gas; used to
recover solute gas and
regenerate solvent for
subsequent absorption
step
10 Heat exchanger
a) Fired Used to heat petroleum
heater fractions to distillation or
cracking temp. In direct
fired tubes.

b) Reboiler Uses natural circulation to

circulate fractionating
tower bottom in heat
exchange with steam, e.g.,
to provide necessary heat
for fractionation.
 c) Condenser Usually water cooled
tubular construction to
provide reflux and
overhead product from
fractionating column

d) Shell and Common type of device

tube for process heat
exchanger exchanger.

e) Jacketed Common construction for

kettle reaction kettles; water or
brine may be used for
cooling; hot water, oil or
Dowtherm for heating.

f) Direct Features intimate contact

mixing of coolant fluid with
process gases to give
quick quench.

11 Membrane Used to separate metals

separation from solution having
a) Dialysis widely different mole

b) Gaseous Uses micro porous

diffusion barriers in multistage
operations to separate
light from heavy
components

12 Mixing
a) agitation May be used for liquid-
liquid or solid-liquid
mixing in single or
multiple compartments
widely used in process
industries

b) solid The device shown divided

blending and recombines a granular
mass over and over again
to effect uniformity
13 Size reduction and
enlargement
a) crushing Used typically in 4:1 size
reduction of hard
materials from -5 to -20
mesh or -1 to-4 mesh

b) grinding Wet or dry grinding may

be carried out in presence
of balls, pabbles or rods
feed may be -4 to -100
mesh and reduction ratio
10-15 to 1

c) pelletizing Used to make tablets from

powders of medicinal,
catalysts, etc.

14 Solid handling
a) pneum Used originally for grains
atic now used widely for
conveyi cement, catalysts, coke
ng and powdered chemicals.
b) Bucket Used for elevating
elevato materials can be used for
rs moving powdered or
granular materials to and
from storage or between
reactions vessels as in
moving bed catalytic
processes .
c) Screw Versatile can be used to
convey mix and heat or cool can
or be operated under
pressure useful for
powders or sticky
materials.
d) Belt Can be used to handle
convey large volumes over long
or distances economically
used near horizontal
belting may be fabric or
rubber.
15 Solid/solid
separation Wires, plastic or fabric
a) Screeni screens are used to
ng separate solids of varying
sizes.
 b) Elutria May be used to removes
tion fine from solid by passage
of a gas to fluidize and
transport the fines.

c) Froth Finely ground ores are

flotatio suspended in water in
n presence of flotation
reagents and blown with
air desired product
collects in froth.

d) Jigging One of the oldest

processes used for
separation of heavy
minerals from lighter
gangues as well as for
separating coal from
heavier contaminants.
e) Used to remove tramp
Magne iron from feed to
tic subsequent grinding and
separa pulverizing steps also used
tion to concentrate magnetic
iron ores.

Sr. Unit operation Schematic representations Comments

no

1 Distillation
c) Batch Used for intermittent
operation and handling
small volume of feed and
product.

d) Continuous Used for high volume

Fractionators continuous separation of
complex mixtures such as
petroleum fractions
Connect these with
appropriate pumps,
reboilers, condensers and
automatic controls

2 Drying of Solids
d) Spray Drier Suitable for large capacity
operation on liquid feed
 to give powered,
spherical, free flowing
product; used in
production of pigments,
detergents, synthetic
resins and misc. Inorganic
salts
e) Rotary Drier Suitable for drying free-
flowing granular solid
which do not dust or stick;
high-temp. Versions are
kilns for calcining cement,
lime, etc.
f) Tunnel Drier Applicable to drying
pastes or powders in
trays; also used into dry
pottery, lumber, leather,
etc., in sheet or shaped
forms

3 Evaporation
c) Open pan Used for small batches;
often of viscous mat’ls;
such designs are easy to
clean
d) Multiple Used to achieve max. Heat
effect economy in evap’n of
paper mill black liquor,
sugar syrups and solutions
of inorganic chemicals

4 Extraction
c) Liquid- Used to contact solvent
liquid and feed to give raffinate
and extract; widely
adapted to removal of
naphthens from lube oil
fractions using solvents
such as furfural
d) Solid-liquid Involves removal of a
(leaching) solute from solid by
means of a liquid solvent;
often used in ore
treatment to recover
metal values
5 Fluid handling
d) Centrifugal Most widely used for
pump liquids of all types; simple
in construction and
maintenance.

e) Reciprocati Generally used for higher

ng pump or pressure delivery ; may be
compresso used for metering or
r proportioning

f) Jet ejector Used for low pressure

operation or production of
vacuum; steam often used
as motive fluid.

