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تعديلات المشروع
تعديلات المشروع
from n-Butane
By
Guided by,
Dr. Aysar taleb
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
Production of Butadiene
from Butane
CONCLUSION
REFERENCES
APPENDICES
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
One major use of butadiene has been in the making of synthetic rubber (styrene-butadiene and
nitrile butadiene rubbers, to a large extent, CIS-polybutadiene is also an extender and substitute
for rubber, and polymerizations transpolybutadiene is a type of rubber with unusual properties).
Butadiene is also used extensively for various polymerizations for plastics manufacturing.
.Although this is not very different from production in 1971.it represents significant rebound
from the low production in the mid-1988s Elastomers consume the bulk of 1,3butadiene led by
the manufacture of styrene - butadiene rubber SBR, 13-Botadiene is manufactured primarily as a
co-product of steam cracking to produce ethylene in the United States, Western Europe, and
Japan. However, in certain parts of the world (eg, China, India, Poland and the former Soviet
Union) it is still produced from ethanol. The earlier manufacturing processes of dehydrogenation
of n-butane and oxydehydrogenation of n-butenes have significantly declined in importance and
output Efforts have been made to make butadiene from other feedstocks such as other
hydrocarbons coal (2.3), and renewable sources like animal and vegetable oil (5), cellulose,
hemicellulose, and lignin (6,7) but in the United States none of these have moved beyond the
research and development stage. [14]
1,3-Butadiene was discovered in the nineteenth century and its use in the development of rubber-
like polymers was explored during the early 1900s (Grub and Loser 2005; Sun and Wristers
2002). Large volume production of 1,3-butadiene in the United States began during World War
II. The Russian chemist Sergei Vasilyevich Lebedev was the first to polymerize butadiene in
1910.[19][20] In 1926 he invented a process for manufacturing butadiene from ethanol, and in
1928, developed a method for producing polybutadiene using sodium as a catalyst.
There are two sources of butadiene in world: Extractive distillation from Crude C4 stream
produced as a co-product of ethylene production, and “on-purpose” production by
dehydrogenation of n-Butane or n-Butenes. Leading licensors of technology for Butadiene are
Shell, BASF and Nippon-Zeon.
BASF, Borealis, Equistar Chemical, ExxonMobil, Ineous, Polimeri Europa, Reliance Industries,
Repsol YPF, Sabic, Shanghai Petrochemical, Shell, Sinopec are the leading producers of
Butadiene.
The demand on the global butadiene market is indicating reasonable growth – it is also expected
that it will move upwards by 2-2.5% annually in the coming 5-6 years. The butadiene markets in
the developed countries are not considered as considerable contributors to the demand growth –
the market has already reached its saturation point. However the developing BRIC countries
make up the major driver behind the butadiene industry activity.
The global capacity of Butadiene was 12 MMT in 2011 against demand of 9 MMT. The capacity
is expected to increase to 14 MMT in 2016 with demand reaching 12 MMT. In India total
Butadiene capacity is expected to reach 528 KTA by 2016-17 and IOC has planned capacity
expansion to 138 KTA by 2016-17 followed by OPAL 95 KTA
Up to 50% of the produced volume of butadiene is taken up by SBR and polybutadiene. These
applications are forecast to lead the demand in the near future as they are both set to lavishly
develop through 2017.
Butadiene is used to manufacture rubber for tires, hoses, gaskets, paints and adhesives. It is also
used in the production of nylon clothing, carpets and engineering plastic parts.
It has been the subject of intensive theoretical and experimental studies to understand its physical
and chemical properties. The conjugation of the double bonds makes it 15 kJ/mole (3.6 kcal/mol)
[14] more thermodynamically stable than a molecule with two isolated single bonds. The s-trans
isomer, often called the trans form, is more stable than the s-cis form at room temperature.
Although there is a 20 kJ/mole (4.8 kcal/mol) rotational barrier, rapid equilibrium allows
reactions to take place with either the s-cis or s-trans form [16]
The double-bond length in 1,3-butadiene is 0.134 nm, and the single-bond, 0.148 nm Since
normal carbon-carbon single bonds are 0.154 nm, this indicates the extent of double-bond
character in the middle single-bond. Upon complexing with metal carbonyl moieties like
Fe(CO)3, the two terminal bonds lengthen to 0.141 nm, and the middle bond shortens even more
to 0.145 nm [14][17]
Solubilities of 1,3-butadiene and many other organic compounds in water have been extensively
studied to gauge the impact of discharge of these materials into aquatic systems. Estimates have
been advanced by using the UNIFAC derived method [14], Similarly a mathematical model has
been developed to calculate the vapor - liquid equilibrium VLE for l3-butadiene in the presence
of steam [17]
PROPERTIES VALUES
The main feed supplied to the plant is crude C4 which mainly consisted of butanes (also called
normal butane or n-butane). According to Wikipedia (2018), butane is the unbranched alkane
with four carbon atoms, CH3CH2CH2CH3. Butane is also used as a collective term for n-butane
together with its only other isomer, isobutane (also called methylpropane), CH (CH3)3. Figure
shows the molecular structure of n-butane and isobutane.
Figure : Molecular structure of (a) n-butane and (b) isobutane Butanes are highly flammable,
colorless, easily liquefied gases. The properties of butane as feed are given in Table.
PROPERTIES VALUES
The team has been assigned by BCD Chemicals to design a plant which uses butane as the main
feed and to select the most economical butane derivative product. There are four potential
products discussed by the team;
1. Polyisobutylene
2. Maleic Anhydride
3. Propylene Oxide
4. Butadiene
According to Peters and Timmerhaus (1991), before any detailed work is done on the design, the
technical and economic factors of the proposed process should be examined. A feasibility survey
will give an indication of the probable success of the project and will also shows what additional
information is necessary to make a complete evaluation.
2.2.1 Polyisobutylene :
Figure : Polyisobutylene
Application:
One of the strengths of polyisobutylene is the increasing market demand of this product. The
region range for polyisobutlyne consimer is wide too. However, the production process is very
extreme since the feed needed to be heated up to 600oC for dehydrogenation process then later
coolded to -40oC for polymerization. The capital and operting cost of the process will be very
high.
Application:
Maleic anhydride is used as a chemical intermediate in the synthesis of fumaric and tartaric acid,
certain agricultural chemicals, resins in numerous products, dye intermediates, and
pharmaceuticals. It is also used as a co-monomer for unsaturated polyester resins, an ingredient
in bonding agents used to manufacture plywood, a corrosion inhibitor, and a preservative in oils
and fats.
Maleic anhydride market is very stable since it has been established for very long. However, it is
very hard for a new player to perform in the competitive environment. The market demand of
maleic anhydride is also slowed down recently.
Application:
Propylene oxide is a highly reactive chemical used as an intermediate for the production of
numerous commercial materials. It reacts readily with compounds containing active hydrogen
atoms, such as alcohols, amines, and acids. Therefore, propylene oxide is used worldwide to
produce such versatile products as:
Polyether polyols are one of the main components in polyurethane systems and are used in many
consumer applications, such as rigid foam insulation and flexible foam seat cushions. Polyether
polyols make up the largest share of propylene oxide usage, between 60% and 70% of the total
volume. Propylene glycol consumes another 20% of the total volume while propylene-based
glycol ethers comprise about 5%. The remaining share goes into other propoxylated or specialty
organic compounds. Also, other products made using propylene oxide are:
Flame retardants
Modified carbohydrates (starches)
Synthetic lubricants
Oil field drilling chemicals
Textile surfactants
Although the market demand is growing, the production process of propylene oxide is very
complicated. Since the main reactant of for propylene oxide production is propylene, and the
feed only consisted of very small portion of propylene, additional process is required to
converted n-butane or isobutane to propylene. Hence, the process might not be economy feasible.
2.2.4 Butadiene :
1,3-Butadiene is a simple conjugated diene. It is an important industrial chemical used as a
monomer in the production of synthetic rubber. When the word butadiene is used, most of the
time it refers to 1,3-butadiene.
