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CH 2014 Heat and Mass Transfer

Assignment

Process Flow Diagram and the Heat Exchangers used in

Polyethene Production

VISCOMETERS.docx

NAME : BENARAGAMA B.V.C.M.

INDEX NO : 170070D
DATE OF SUB : 01/11/2019

Department of Chemical and Process Engineering

University of Moratuwa
• INTRODUCTION

Polyethylenes are one of most commonly used type of polymers in day-to-day use. The
applications of polythene are very high due to the versatility of the properties of the material.
The process of production involves, cracking of petroleum products to produce ethylene gas,
and polymerization of ethylene under controlled conditions to produce polyethene. The process
involves a series of steps where a number of heat exchanging steps are involved. (“How Is
HDPE Made? | Scranton Products,” n.d.)

• PROCESS DESCRIPTION

The production process of PE, could be done using different processes, under different
conditions. According the pressure conditions, there are two production processes.

1. High-pressure production process

2. Low-pressure production process

1. High-pressure production process

Irrespective of the different process methods used in different high-pressure production

methods, following key components can be identified in general.

1. Primary Compressor
2. Secondary Compressor
3. Reactor
4. High-pressure Separator
5. Low-pressure Separator
6. Low-pressure Separator
7. Cooler
8. Cooler
9. Extruder
a. Fresh Ethylene
b. Recycled Ethylene
c. Recycled Ethyl;ene
d. Intermediate pressure
ethylene
e. High pressure ethylene
f. Catalyst
g. Chain transfer agent
h. Ethylene, Oils, Waxes, and
Polyethylene
i. Ethylene and Polyethylene
j. Ethylene, Oils, and Waxes
k. Oils and Waxes
l. Ethylene Recycle
m. Polyethylene
n. Ethylene Recycle
o. LDPE/HDPE Pellets
• “Fresh ethylene a also known as make-up ethylene because it forms only about 10–20% of
the reactor feed is fed into a primary compressor 1.
• The fresh ethylene is joined by recycled feedstock b and c.
• The primary compressor elevates the ethylene pressure to approximately 1500–4000 psi,
and it is then transferred d into the secondary compressor 2, which boosts the pressure to
approximately 15,000–22,500 psi.
• The pressurized ethylene e is fed into the reactor 3.
• The initiator f and chain transfer agent g can be metered into the ethylene stream as it
enters the reactor or at various points within it.
• From the reactor the product stream h containing a mixture of unreacted ethylene, oils,
waxes, and polyethene proceeds to a two-stage separation process.
• The product stream is initially let down into a high-pressure separator 4 wherein the
polyethene precipitates and is drained off with some ethylene i to a low-pressure
separator 5.
• The low molecular weight oils and waxes remain in solution in the bulk of the ethylene,
and this stream j is let down into a separate low-pressure separator 6.
• Here the ethylene is stripped from the oils and waxes, which are discharged in waste
stream k.
• The ethylene for recycle l proceeds to a cooler 7, from which it is piped to the primary
compressor to join the make-up feed.
• In the low-pressure separator 5 the ethylene is flashed off and the polyethene m is
removed.
• The ethylene stream n is recycled via a cooler 8 to the start of the process.
• Many variants of the separation process exist, with different arrangements of separators
that can recycle unreacted ethylene to either or both of the compressors.
• The polyethene product is fed into an extruder 9, where it is homogenized and blended
with additives, principally antioxidants.
• The product is extruded as thin strands that are chopped into pellets to form low-density
polyethene resin o that is ready for packaging and shipping.” (La Mantia, Mistretta, &
Morreale, 2013)
2. Low-pressure production process

The general components of Low-pressure process, irrespective of the different alteration are as
follows. Consider that the process is not discussed in length here.

• ROLES OF HEAT EXCHANGERS

1. High-pressure production process

o Cooler 7, 8:
The free radical reactions happening in the reactor are highly exothermic
under high-pressure conditions. If the unreacted ethene is directly recycled into
compressors, due to high temperature, the optimal compression cannot be achieved.
Hence recycling ethene is cooled before introducing to the compressors.
2. Low-pressure production process
o Condensor 6:
The exothermic free radical reactions in the reactor tends to increase the
temperature of the reactor. This may increase the reaction rate, but the temperature
should be controlled in order to avoid the damages to the equipment. Hence the
reaction medium solvent evaporated absorbing the heat produced in the reaction, is
condensed in the condenser and resent to the reactor.
 o Dryer 11:
This is not a heat exchanger by definition. But it has the action of a heat
exchanger plus a separator. The polyethene dissolved in the solvent is dried in this
unit, and the solvent is separated. Solvent is sent to recycle while the dried
polyethene is further processed.

• TYPES OF HEAT EXCHANGERS

According to (“(PDF) Performance Evaluation of Heat Exchangers in a
Polyethylene Plant.,” n.d.), the heat exchangers used in Polyethene production can be
categorized as follows.
o According to flow,
▪ Counter-current
▪ Co-current
o According to configuration,
▪ Tubular
▪ Plate
▪ Shell-in-tube
o According to heat transfer,
▪ Active
▪ Passive

(Saffarian et al., 2019) (“Heat Exchanger Design and Types

of Heat Exchanger,” n.d.)
 (Why is a counter flow heat exchanger
better than a parallel flow heat
exchanger? - Quora, no date)

(“INCH - Technical English | plate and frame

heat exchanger,” n.d.)

▪ Generally in Polyethene production, shell and tubular heat exchangers are used according
to, (PDF) Performance Evaluation of Heat Exchangers in a Polyethylene Plant., no date.
• REFERENCES

(PDF) Performance Evaluation of Heat Exchangers in a Polyethylene Plant. (n.d.). Retrieved

October 31, 2019, from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235960914_Performance_Evaluation_of_Heat_Exchan
gers_in_a_Polyethylene_Plant

Heat Exchanger Design and Types of Heat Exchanger. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2019, from
http://www.alternative-energy-tutorials.com/energy-articles/heat-exchanger-design.html

How Is HDPE Made? | Scranton Products. (n.d.). Retrieved October 28, 2019, from
https://www.scrantonproducts.com/how-is-hdpe-made/

INCH - Technical English | plate and frame heat exchanger. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2019,
from https://inchbyinch.de/pictorial/plate-heat-exchanger/

La Mantia, F. P., Mistretta, M. C., & Morreale, M. (2013). Handbook of Industrial Polyethylene
and Technology. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary-wiley-
com.ep.fjernadgang.kb.dk/doi/pdf/10.1002/9781119159797

Saffarian, M. R., Fazelpour, F., & Sham, M. (2019). Numerical study of shell and tube heat
exchanger with different cross-section tubes and combined tubes. International Journal of Energy
and Environmental Engineering, 10(1), 33–46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40095-019-0297-9

Why is a counter flow heat exchanger better than a parallel flow heat exchanger? - Quora. (n.d.).
Retrieved October 31, 2019, from https://www.quora.com/Why-is-a-counter-flow-heat-
exchanger-better-than-a-parallel-flow-heat-exchanger