You are on page 1of 34

Ethylene

Ethylene Production From


Natural Gas

Outline
Introduction
Cracking Reaction
Process Flow Diagram

Introduction

www.timesonline.com

Ethane Cracking Reaction

Byproducts

Methane

Hydrogen
Gas

Propane

Generalized Process Flow


Diagram

Steam Cracker
170 MW heat duty
Modeled as 2 100MW
separate pyrolysis
furnaces
Each furnace 100 MW
capacity
Operates at 80%
capacity.

Distillation Columns
3 Total Columns
8 stage de-methanizer
10m high
3m diameter
20 stage de-ethylenizer
15m high
3m diameter
40 stage de-ethanizer
27m high
3m diameter

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Air pollution
Primary Nitrogen dioxide, Particulate
Matters, Volatile Organic
Component

. Secondary Ozone

Incinerators

Polyethylene

12

Some history
Polyethylene was first produced by British company
Imperial Chemical Industries. Preparation required
temperatures up to 200 deg C and pressures up to
2000atm.
Karl Ziegler prepared a high molecular weight
polyethylene at room temperature in 1952 while
working at Dacron Industries.
ICI polyethylene had shorter, branched chains, and was
waxy and easily deformed. Zieglers puppy was had
and rigid, and could easily be easily drawn into fibers.
Giulio Natta extended Zieglers research, eventually
showing how the geometry of polyethylene could be
controlled by certain catalysts (produced by Ziegler).

Ethylene, the interesting


molecule
Ethylene, because of its double bond, is more
reactive than ethane. Double bonded carbons
make molecule more susceptible to bonding
with other molecules.
When approached by another molecule, the
double bond splits; the carbons are joined by a
single bond, leaving the the molecule free to
bond with both carbons.
Ethylene is used in the ripening of fruit; it
stimulates the metabolic processes of the fruit
by dissolving into the cell membrane, therefore
increasing its permeability

Formation and Structure


Ethylene-Ethylene
bond yields
polyethylene
(CH2CH2)n
polyethylene

Crystalline regions
lie in alternating
fashion with
amorphous regions,
which creates
scattering of light

Pure

polyethylene,
low- and highdensity
polyethylene
(LDPE, HDPE)

A polymer made
form just one
monomer is
polyethylene. It
is the most
common plastic
you see.
It is used for
bottles, buckets,
jugs, containers,
toys, even
synthetic
lumber, and
many other
things.

High-Density Polyethylene
Absence of branching results in a more
closely packed structure, more crystalline,
higher density, and chemical resistance
slightly higher than that of LDPE.
Resists alcohols, acids, bases, esters, and
aldehydes
Specific Gravity: 0.94 to 0.97
Melting point 130 to 135 deg C
Carbon chains can are 10,000 to 100,000
carbon atoms long
Translucent

Low-density Polyethylene
(LDPE)
Small amount of branching on the chain
gives a more open structure
Melting point of 109 to 125 deg C
Does not react at room temperature
Resists alcohols, esters, acids, and bases.
Limited resistance to aldehydes.
Translucent to opaque
Used for plastic food or garment bags,
spray bottles, plastic lids.

Pure Polyethylene
Low density arises from minimal amount of
branching in chain, gives a more open
structure.
Translucent to opaque
Resists acids, bases, esters, alcohols,
hydrocarbons. Limited resistance to
aldehydes.
Does not react at room temperature
Translucent to opaque.

Properties
Poylethylene is a solvent
for fats, oils, and grease.
Dissolving occurs
slowly.
Electrons are tightly
trapped in their C-C and
C-H bonds, which results
in an inability of
electrical current to flow.
Also results in inability
for water and ions to
penetrate interior of
solid.

Thin film of polyethylene


photographed using polarized light.
The pattern arises form the presence
of spherulites, or regions where the
polymer molecules have aggregated
into spheres.
Picture and caption from Molecules

Properties
As a thermoplastic it can be remelted
and re-extruded as sheet, piping,
bottles.
PE is limited to use at low
temperatures due to creep/viscoelastic
deformation.
It is chemically resistant to the point
of being difficult to bond to other parts
except by welding or by mechanical
joining.

Before we show how polyethylene is made from its monomer,


ethylene, lets review the structure of some similar compounds
to ethylene.

Ethylene has two carbons; plus, instead of the two carbons


sharing just one electron each, they share two electrons each.
High temperature or UV light can cause two of these shared
(paired) electrons to become unshared (unpaired).
H

H
C

C
H

Heres another way to see the chain


reaction. These are the carbon atoms
with their double-bond (2 shared
electrons each). The hydrogen atoms
are not shown. A collision breaks the
first bond.

Once the first double bond is broken, a chain reaction will


occur. In about a second an entire chamber of compressed
ethylene gas turns into the polymer, polyethylene.

There are two types of


polyethylene polymers
(plastics). One is when
the polyethylene exists as
long straight chains. The
picture here shows the
chains of one carbon with
two hydrogen atoms
repeating. The chain can
be as long as 20,000
carbons to 35,000
carbons. This is called
high density polyethylene
(HDPE).

When the chains get up to


500,000 carbons long, they
are tough enough for
synthetic ice, replacement
joints, and bullet-proof vests.
Think about it. You start
with ethylene gas molecules
that can't stop a feather from
passing through them. But
after the double-bond of one
ethylene molecule breaks, it
causes a chain reaction that
connects thousands to it. In
less than a second, these
long straight chains of
carbon and hydrogen are
strong enough to stop a
bullet or play ice hockey on.
Isn't chemistry wonderful.

We've mentioned high density polyethylene (HDPE); you


probably were thinking, there must be low density polyethylene
(LDPE). You are correct. It is made by causing the long chains
of ethylene to branch. That way they cannot lie next each
other, which reduces the density and strength of the
polyethylene. This makes the plastic lighter and more flexible.

Low density polyethylene is used to make


plastic bags, plastic wrap, and squeeze bottles,
plus many other things.

Other Facts
Polyethylene is a thermoplastic. That is, it
becomes soft and malleable when heated,
and hard and solid when cooled. (So, basically, its a
plastic..)

Polyethylene is an addition polymer. The


double bonds allow for splitting and
bonding with other molecules.

R-E-C-Y-C-L-E, Recycle. . .
Polyethylene does
not biodegrate
unless first oxidized.
Polyeofins are highly
susceptible to
photooxidation, or
oxidation caused by
the exposure to light.
Hindered-amine
light stabilizers are
film, which is widely used for
then used to preventPolyethylene
packaging, is formed by extruding the molten
plastic through a ring-like gap and inflating it
photooxidation.
like a balloon.

Photo and caption from Molecules

The favorite properties of plastics are that they are inert and won't
react with what is stored in them. They also are durable and won't
easily decay, dissolve, or break apart. These are great qualities
for things you keep, but when you throw them away, they won't
decompose.

Since they dont decompose, the answer is to recycle


the plastics so they can be remade into something
else. Here we see a bunch of CDs getting recycled.

The decks, fence, stepping stones, house shingles, and the


sweat shirt, were all made from recycled plastic.

You might also like