Figure : Butadiene
Application:
The largest single use for butadiene is in the production of styrene- butadiene rubber (SBR)
which in turn is principally used in the manufacture of tires. According to Huntsman (2006),
about half of all butadiene consumption in the United States is for styrene butadiene rubber
(SBR) and polybutadiene (PB), the primary feed to tires manufacturing. Approximately 14% of
the butadiene consumed in the US goes into the production of nylon 6, 6 which is used in making
carpet. About 13 % of the butadiene is used in the manufacture of styrene butadiene latex (SBL)
which is further processed into products such as adhesives and carpet backing. Another
important use for butadiene is the production of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic
which is used for pipe, automotive components and housings for electronic equipment such as
telephones and computers.
2.3 Market :
The single largest use for butadiene is in the production of synthetic elastomers including
styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and polybutadiene rubber, both of which are consumed in the
manufacture of tires. Other elastomer applications include nitrile rubber hoses, mechanical belts,
carpet backing, footwear, and neoprene products. Butadiene is also copolymerized into plastics,
the largest-volume being acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) resins, which are used in various
applications.
Because of the global nature of butadiene production and its diverse applications, it is impacted
by various dynamics including changes in the production of ethylene, fluctuations in energy
markets, and general economic cycles.
In regions where downstream markets are still developing, such as the Middle East and Asia,
demand growth will be robust. Continued economic and demand growth in China will secure the
country’s position as the world’s largest producer and consumer of butadiene. In the more
mature markets of North America, Western Europe, and Japan, growth will be much slower or
even declining over the forecast period. With the rapid development in China, Asia has emerged
as the world’s most active butadiene market, with new capacity being built close to naphtha-fed
steam crackers and downstream derivatives production expanding rapidly. Analysts anticipate
that automobile sales in emerging markets will double or possibly triple over the next 10–15
years, driven by the expanding middle and upper classes. Given the current economic conditions,
however, companies will continue to exercise caution in planning and executing new capacity
buildup, particularly with instability in both naphtha and butadiene pricing.
Elastomer production represents 60–65% of world butadiene demand, with a majority consumed
in tires. Butadiene demand in tires depends on a variety of factors including new vehicle
production, tire design (tread wear, performance, operating conditions, etc.), replacement tire
demand/consumer spending, and the price of competitive elastomers, including natural rubber.
Additional factors that have impacted tire markets in recent years include the development of
renewable materials for use in tire manufacture and a focus on improved energy efficiency, as
required by labeling laws enacted in Europe. The other butadiene-based elastomers, nitrile and
polychloroprene, are not used in tires, but both are used extensively in various other automotive
applications such as hoses, belts, seals, and gaskets, and as impact modifiers for resins used for
automotive parts.
ABS resin production is the largest nonrubber market and the third-largest individual end use for
butadiene, accounting for nearly 14% of total global consumption in 2017. Used in various home
and office appliances, personal electronics, and automotive components, global demand will
likely improve at a rate of 4–5% annually on end-market growth. Demand in SB copolymer
latexes (used in paper products and carpet backing) and adiponitrile (which is predominantly
converted into hexamethylenediamine [HMDA] and used to produce nylon 66 fibers and resins)
will experience 1–2% growth annually. Consumption for other applications, particularly styrenic
block copolymer elastomers, which are consumed in footwear, asphalt, and adhesives/sealants, is
likely to increase as a result of both improved demand in developing regions and producers and
investors looking to improve their return on investment through greater diversification of product
offerings.
Global butadiene demand is expected to grow at an average annual rate of about 2% during
2017–22. ABS resin manufacture is the fastest growing application for butadiene at just over 4%
per year and accounts for about 27% of the total volume growth. Elastomer manufacture is
forecast to grow at a slower rate of about 2% per year, but to account for 61% of the butadiene
volume growth in the next five years. [19]
And old studies say according to CMAI (25 March 1999 18:32pm), global butadiene demand is
expected to grow at just under 3.5%/year through 2012, slightly above the average of 3.2%/year
growth of the past five years. Demand in India will be the largest, growing nearly 15%/year for
the next five years. Demand in Asia is expected to exceed 5%/year, although demand in some
countries, primarily China, will be at more than 10%, analysts say. Demand in North America
and Western Europe is expected to rise at less than 1%.
Most of the capacity will be added in Asia, particularly China, which will account for nearly
75% of new capacity, added before 2012. Operating rates in Asia are expected to be strong at
85%-90%, while operating rates in Europe will be highest, at about 90%, analysts say. Operating
rates in North America are expected to hover in the 70% range, they say. Table 2.3 shows the
butadiene producer and production rate in Asia. Notice that in Malaysia, there is only 100,000 mt
/year production totally.
Production Rate
Country Producers
(in thousands of MT./year)
Yangzi Petrochemical 185
CNOOC Shell Petrochemicals4 155
Maoming Petrochemical 150
Jilin Chemical 140
Qilu Petrochemical 130
China
Lanzhou Petrochemical 120
Shanghai Petrochemical 120
Yanshan Petrochemical 113
Others 395
Total 1508
Reliance Industries 150
India Others 172
Total 322
Japan Synthetic Rubber 268
Chiba Butadiene 177
Japan
Nippon Zeon 150
Okayama Butadiene 140
Tobu Butadiene 130
Tonen General 105
Nippon Petrochemicals 70
Total 1040
Yeochon Naphtha Cracking Centre 218
Korea Kumho Petrochemical 205
LG Chemical 145
Lotte Daesan Petrochemical 109
Korea Samsung Petrochemicals 99
LG Daesan Petrochemical 98
SK Corp. 72
SK Energy 72
Total 1018
Titan Petchem 100
Malaysia
Total 100
60
Singapore
Total 60
Formosa Petrochemical 373
Taiwan Chinese Petroleum 173
Total 546
Bangkok Synthetics 140
Thailand IRPC5 65
Total 205
Average: 149.96875
2.4 Butadiene Manufacturing Process Information :
1) Steam Cracking of Paraffinic Hydrocarbons: In this process, butadiene is a co- product in the
manufacture of ethylene (the ethylene co-product process).
2) Catalytic Dehydrogenation of n-Butane and n-Butene (the Houdry process).
3) Oxidative Dehydrogenation of n-Butene (the Oxo-D or O-X-D process).
Each of these processes produces a stream commonly referred to as crude butadiene that is rich
in 1,3-butadiene.
The steam cracking process is reported to be the predominant method of the three processes of
production, accounting for greater than 91% of the world's butadiene supply. Figure depicts a
flow chart for a typical olefins plant. While this does not represent any particular plant, and there
are certainly many variations among olefins plants, this representation will provide the reader
with a general understanding of the process.
The indicated feedstocks (ethane, propane, butane, naphtha and gas oil) are fed to a pyrolysis
(steam cracking) furnace where they are combined with steam and heated to temperatures
between approximately 1450-1525 °F (790-830 °C). Within this temperature range, the feedstock
molecules "crack" to produce hydrogen, ethylene, propylene, butadiene, benzene, toluene and
other important olefins plant co-products. After the pyrolysis reaction is quenched, the rest of the
plant separates the desired products into streams that meet the various product specifications.
Process steps include distillation, compression, process gas drying, hydrogenation (of
acetylenes), and heat transfer. The focus of this review is 1,3-butadiene;however, since butadiene
is created in the olefins plant pyrolysis furnace, and is present in the crude butadiene product
stream at concentrations up to approximately 75 wt%, the olefins plant process and the crude
butadiene stream are addressed in this publication to a limited degree.
The flow path of the C4 components (including butadiene) are indicated by bold [red] lines.
While some olefins plant designs will accommodate any of the listed feedstocks, many olefins
plants process only Natural Gas Liquids (NGLs) such as ethane, propane and sometimes butane.
The mix of feedstocks, the conditions at which the feedstocks are cracked, and the physical plant
design, ultimately determine the amount of each product produced, and for some of the streams,
the chemical composition of the stream.
2.4.2 Butadiene Production via Catalytic Dehydrogenationof n-Butane and n-Butene (the
Houdry process)
The catalytic dehydrogenation of n-butane is a two-step process; initially going from n-butane to
n-butenes and then to butadiene. Both steps are endothermic.A major butane-based process is the
Houdry Catadiene process outlined in Figure.