6 Fluid solid
contacting Most widely used type of
d) Fixed bed. catalytic reactor ; used
with precious metal
catalysts to minimize
attrition losses ; catalyst
usually in form of pallets
e) Fluid bed. Used to contact finely
divided solids with
reactants gases, e.g.
cracking catalyst with oil
vapours and then with air;
also used in roasting of
sulfied ores to give oxides
and so2
f) Moving Combines virtues of fixed
bed bed reactor with ability to
regenerate catalyst by
movement to separate
regeneration zone

7 Fluid- solid
separation
k) Centrifuga Used to separate very
tion finely divided solids from
liquid or liquids from solid
emulsion
l) Settling Simple device used to
tank remove large particles
from gas stream by simple
settling in low velocity
zone
m) Wet Effective means of
scrubber removing suspended
particles from gas stream
by contact with liquid
shower

n) Crystallizer Hot, nearly-saturated

solutions are stirred and
cooled to effect
nucleation and crystal
growth; widely used with
inorganic salts
o) Filter Vacuum applied to
(rotary) interior of drum pulls
filtrate out of cake; used
to separate minerals from
slurries, pulp fibres from
water, etc.
p) Filter press Simplest type of pressure
filter; widely used; plates
and fabric filter media
may be made up of a
variety of corrosion-
resistant materials
q) Cyclone Used to separate solid
separator particles or liquid droplets
from gases to permit
product recovery or to cut
down product loss and air
pollution.
r) Electrostati Used to remove fine dust
cs or mists suspended in
precipitato gases features high
r collection effiency at wide
variety of operating
conditions.

s) Bag filter Batteries of tubular fabric

bags are mounted so
solids may be removed
continuously by flow
reversal and mechanical
shaking.

t) Thickener- Used to separate slurry in

classifier to sludge’s and cleared
liquid used widely in
mineral industries and in
sewage effluent
clarification.
8 Fluid storage
e) Gas Used for low pressure
holders storages of gases at
constant pressure using
liquid seal.

f) Tanks Widely used for storage of

liquids of all types usually
at atmospheric pressure
may have floating roof.

g) Used for pressurized

Pressurized storage of liquefied gases
spheres or high vapour pressure
liquids to permit safe
storage with no vapour
losses.
h) Undergrou Used for large volume
nd caverns storage of liquids or of
liquefied gases.

9 Gas liquid
contacting
c) Absorption Used for taking up a
solution in a solvent liquid
and producing a solution
plus a lean exit gas e.g.
used in H2S removal from
hydrocarbons.
d) Stripping Used for removing a
soluble gas from solution
by counter current contact
with an inert gas; used to
recover solute gas and
regenerate solvent for
subsequent absorption
step
10 Heat exchanger
g) Fired Used to heat petroleum
heater fractions to distillation or
cracking temp. In direct
fired tubes.
 h) Reboiler Uses natural circulation to
circulate fractionating
tower bottom in heat
exchange with steam, e.g.,
to provide necessary heat
for fractionation.

i) Condenser Usually water cooled

tubular construction to
provide reflux and
overhead product from
fractionating column

j) Shell and Common type of device

tube for process heat
exchanger exchanger.

k) Jacketed Common construction for

kettle reaction kettles; water or
brine may be used for
cooling; hot water, oil or
Dowtherm for heating.

l) Direct Features intimate contact

mixing of coolant fluid with
process gases to give
quick quench.

11 Membrane Used to separate metals

separation from solution having
c) Dialysis widely different mole

d) Gaseous Uses micro porous

diffusion barriers in multistage
operations to separate
light from heavy
components

12 Mixing
c) agitation May be used for liquid-
liquid or solid-liquid
mixing in single or
multiple compartments
widely used in process
industries
 d) solid The device shown divided
blending and recombines a granular
mass over and over again
to effect uniformity

13 Size reduction and

enlargement
d) crushing Used typically in 4:1 size
reduction of hard
materials from -5 to -20
mesh or -1 to-4 mesh

e) grinding Wet or dry grinding may

be carried out in presence
of balls, pabbles or rods
feed may be -4 to -100
mesh and reduction ratio
10-15 to 1

f) pelletizing Used to make tablets from

powders of medicinal,
catalysts, etc.

14 Solid handling
f) pneum Used originally for grains
atic now used widely for
conveyi cement, catalysts, coke
ng and powdered chemicals.
g) Bucket Used for elevating
elevato materials can be used for
rs moving powdered or
granular materials to and
from storage or between
reactions vessels as in
moving bed catalytic
processes .
h) Screw Versatile can be used to
convey mix and heat or cool can
or be operated under
pressure useful for
powders or sticky
materials.
i) Belt Can be used to handle
convey large volumes over long
or distances economically
used near horizontal
belting may be fabric or
 rubber.
15 Solid/solid
separation Wires, plastic or fabric
e) Screeni screens are used to
ng separate solids of varying
sizes.
f) Elutria May be used to removes
tion fine from solid by passage
of a gas to fluidize and
transport the fines.

g) Froth Finely ground ores are

flotatio suspended in water in
n presence of flotation
reagents and blown with
air desired product
collects in froth.

h) Jigging One of the oldest

processes used for
separation of heavy
minerals from lighter
gangues as well as for
separating coal from
heavier contaminants.
j) Used to remove tramp
Magne iron from feed to
tic subsequent grinding and
separa pulverizing steps also used
tion to concentrate magnetic
iron ores.

Unit Process