In the Houdry process, n-butane is dehydrogenated over chromium/alumina catalysts. The
reactors normally operate at 12-15 centimeters Hg absolute pressure and approximately 1100-
1260 °F (600-680 °C). Three or more reactors can be used to simulate continuous operation:
while the first reactor is on-line, the second is being regenerated, and the third is being purged
prior to regeneration. Residence time for feed in the reactor is approximately 5-15 minutes. As
the endothermic reaction proceeds, the temperature of the catalyst bed decreases and a small
amount of coke is deposited. In the regeneration cycle, this coke is burned with preheated air,
which can supply essentially all of the heat required to bring the reactor up to the desired
reaction temperature.
The reactor effluent goes directly to a quench tower, where it is cooled. This stream is
compressed before feeding an absorber/stripper system, where a C4 concentrate is produced to
be fed to a butadiene extraction system for the recovery of high purity butadiene.
2.4.3 Butadiene Production via Oxidative Dehydrogenation
of n-Butenes (the Oxo-D or O-X-D process)
Oxidative dehydrogenation of n-butenes has replaced many older processes for commercial (on-
purpose) production of butadiene. Several processes and many catalyst systems have been
developed for the oxydehydrogenation of either n-butane or of n-butene feedstocks. Butenes are
much more reactive, however, and they require less severe operating conditions than that of n-
butane to produce an equivalent amount of product. Therefore, the use of n-butane as a feedstock
in this process may not be practical.
The reactor effluent is cooled and the C4 components are recovered in an absorber/degasser/
stripper column combination. The lean oil flows from the bottom of the stripper back to the
absorber, with a small amount passing through a solvent purification area. Crude butadiene is
stripped from the oil, recovered in the overhead of the stripper, then it is sent to a purification
system to recover the butadiene product.
Comparisons for all four products have been tabulated in Table 2.4. Based on the comparisons,
the team has decided to select butadiene as the butane derivative product. The team decides to
design butadiene production plant because;
Increasing market demand especially in Asia region. Demand in Asia will grow at a more rapid
rate, at 5% /year, although demand in some countries, particularly China, will be at more than
10%/year (CMAI, 2007).
High market pricing of USD 0.64/lb which will give higher profit.
Only one competitor in Malaysia, which is Titan Petchem. (M) Sdn. Bhd.
Nearby neighbor, Singapore is only producing 60mt/yr.
Aiming to be the major butadiene supplier in Asia
Table : Comparison between potential Butane Derivative Product
Market $1.30 per pound $0.63 per pound $0.64 per pound $0.64 per pound
pricing (1996-2001) (2007) (1995-2000) (2006)
Complexity Copolymerization Oxidation of 2 routes Catalytic
of the of isobutylene aromatic -chlorohydrin dehydrogenation
reactions compound -indirect of normal butane
oxidation
Strengths Tires,tubes the Mature market Price stable and Present market
largest end user rising demand firmed and
accounting for 75- increasing
80% total High market
consumption. potential
The process which is here described in the project among these three processes is the production
of the n-Butadiene by oxydehydrogenation process.
2.5 CONCEPTUAL DESIGN ANALYSIS
Continuous processes are designed so that every unit will operate continuously for close to a year
at almost constant conditions before the plant shut down for maintenance. On the other hand,
batch processes normally contain several units that are designed to be started and stopped
frequently. During a normal batch operating cycle, the units are filled with material and perform
their desired function for a specified period. After that, the units will be shut down, drained and
cleaned before the cycle is repeated (Douglas J.M, 1988).
According to Douglas (1988), there are a few criteria that needed to be considered when
selecting the type of process, which are:
1. Production rates:
Plant that has a capacity that is greater than 10 x 106 Ib/yr is usually continuous. In contrast,
if the plant’s capacity is less than 1 x 106 Ib/yr, then batch process will be chosen. Batch
process is usually simpler and more flexible. Therefore, a satisfactory product can be
produced with a large uncertainty in the design. Besides that, because of greater flexibility,
batch plants are most common when a large number of products are produced in essentially
the same processing equipment.
2. Market forces:
Batch plants are often preferred for products with a seasonal demand. Batch process is also
preferred for products with a short life time.
3. Operational problems:
It is very difficult to build continuous processes when a low capacity of slurries must be
handled. This is because it is very hard to pump slurries at low flow rate without having the
solid settling out of the suspension and plugging the equipment problem. Some materials
tend to foul the equipment frequently that the equipment must be shut down and cleaned very
often. Hence, batch process is suitable for this kind of process instead of continuous.
Butadiene demand is not seasonal and it is forecasted to have 3.5 percent growth per year
through 2012 (CMAI, 2007). Besides, the production rate of butadiene plant that is decided is
more than 10 x 106 Ib/yr and no slurry material is involved in the process. Therefore,
continuous process is selected for butadiene production.
i. If a feed impurity is not inert and is present in significant quantities, remove it. Otherwise it
will lead to raw-material losses, and usually a much complicated separation system is
required to recover the additional by-products.
ii. If a feed impurity is present in a gas feed, as a first guess process the impurity.
iii. If a feed impurity in a liquid feed stream is also a by-product or a product component, usually
it is better to feed the process through the separation system.
iv. If a feed impurity is present in large amounts, remove it.
v. If a feed impurity is present as an azeotrope with a reactant, often it is better to process the
impurity.
vi. If a feed impurity is inert but is easier to separate from the product than the feed, it is better
to process the impurity.
vii. If a feed impurity is a catalyst poison, remove it.
Table shows the composition of the component in feed. The main component that is to be used
in butadiene production is n-butane. However, the amount of isobutane in the stream is large
(39.3 mole %). If isobutane is not separated from the feed and is processed, additional by product
might be produced and thus complicated the separation process downstream. This will imposed
additional cost (capital and operating) to the plant. Hence, with reference to guideline i and iv,
the team decided to purify the stream first before entering to the reactor.
Isobutane
Propane
n-butane
Feed Distillation
Column
C5+
To convert n-butane to butadiene, two stages of dehydrogenation reaction are involved (non-
oxidative and oxidative dehydrogenation). The by product of the processes are hydrogen (H2),
carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), short chain hydrocarbon (C1-C3) and steam
(H2O). Figure 4.3 shows the schematic diagram of two stages of dehydrogenation process. Only
approximately 33% of n-butane will be converted to butadiene. Hence the unreacted n-butane
will be recycled.
O2
butenes
n-butane
n-butane Non-Oxidative H2 Oxidative
Dehydrogenation Dehydrogenation
Reactor Reactor butadiene
H2
H2O
C1-C3
CO
CO2
O2
n-butane
Since only approximately 33% of n-butane will be converted to butadiene, the unreacted n-
butane will be recycled after separated of the product stream. It is impossible to achieve sharp
separation in the separation process. Hence, the recycle stream will consist of low fraction of
impurities. Hence, part of the recycle stream will be purged to avoid accumulation of the
impurities in the process stream.
2.6 Input Output Structure :
At early stages in design, a kinetic model normally is not available. Thus, material balance
calculations should be based on a correlation of the product distribution (Douglas, 1998). This
type of kinetic analysis is very crude but in most cases the reactor cost is not nearly as important
as the product distribution costs.
The selection of reactor is crucially important in order to make sure that the feed operates at its
maximum. For single reaction, the highest rate of reaction is maintained by the highest
concentration of feed (Smith, 2005). Based on the design guidelines for reactors by Douglas,
1998 stated that in order to maximize the conversion, reactor that always maintains the highest
concentration should be selected. The ideal plug flow reactor (PFR) is chosen for all three
reactors because it always maintains higher concentration of the reactant. Beside, all three
reactions is in gas phase and PFR is also suitable for gas phase reaction.
Since the reaction is carried out in gas phase over a selective catalyst, the options for type of
reactor selection for this type of reaction are fixed-bed catalytic reactor and fluidized bed reactor.
The structure of fixed bed catalytic reactor is similar to a shell and tube heat exchanger. It is a
tubular reactor that is packed with solid catalyst particles. It gives the highest conversion per
weight of catalyst of any catalytic reactor. It is suitable to be used for high pressure reaction
where smaller diameter cylinder vessels are used to allow usage of thinner vessel walls. Fixed
bed catalytic reactor is also suitable for process that uses catalyst with a long life time. However,
it has difficulty with temperature control because heat loads vary through the bed. Temperature
in the catalyst might become locally excessive, which may lead to undesired product and catalyst
deactivation. The catalyst is usually troublesome to replace too. Besides, channeling of the gas
flow might occur in the reactor which will result ineffective use of parts of the reactor bed.
On the other hand, fluidized bed reactor is designed to be operated in a well mixed condition
between the gas phase reactant and catalyst, which result in an even temperature distribution
throughout the bed. Since the temperature is relatively uniform throughout the reactor, the
possibility of having hot spots n the reactor can be eliminated. The heat transfer rate is high due
to the rapid motion of the catalyst. It can also handle large amounts of feed and solids and has
good temperature control. One of the disadvantages of fluidized bed reactor is high operating
cost. Furthermore, the attrition of catalyst can cause generation of catalyst fines which could be
carried over and lost in the system. This may cause fouling in the pipelines or equipment
downstream. Hence, fluidized bed reactor is Preferable for gas-solid non-catalytic reactions. The
advantages and disadvantages of both types of reactors are summarized in Table .
Table : Advantages and Disadvantages of Packed Bed and Fluidized Bed Reactor
The reactions involved in the butadiene production are required to be operated in high
pressure condition.
The required volume for tubular fixed bed catalytic reactor is smaller compared to
fluidized bed reactor for high pressure operation, and thus lower capital cost.
The operating cost for fluidized bed reactor is very high because it is more difficult to
maintain the gas phase reactant and catalyst to be in the well mixed condition if it is
operated in high pressure.
catalyst will settle at the bottom of the reactor if it is not well mixed with the gas phase
reactant.
catalyst fine might be generated during the operation of the reactor when the catalyst hit
on the wall of the reactor or through attrition. The catalyst fine will be brought to the
downstream of the process when together with the product stream.
If fluidized bed reactor is selected, the catalyst that settle at the bottom of the reactor will
foul and plug the reactor while the generated catalyst fine will cause fouling in the
pipeline and equipment downstream
The core reaction in butadiene production is the dehydrogenation using n-butane as the reactant.
However, the feed stream contains significant amount of i-butane which is up to 39.3%. Thus, in
order to increase yield, we need to convert i-butane into n-butane. The conversion is done in the
Isomerization Reactor.
The deisobutanizer column in pretreatment section employs side draws to yield purified n-
butane. The n-butane stream is drawn as a vapor side product a few trays above the bottom,
leaving a small heavy end stream which is only about 1% of the feed stream to be the bottom
product. Thus, the system consists of two prominent products and we can assume that the small
stream does not exist.
The initial assumption for distillation columns is to have 0.02 mole percent of light key
component in bottom and 0.01 mole percent of heavy key component in the overhead product.
Also, we assume that all the component lighter than the light key leave with overhead and that all
components heavier than the heavy key are taken at the bottoms.
Since the solvent is the heart of extractive distillation, more attention should be paid on the
selection of potential solvents. The affinity of hydrocarbon to polar solvent depends directly on
their degree of un-saturation. A highly unsaturated hydrocarbon is more soluble in a polar
solvent, and the solvent decreases the volatility of the hydrocarbon.
1. The solvent must be chosen to affect the liquid-phase behavior of the key components
differently; otherwise no enhancement in separability will occur.
2. The solvent must be higher boiling than the key components of the separation and must be
relatively nonvolatile in the extractive column, in order to remain largely in the liquid phase.
3. The solvent should not form additional azeotropes with the components in the mixture to be
separated.
4. The extractive column must be a double-feed column, with the solvent feed above the
primary feed; the column must have an extractive section.
From Ullman’s handbook (1985), there are five solvents that are commonly used in industry:
a. n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP),
b. dimethylformamide (DMF)
c. Dimethylacetamide (DMAC)
d. Acetonitrile (ACN)
e. Furfural
Of all possible solvents that can be used for the separation of butadiene-butane mixture we have
chosen dimethylformamide (DMF). DMF is recommended as a potential entrainer because it
gives great alteration in relative volatility. This in turn will make the separation easier and
cheaper, as the utilities and trays required are lesser. Even though NMP gives greater value, it
costs almost twice the DMF.
CHAPTER 3
PROCESS DESCRIPTION
Process Description
In this project, butadiene is produced in continuous process. Here the 1,3-butadiene is produced
by oxidative dehydrogenation reaction.
3.1 Preprocess Purification – Deisobutanizer :
E-102
C-101
E-101
From the table, it can be seen that the feed also contains significant amount of i-butane which is
25.90 %. In order to fully utilize the feed, the separated i-butane will be sent to isomerization
section to undergo the isomerization process that will convert i-butane to n-butane.
The distillation column, C-101 will recover i-butane as the top product. The overhead product of
the column also consists of significant amount of n-butane. For the sake of purity, the overhead
product will enter the vapor recovery system which is the condenser (E-102). The operating
temperature and pressure of E-102 are 40.71oC and 300 kPa. The condensed product which is
mainly n-butane will be recycled back to C-101 while the vapor product which is mainly i-
butane will be sent to the Alkylation Section. N-butane is extracted as the side product. This n-
butane will enter the Reaction Section to undergo the dehydrogenation process. The bottom
product of this column consists of the heavier product which is the condensate (C5+) together
with considerable amount of n-butane. The bottom stream of column will then enter the reboiler
(E-101) to recover the n-butane.
3.2 Dehydrogenation Section
The third section of the plant is the dehydrogenation unit. The main objective of the unit is to
convert the n-butane to the product desired, Butadiene. The section involves two steps of
dehydrogenation processes which are the non-oxidative dehydrogenation and oxidative
dehydrogenation. The processes are represented by Dehydrogenation Reactor (R-301) and
Oxidative Dehydrogenation Reactor (R-302) respectively.
Air
K-401
R-302
R-301
Furnace Fuel
E-303
E-301 E-302
The process gas from Section 1, the preprocess unit enters the furnace (F301) at 42.92 oC. The
furnace will heat up the process gas up to 600oC. The heated process gas will enter the
Dehydrogenation Reactor (R301) where the n-butane will be converted in to butenes. Hydrogen
and other byproduct such as C1 – C3 will also form.The Dehydrogenation Reactor (R301) is a
fixed bed tubular reactor operating at temperature of 500oC and pressure of 3 bar. The reaction is
an exothermic reaction and the temperature is maintained using molten salt at the shell side of
the reactor. The catalyst used in the reactor is the Pt0.3 Sn0.6Cs0.5K0.5 La3.0 which gives the
conversion of 32.9 % and selectivity of 96%.
The butenes from R301 will be cooled down from 600oC to 420oC by Dehydrogenation Inter-
cooler (E301) before further supplied to Oxidative Dehydrogenation Reactor (R302). The R302
is also a fixed bed tubular reactor and is operating at temperature of 330oC and pressure of 3 bar.
The reaction is an exothermic reaction and the temperature is maintained by molten salt. The
catalyst used in the reactor is the Mo12Bi1Cr3Ni8Zr1Fe0.1K0.2 which gives the conversion of 99 %
and selectivity of 96%.
The Oxidative Dehydrogenation Reaction in R302 will convert the butenes to butadiene and also
byproducts such as C1-C3, Carbon Oxide, Carbon Dioxide (CO2 ), water (H20) , and Hydrogen
(H2 ). The product gases from the reactor need to be cooled down to 24.48oC by two
Dehydrogenation Reactor Coolers which are the E302 and also E303 before can be sent to
Section 3, the purification section.
Solvent Top up
From Storage
C4 recycle stream
23
P-401
E-404
C-401
E-402
17 C-402
V-404
2
P-403
Product to Storage
V-403
22
15
P-402
16
E-403
Feed from reactor
18
E-401 21
V-401
14
V-402
K-401
19
Solvent recycle
4
Figure : Purification Section
The product stream which comes from reactor section contains component as heavy as water and
as light as hydrogen.
Due to wide array of component’s boiling point, different method of separation is utilized. First
is by cooling the stream to achieve partial condensation which is happened in the previous
section. The stream is then introduced to flash drum V-401 to separate the liquid phase which is
essentially water from the gaseous phase. The liquid phase is sent to water treatment section
while the gas is fed into compressor K-401 to do partial condensation by compression. The K-
401 outlet stream is sent to a flash drum V-402 to separate off-gas from C4 which is the liquid
phase.
Afterward, liquid C4 stream enter a distillation column C-401. Since the relative volatility is very
low, thus extractive distillation is employed where solvent is introduced at the upper trays and
feed enters the column at lower tray of C-401. The column is equipped with a condenser E-402
at 30oC and 304kPa of operating condition and a reboiler E-403 to supply heat at 70oC and
354kPa of operating condition. The overhead product consists of all the feed but solvent and 1,3-
butadiene. Overhead product is sent back to C-101 Pretreatment Section. On the other hand,
solvent extracts 1,3-butadiene from the feed stream and leave the column as bottom product to
solvent recovery column, C-402.
The C-401 bottom product enters solvent recovery column, C-402. The purpose of C-402
column is to recover solvent and produce 99.7% purity of 1,3-butadiene. The heat to column C-
402 is supplied by a reboiler E-403. The operating condition of E-403 is at temperature 208oC
and pressure 355kPa. The bottom product is the solvent which will be recycled to column C-
401, while overhead of the column is cooled down in a condenser with operating condition is at
27.45oC and 304kPa and collected in a reflux drum. Eventually, final product of 1,3-butadiene
flows from the reflux drum to storage.
CHAPTER 4 : MATERIAL & ENERGY BALANCE
Material Balance
Isobutane
Propane
n-butane
Feed Distillation
Column
C5+
For Bottoms :
Dehydrogenation
Reactor 1
n-butane n-butane
1-butene
trans-2-butene
cis-2-butene
butadiene
C1s-C3s
n C4 H10 C4 H 8 H 2 (1 butene)
n C4 H10 C4 H 8 H 2 (cis 2 butene)
Reaction : n C4 H10 C4 H 8 H 2 (trans 2 butene)
1 1 3
n C4 H10 C4 H 8 C4 H 6 H 2 (butadiene)
2 2 2
Assumption : 35% conversion of n-Butane to (1,cis,trans) Butenes
O2
Dehydrogenation
Reactor
n-butane n-butane
1-butene 1-butene
trans-2-butene trans-2-butene
cis-2-butene cis-2-butene
butadiene butadiene
CO
CO2
O2
C4 H 8 C4 H 6 H 2
Reactions : C4 H 8 4O2 4CO 4 H 2O
C4 H 8 6O2 4CO2 4 H 2O
H2 : In = Out = 671.5081333
O2 : (277.1409996*0.50) = 138.5704998
Q = mCpΔT
V = 1.408836 kmol/sec
Cp = 89.72 J/kmol K
Qv = 14.4088*3600*89.72*( 510-273)
Qv = 107845163 KJ/hr
L = 1.206707 kmol/sec
Cp = 119 J/kmol K
QL = 1.206*119*(298-273)
QL = 12916260 KJ/hr
Similarly we can find the QD for distillate in which temperature difference is taken as
( 773-273) K
QD = 25361268.33 KJ/hr
Qc = 69567634 KJ /hr
For Bottom
QW = 224598914 KJ/hr
For feed stream Temperature difference = 313-273= 40 K
Qf = 16100760 KJ/hr
QB = 290510796 KJ/hr
Component Mλ ( KJ/hr)
C3H8 18.774
i-C4 21.297
n-C4 22.383
Butenes 68.02
Butadiene 22.468
Total 6.427255
Rmin = 5.427
R/ Rmin =1.1
R= 5.9699 ≈ 6
xDi 0.9524768
xBi 0.0369294
xDj 0.0104183
xBj 0.9498683
α 1.375
Nmin = 23.376606
N N min 1 54.4 x x 1
y 1 exp 0.5
N 1 11 117.2 x x
where
R R min
x
R 1
x = 0.077866
y = (N-Nmin)/(N+1) = 0.576719
No. of trays N = 56
0.206
2
Z
NRR/Ns = 2.63039 x B
N
*
HK , Fand as weLKknow
,B
* 56
NR + Ns =
N S Z LK , F xHK , D D
Hence NR = 40 = No. of Trays in Rectifying Section
COLUMN DIAMETER:
Equilibrium: 𝑦𝑖 = 𝐾𝑖 𝑥𝑖
L= D*R
0.5
L
FLV v
V L
= 0.050656 m/s
Flooding Velocity
0.5
V
U F K L
v
= 1.748926 m/s
V = 1.399141 m/s
Assume hw =50 mm
From Graph K= 32
= 8.99395 m/s
Actual min Vapor velocity through holes U = (min. vapor rate/ hole area) = 13.81919 m/s
=166*(2.168/(750*0.1078))2
= 0.119437 mm
Downcomer residence time tr (From Graph) = 8.804498661 > 3 sec hence it is also satisfactory.
For Entrainment
FLV = 0.050656
Hence no Entrainment.
Hydraulic Gradient
Df = 3.0975 m
=( 18.30049*3.0975/2*18.3)+(100*3.0975)
= 0.163666
= 1.263771 m/s
(0.163*1.263*750/4.674*10^-4)
=189179.3
Tray Layout
Total Area available for perforations = Active Area – (Area for unperforated edge strip + Area of
Calming Zone)
= (6.805108/0.000019625)
= 372400
5.2 Design of Heat Exchanger :
Difference 340 50
Q
A
UTLMTD
=154.0239 m2
Assumptions :
Two pass Heat Exchanger with Square pitch Lay out with tube I.D. 0.016 m & the length of the
Heat Exhanger is assumed to be 11 ft.
CTP= 0.9
CL= 1.0
do= 0.019 m
P=0.02375
L=3.35 m
A = 154.0239 m2
0.5
A0 ( PR) 2 d o
0.5
CL
Ds 0.637
CTP L
= 0.78447 m ≈ 0.8 m
No. of Tubes
CTP Ds
2
N t 0.785
CL PR d o
2 2
Ρ = 750 Kg/m3 , Cp = 1920 J/Kg K , µ = 4.67 x 10-4 , K = 0.652 W/m K , µw= 6.04 x 10-4
T = 220 oC
= 0.018818 m
C= P – do
C= 0.00475 m
hi di 𝐶𝑝 µ 0.4
As = 0.023(𝑅𝑒)0.8 ( )
K 𝐾
hi = 1759.641 W/ m2 K
1
r ln ro
1 ro o ri
Uf R ff
h0 ri hi K
Design Summary :
Area = 154.0239 m2
No. of Tubes
hi = 1759.641 W/ m2 K
(Uf) = 899.6566 W/ m2 K
5.2.1 Mechanical design of Heat Exchanger
Number of passes: 2
Length: 3.35 m
Shell side
ts= PD/(2fJ+P)
= 0.11*838/(2*95*0.85+0.11)
= 0.57
ts=PRcW/2fJ
= 0.11*838*1.77/(2*95*1)
= 0.858
= 48mm
number of baffles,
Nb+1=L/LS=3350/480=7
Nb = 6
Nozzles
= (800*51.24/2)0.5
= 143 mm
R=D/2=400 mm
Flowrate
C4H8 863.3676 kmol/hr
Steam in feed 671.508133 kmol/hr
Air in feed 277.141 kmol/hr
Total Fa 1812.01673 kmol/hr
Conversion Xa = 0.9
f0 = equivalent reciprocal space velocity for zero age catalyst, ft3 catalyst-hr/mol feed.
But K value is given by this equation : K = 2.1x104 exp (-63.116/ RT) which is an empirical
equation
V = (F/K Pa)*((1/(1-Xa)) - 1)
V = (1812.01673/20000*350)*((1/(1 - 0.09)) – 1)
= (1 - 0.45) * 2.3297358
= 1.28135469 m3
= 0.00245313 m3
= 2.3297358 / 0.00245313
At = 0.46609375 m2
= 15.8936382 kg/sec
Velocity:
U = m/ Atp
m = 15.8936382 Kg/Sec
U = 15.8936382 / 750*0.46609375
U = 19.3748066 m/sec
NRe = duρ/µ(1-E)
NRe = 108736.159
AO = Nt x x d xL
AO = 372.875 m2
Shell diameter:
0.5
A0 ( PR) 2 d o
0.5
CL
Ds 0.637
CTP L
CTP = 0.9
CL = 0.7
Ds = 0.95883493 m
CTP Ds
2
N t 0.785
CL PR d o
2 2
1
Cp 3
0.55 0.14
h0 De DG
0.36 e s
K K
w
PT = 0.03125 m
= 0.03125 – 0.025
= 0.00625
B = 0.6*Ds
B = 0.6 * 0.95883493
B = 0.38353397
As = Ds*C*B / PT
As = 0.07354915 m2
Gs = m/ As
= 8.648 / 0.07354915
Gs = 117.581231 Kg/m2.sec
0.333
5.1865 x10 3 x9 x10 4
0.55
0.018 x117.5812
( h0 * 0.018 / 0.62) = 0.36 10.14
9 x10 4 0.62
ho = 1725.81167 W/m2K
hi = 280.163 W/m2K
1 1
= 0.005
1725.8116 280.163
Uo = 39.0939011 W/m2 K
Now,
Q = UAT
(4713400) = 39.0939011 x A x 30
Pd = 0.1 * 0.375
= 0.0375 N/ mm2
Pd = 0.1*0.35
= 0.0375 N/mm2
SHELL DESIGN:
P – Design Pressure
D- Mean Diameter
J- Joint Efficiency
Di – Internal Diameter
ts = PDi / (2fJ – P)
= 0.26 mm
= 5.00 mm (Because minimum thickness of the plate available is 5 mm) + C.A.
Use 10 mm Thick Plate For Fabrication.
P = Pc/4 = 0.4367/4
P = 0.109 N/mm2 < Pd
Means critical buckling pressure is less than External design pressure.
HEAD DESIGN:
Here The Design Pressure is 0.0375 N/mm2 so we can use Torrispherical Head.
R1 = Knuckle radius
= D * 0.06
= 1000 *0.06
= 60 mm
Torrispherical head:
Rc - crown radius
W =1.770
th = 0.11*1000*1.77 /2*98*0.85
th = 1.17 mm
= 5 mm
Let,
n = no. of brackets.
Pw = Wind pressure.
P1 = Wind pressure for the lower part (Below 20m) of the vessel = 400 to 1000 N/m2
= 0.7*2.00*1.01*1000
= 1414 N
P = 109257 N
T1 = 32 mm
A1 = π (D1+ D2) x L/ 2
= 3.14 (1.0 + 1.02 ) x 7 /2
= 3.79 m2
A2 = π (D2 + D3) x L / 2
= 3.14 (1.02+ 1.02 + 2y) x 7/2
= 22.42 + 21.98 y
A3 = π x D3 x L
= 3.14 x (1.02 + 2y) x 7
= 22.42 + 43.96 y
y = 38.78 mm
Therefore the thickness of the insulation should be 40mm.
CHAPTER 6 : PLANT LAYOUT
PLANT LAYOUT
A preliminary determination of the plant layout enables consideration of pipe runs and pressure
drops, access for maintenance and repair, access in the event of accidents and spills, location of
the control room and administrative offices. The preliminary plant layout can also help to
identify undesirable and unforeseen problems with the preferred site, and may necessitate a
revision of the site selection.
The proposed plant layout must be considered early in the design work to ensure economical
construction and efficient operation of the completed plant. The plant layout adopted will also
affect the safe operation of the completed plant, and acceptance of the plant (and possibly any
subsequent modification or extension) by the community.
There are several major factors that contribute to the operability and economic aspects of a site
location for a plant, which are the primary factor and specific factor.
Primary Factors :
A plant with close proximity to the source of the raw material allows a lower cost of
transportation. The cost of shipping raw materials and fuel to the plant site should be considered
along with the cost of transporting the products to market so as to minimize the total
transportation cost as much as possible while balancing that cost against other operating
expenses. A seaport might have to be at a reachable distance from the site location if the raw
material is to be imported.
Reasonable land price
The cost of the land depends on the location itself. An ideal land will provide an economical land
price to the total investment cost. It is then vital to choose a suitable land price when initiating a
new plant in order to gain the highest economic and profit value.
Proximity to market
The plant should be constructed close to the primary market to minimize transportation costs.
Local demand of product should also be taken into account in selecting a proper plant site. It
would add as an extra point if both the raw material supplier and buyers are at a reachable
distance.
Any chemical plant is in need of large quantities of water supply for cooling and other uses in the
plant. Electricity is needed to run all the machines and equipments. Therefore, sufficient local
water and power supply plants is required to ensure a smooth operation of the plant.
The climate conditions affect the budget and cost operation. It may be necessary to consider the
yearly weather consideration.
Specific Factors
Any chemical processing plant should be located where sufficient labor supply is adequately
available. The usual practice is to bring non-local, skilled construction workers and ample
number of local, unskilled workers for training of plant operation. The cost of operation will
reduce if inexpensive manpower for plant operation can be gathered from the surrounding area.
Transport facilities
The construction of the plant should be located close to road network, seaport and airport. All
these major facilities will aid to smooth transportation of the raw feed, product, plant personnel
and plant equipment supplies.
Government incentives
To attract investors to place their investment in a state, state governments offer attractive
investments incentives. Some incentives grant partial or total relief from income tax payment for
a specified period, while indirect tax incentives come in the form of exemptions from import
duty, sales tax and excise duty.
Site location should also take into account the availability of efficient and satisfactory disposal
system. This is to ensure that the factory waste and industrial effluent will have proper treatment
if those are to be treated off-site.
The need to keep distances for transfer of materials between plant/storage units to a
minimum to reduce costs and risks
The geographical limitations of the site
Interaction with existing or planned facilities on site such as existing roadways, drainage and
utilities routings
Interaction with other plants on site
The need for plant operability and maintainability
The need to locate hazardous materials facilities as far as possible from site boundaries and
people living in the local neighbourhood
The need to prevent confinement where release of flammable substances may occur
The need to provide access for emergency services
The need to provide emergency escape routes for on-site personnel
The need to provide acceptable working conditions for operators
The most important factors of plant layout as far as safety aspects are concerned are:
Many factors must be considered when selecting a suitable site with respect to the marketing
area, raw material supply, transport facilities, availability of labor, availability of utilities,
availability of suitable land, environment impact, etc. All these factors play a significant role in
the choice of the site. The overall site layout is shown.
Several factors have been considered in laying out the site. The process units and ancillary
building should be laid out to give the most economical flow of materials and personnel around
the site. In term of safety, process area is located at enough distance from the place where there
are a lot of personnel.
When laying out the plant, these are the factors that we have considered;
1. Inherent Safety
The major principle in Inherent Safety is to remove the hazard altogether. The best method in
achieving this is to reduce the inventory of hazardous substances such that a major hazard is
no longer presented. However, this is not often achievable. Other possible methods to
achieve an Inherently Safer design are;
3. Fire
There are four ways that fire can spread;
Direct burning
Convection
Radiation
Conduction
The use of vertical and horizontal compartmentation using fire-resisting walls and floors can
prevent the spread of fire from its origin to the other part of the premises. Protection against
domino by convection, conduction and radiation can be achieved by ensuring that the
distances between plant items are sufficient to prevent overheating of adjacent plants
compromising safety of that plant also. If this is not possible due to other restrictions, other
methods such as fire walls, active or passive fire protection may be considered.
4. Explosion :
Explosion propagation may be directly by pressure waves or indirectly by missiles.
Inherently safety methods that should be considered are;
Arranging separation distances such that damage to adjacent plant will not occur even in
the worst case.
Provision of barriers e.g. blast walls.
Protecting plant against damage e.g. provision of thicker walls on vessels.
5. Toxic gas releases
Toxic gas releases may cause domino effects by rendering adjacent plants inoperable and
injuring operators. Prevention of such effects may be affected by provision of automatic
control system using inherently safer principles and a suitable control room.
6. Reduction of consequences of event on and off site
A plant layout design technique is also applicable to the reduction of the risks from release of
flammable or toxic materials include;
Locating all high-volume storage of flammable/toxic material well outside process area
Locating hazardous plant away from main road
Siting of plants in the open air to ensure rapid dispersion of minor releases of flammable
gases and vapors and thus prevent concentrations building up which may lead to flash
fires and explosions.
Provision of ditches, dykes, embankments, sloping terrain to contain and control releases
and limit the safety and environmental effects.
Hazardous area classification for flammable gases, vapors and dusts to designate areas
where ignition sources should be eliminated.
7. Positioning of occupied buildings
The distance between occupied buildings and plant buildings will be governed by the need to
reduce the dangers of explosion. Evacuation routes should not be blocked by poor plant
layout, and personnel with more general site responsibilities should be housed in buildings
sited in a non-hazard area near the main entrance. Occupied buildings should not be sited
downwind of hazardous plant areas.
6.3 Site Layout : The site layout can be divided into two parts:
Non-Process area – area where there is no production activity and has low risk hazards to
workers and process units.
The non-process area usually occupies a smaller fraction of the overall plant site area. All the
facilities in the non-process area should be located in a logical manner that considers site terrain,
accessibility to roads, soil bearing capability and the climate including the wind direction and
other unusual weather condition. This is important to avoid any undesired incident due to
explosion or fire from the process zone will be easily spread to the non-process area. Taking this
into account, the entire process area where the reaction and separation occurs is surrounded with
a buffer zone to ensure that surrounding buildings or sites are not affected in case of an
emergency. Among the buildings or units in the non-process area are: -
a) Guard Post
Guard posts are located at the entrance of the site in order to ensure that only authorized
personnel gets access into the plant. There are 5 guard posts that are situated at the crucial
entrances in the plant:
Main entrance guard post – to control the flow in and out of personnel or cars between the
site and public area.
Emergency entrance guard post – security check for emergencies such as ambulance, fire
engine or other special occasions.
Process entrance guard post – As shown in the layout, there are two different main entrances
to the plant. The first one is for public entrance where only cars and other small vehicles are
allowed to pass through. The second main entrance is only open to trucks. This is to avoid
congestion and at the same time reduce the hazard of material spillage at the plant. With two
different entrances, the public are less exposed to the danger of chemicals exposure or
accidents with the trucks.
b) Administration Building
The administration block is built adjacent to the main entrance. This is to allow the
administration employees to enter their office without passing through the hazardous process
area. As shown in the plant layout, the administration building is place near to the process area.
This location is most strategic as it is aligned with the process area. This arrangement allows the
employees at the administration building to alert on any mishap at the process area that is visible
from the administration building but far enough to ensure that no accidents from the processing
area can affect the administration block.
c) Cafeteria
Canteen provides meals for the employees and visitors. Canteen is located in the public zone and
far away from the process area to avoid contaminant in food and ensure safety of the public.
There are other facilities that should be located in the non-process area including surau,
gymnasium, car park and also fire station.
Process zone is an area where all processing equipment is allocated and is deemed as a hazardous
area, thus precaution has to be applied at all times. The buildings or units situated in this process
zone are:
Control Building
Laboratory
Plant Area
Utilities
Storage area
Flare area
b) Control Building :
All the control valves for the whole process area will be controlled and monitored from this
central control building. The control rooms are designed with blast proof construction and have
emergency backup power and air conditioning. In case of emergency occurs in the plant, control
room will be the assembly point in the process area. At least two escape routes for
operators/personnel must be provided from each level in process buildings.
c) Laboratory
Here the quality of the purity of butadiene is tested to determine whether it meets the
specifications or not. All the result will be sent to the control room and some adjustments in
controlling will be made, if needed. Thus, the distance between laboratory and control room is
not too far. Laboratory staffs will also perform an analysis regarding waste of the process before
being channeled to nearby environment.
The waste stream from Plant Area will first flow into the Wastewater Treatment plant to separate
the impurities from the water. The impurities will be treated before being recycled back to the
process released to the environment. It is located adjacent to the main process unit so that the
wastewater effluents from the process units can be channeled easily.
e) Plant Area
This area is the major processing unit where the butadiene is produced. Safety, economy,
operability and ease of maintenance are considered during the allocation of each equipment
within the area. Adequate spacing between equipment is also considered to minimize the spread
of fire in case it happens. Distances between each unit are also well designed to prevent any
hazards from occurring.
f) Utilities
This unit will supply cooling water, low pressure steam, instrument air and some other utilities to
the main process unit. For this plant, the utilities located near to plant area where all the process
of producing butadiene occurs. Its location is perfectly suitable to give the most economical run
of pipe to and from the process unit. The utilities and control building is situated near to the
utilities for easy monitoring.
g) Storage area
This unit stores vessels containing chemical substance, lubricants, and catalyst used for the
process. It also stores chemicals needed for the waste water treatment plant. It is situated next to
the waste water treatment plant.
h) Warehouse :
Warehouse stores all the equipment’s spare parts. It is placed near to the workshop to ease the
maintenance job and to conduct hot work.
i) Expansion Site
Ample expansion areas are allocated at the process area for future expansion in case the
management decides to increase production rate or other crucial considerations.
Flare is used to burn all excess gas that is emitted from the process units as well as to burn some
of the waste gas from waste treatment area. The flare is located far from the process area and
administration complex
Process Unit :
Installation of all the equipments listed, structural supports, paints (Taken as 25% of the
purchased equipment cost)
= 85685414 Rs.
Total Engineering and Supervision Cost is taken as 8% of the Total Direct Cost
= 87,697,159.27 Rs.
2) Construction Expenses
4) Contingency
Total Contingency cost is taken as 8% of the Total Direct and Indirect cost
= 55,807,283.17 Rs.
Determination of the necessary Capital Investment is only one part of a complete cost estimate.
Another equally important part is the estimation of costs for operating the plant and selling the
products. These costs can be grouped under the general heading of Total Product Cost.
Basis:
1.) Total cost is calculated on the basis on the Annual Cost Basis
Manufacturing Cost
Sr.
No. Quantity per annum Kg Cost per unit Total annual cost
in Rs. in Rs.
1 LPG 1,512,939,600.00 26.00 39,336,4296
2) Fixed Charges
a) Depreciation
i) Annual cost of Depreciation for Machinery and Equipment is assumed as 10% of the Fixed
Capital Investment = 10,443,934.42 Rs.
ii) Annual cost of Depreciation for buildings is taken as 3% of the Initial Cost of buildings =
1,899,980.94 Rs.
iii) Annual cost of Depreciation for Instrumentation & Controls, piping, Electrical equipment and
Materials is assumed as 5% of FCI = 52,219,672.11 Rs.
b) Taxes : Annual property taxes for plant is assumed as 1% of the Fixed Capital Investment =
10,443,934.42 Rs.
d) Rent Annual cost of Rent for Land and Buildings = 0.00 Rs.
Annual Plant Overhead Costs is assumed as 30% of the total cost of operating labor, supervision
and maintenance = 2,038,193,918.38 Rs.
Annual cost of Administrative expenses is assumed as 25% of the total cost of operating labor =
1,475,1161.10 Rs.
Annual cost of Distribution & Marketing expenses is assumed as 10% of the Total Product Cost
= 49,327,337.82 Rs.
4) Financing (interest)
To Calculate Profitability Analysis two methods have been employed based on Fixed Known
Selling Price of the Finished Product API at 75% Capacity
At present the market value of the Finished Product API manufactured under this facility per kg
= 110 Rs. [10]
Inherent safety aspect must be considered to reduce the potential consequences of accident.
Distillation
In a distillation column, among the potential accident that can happen is flooding. This
circumstance occurs as a result of high pressure in the column. There are also large inventories
of boiling the liquid such as sometimes under pressure, in the distillation column both in the base
and held up.
To prevent the accident from happened, sequence that tends to minimize the flow rate of nonkey
component can be chose. Dividing wall column can be used to reduce the inventories and also
number of items to lower the potential for leaks. In case of over pressurization, the relief system
can be installed.
High temperature condition in a plant can lead to possible rupture of tubes carrying process
fluids. Thermal shock and leaking flanges also can occur due to the loss of cooling medium.
Problem of fluids leaking can become more serious with high pressure operation because when
fluid is flashing, mass flow rate of liquid can increase which can leak through holes.
- In order to overcome the high temperature and pressure condition, relief system must be
installed. Automatic shutdown system also must be installed to prevent overpressure and
temperature. The system must always be operated at normal temperature and pressure condition.
Generally, problems include in heat transfer operation involve tube rupture, leaking,
polymerization and solidification. These problems will influence the pressure and temperature
conditions in heater and also cooler.
- Pressure relief can be used to overcome the overpressure consequences and also to protect
against tube rupture. To prevent thermal shock, the control valve (fail-to-open/fail-to-close) can
be used to control the flow rate of cooling or heating medium.
Chemical storage
Chemicals which are highly flammable can lead to explosion. Leakage of chemical from the
storage tank can also cause the vapor cloud and toxic cloud to occur. Failure of instrumentation
especially those which indicate the pressure and temperature will also cause the explosion to
happen. Leaking of chemical into the sewage system also can happen in this area.
- Prevention step can be taken to avoid all of these accidents from occurring. To prevent
explosion, the explosion proof motor and switches should be installed. The use of non-sparking
tools and equipment is required. All storage areas must be clearly marked with warning notices
forbidding smoking and open fire. Pressure safety valve should be installed to maintain the
pressure inside the storage tank. The storage area also should have no drain without suitable
cover or water seal to prevent the chemicals from entering the sewage system.
Transportation
Accident involves in this transportation factor involve spillage of toxic chemicals and also risk of
accident happened. Sometimes, the explosion can also happen due to pressure and temperature
change in the transportation tank.
- In handling the loading and unloading of the chemicals, the workers should wear proper Personal
Protection Environment (PPE). Training should be provided to the driver of the vehicles so that
they can drive carefully and avoid the risk of road accident. To reduce the effect caused by
sudden changes of vehicle speed, baffles should be installed. Other technical requirements such
as gauges, thermometers, safety valve, indicator for maximum and minimum filling and also
device to remove static electricity should be installed to make sure that the tanks are in normal
condition. In case of transportation by sea, tankers with heat-insulated reservoir should be used.
Plant Layout
Weaknesses in the arrangement of facilities in the process area can lead to fire (via conduction,
convection and radiation), explosions and toxic gas releases.
- The spread of fire from its origin to the other parts of the premises can be prevented by vertical
and horizontal compartmentation using fire-resisting walls and floors. Fire accident through
convection, conduction and radiation can also be prevented by ensuring that the distances
between plant items are sufficient to prevent overheating of adjacent plants. To prevent
explosions, among inherently safe methods that should be considered are arranging separation
distances such that damage to adjacent plants will not occur, provision of barriers (blast walls),
protecting plant against damage (provision of thicker walls or vessels) and also directing
explosion relief vents away from vulnerable areas. Prevention of toxic gas releases may be
affected by provision of automatic control systems using inherently safer principles and a
suitable control room.
Human health will be affected in case if there is amount of toxic gas release into the
environment. The plant itself will be put into a high risk if it is build at an area which always
being strike by nature disaster such as flooding, earth quake and others.
- The plant area should be located far from the vulnerable area but near the raw materials supplier
so that the transportation can be made effectively. It should also be near the fire station so that
there are no difficulties in case of emergency.
Leakage, corrosion, crack and explosions can happen due to the poor materials used for the
construction purpose. Crack problem can also arise if high pressures occur within the vessels.
- To prevent such incident from happening, stainless steel is recommended to be used for process
stream to prevent corrosion. Electrical equipments used should also be spark resistance to
prevent explosions.
Toxicology and health hazard
Most chemicals used in the plant either in process stream or product has contains of several
hazardous materials. When the toxic chemicals come into contact with human being, it can cause
a very bad impact to human’s health. Human being might expose to human mutagenic effect if
they are exposed to the chemicals for such long period.
- In order to prevent all these bad consequences from happening, proper Personal Protection
Equipment (PPE) should be worn by workers when dealing with the toxic chemicals. Handling
procedure of these hazardous materials should also be understood well to avoid the accident.
Supervision from expert personnel during handling chemicals also is useful to prevent any
accident from occurring.
Flammability
If the chemicals in reboiler or heater are overheated, explosion may occur. In addition, spark can
be produced from tools or vehicles used in the process area which can lead to explosion or fire
accident.
- The vehicles and also the tools with spark resistance can only be used in the process area. All
activity which can lead to the production of sparks must be prohibited in the process area
(especially smoking).
Explosion limit
If the oxygen content in the reactor and other equipments exceed its normal limit, explosions can
occur.
- To reduce the risk, total oxygen amount content in all these equipments should always be less
than its maximum limit. . A standard practice of ensuring oxygen content less than 2% shall be
employed prior to introduce flammable chemicals.
Hazop Analysis
LESS Less flow Cavity in pump Less raw material Install flow
Partially to the distillation indicator
plugged line column Install low flow
alarm
Install bypass
line valve
Install
Emergency
Shutdown (ESD)
valve
MORE More flow Control valve More raw material Install flow
malfunction to the distillation indicator
column. Install high flow
alarm
REVERSE Reverse Flow Backflow due Desired flow could Install the check
to backpressure not be achieved valve
Regular
inspection and
maintenance for
valve.
The design project of the Butadiene production plant has met its objectives of producing
15,129,39600 tonne / year of Butadiene with a purity of more than 99% and is based on 330
working days and 7920 operating hours per year.
It has been proven conceptually that the setting up of a Butadiene plant in India is feasible and
crucial in order to meet the high demand of Butadiene in the Asian region. From the feasibility
research carried out, the Jamnagar or Hazira are identified to be the best location for a Butadiene
production plant. This is due to the combination of attractive features, incentives and availability
of raw material. Basic utilities such as steam and raw water are obtained easily. Moreover heavy
machinery and raw materials, fuel and all equipments can be directly delivered to Jamnagar Plant
because of Arabian Sea. Furthermore, the product can also be transported easily through marine.
The initial information of product and feed together with the reaction kinetics has been vital in
evaluating the feasibility of the chosen process route. The best method to produce Butadiene so
far has been the non-oxidative dehydrogenation reaction of n-butane to butenes and followed by
oxidative dehydrogenation of butenes to butadiene.
The process is carried out in four stages. In distillation column, the height of distillation column
is 28 m. The no. of actual trays are 56. The diameter of column is 3.5 m. In second stage n-
butane is dehydrogenated to butenes. The butenes are further dehydrogenated in oxidative
dehydrogenation reactor to 1,3 butadiene.In final stage the product 1,3 butadiene is separated
from unreacted n-butane by extractive distillation column.
As far as designing of the reactor is concerned the volume calculated for the reactor is 2.4 m3.
The diameter of the multitubular reactor is 1m. The no, of tubes are 1060.The catalyst used in
Non-oxidative dehydrogenation reactor is Pt0.3 Sn0.6Cs0.5K0.5 La3.0. While the catalyst used in
oxidative dehydrogenation reactor is Mo12Bi1Cr3Ni8Zr1Fe0.1K0.2. The solvent used in extractive
distillation column is DMF (dimethyl formaldehyde).
Finally the cost of the butadiene production plant is also reasonable. The Total Capital
Investment is 1,228,698,167 Rs. The Total Production Cost of the plant is 691,176,512 Rs. The
annual net profit after the income tax paid is 389899061. The payback period of the project is
2.298084225 year & the rate of return of the project is 56.41 %.
Overall, as a conclusion, the project has achieved the overall objectives for preliminary design
stages of the Butadiene production plant. For accurate design purposes, the recommendations
should be taken into consideration and applied into the design project of Butadiene production
plant.
References :
[1] Biegler L.T, Grossmann I.E and Westerberg A.W, Systematic Methods of Chemical
Process Design, Prentice Hall, United States. (1997)
[3] Douglas J.M, Conceptual Design of Chemical Processes, Mc Graw Hill, Singapore. (1988)
[6] Jackson S.D and Rugmini S., “Dehydrogenation of n-butane Over Vanadia Catalysts
Supported on θ Alumina”, Journal of Catalysts 251, 59-68 (2007)
[7] Peters M.S and Timmerhaus K.D., Plant Design and Economics for Chemical Engineers, 4th
Edition, Mc Graw Hill, Singapore.(1991)
[9] Schindler G.P, Walsdorff C., Harth K. Hibst H., Method for the production of butadiene
from n-butane, United States Patent.(2006)
[13] Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook, Eighth Edition [Don Green, Robert Perry] 8th
Edition
[14] Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology vol 4 butadiene P340 –P354 . Fourth
Edition.
[15] Chemical Engineering Design vol 6 5th Edition by Ray Sinnott and Gavin Towler.
[16] J. G. Aston Szasz H. W. Wooley, and F. G. Brickwedde, J. chem. Phys. 14,67 1946
APPENDICES