Plate design and Production

of 100 Ton / Day of Acrylic Acid

By

Nour Al-Hoda Raghadan Kazem (56)

Amna Abdul Karim Abd Ali ( 9 )

Hussein Amjad Yacoub (14)

Hamza sttar Abd (15)

A project report submitted in partial fulfilment of the

requirements for the award of the degree of

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 Bachelor of Chemical Engineering

Chemical Engineering Department

Engineering College

University of Basrah

Iraq

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 2020-2021

DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this project report is based on my original work except for
citations and quotations which have been duly acknowledged.

Signature: _________________________

Name : _________________________

Date : _________________________

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 APPROVAL FOR   SUBMISSION

I certify that this project report “Production of 100 Ton / Day of Acrylic Acid”
was prepared by

Nour Al-Hoda Raghadan Kazem

Amna Abdul Karim Abd Ali

Hussein Amjad Yacoub

Hamza sttar Abd

has met the required standard for submission in partial fulfilment of the
requirements for the award of Bachelor of Chemical Engineering at University of
Basrah.

Approved by,

Signature: _________________________

Supervisor : _________________________

Date : _________________________

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Acknowledgements

To the dear Dr. Shaima, in the name of all

of us, we students of your project, we present thanks and appreciation for your
effort and constant communication for the sake of education first and completing
the project secondly as best as possible. We hope that we were at the best of
expectations and apologize for any failure. May God protect you from all evil and
last you in the best condition.

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 Unit One: Introduction

Unit One
Introduction
Contents

Unit One: Introduction............................................................................................1

Definition of acrylic acid :....................................................................................................................2
Uses of acrylic acid:..............................................................................................................................3
Physical properties:..............................................................................................................................4
Chemical properties:............................................................................................................................5
Hazards:................................................................................................................................................6
Methods of producing acrylic acid.......................................................................................................7

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 Unit One: Introduction

Unit One: Introduction

Definition of Acrylic acid :

Acrylic acid is an organic compound with the formula CH2=CHCOOH. It is the

simplest unsaturated carboxylic acid, consisting of a vinyl group connected
directly to a carboxylic acid terminus. This colorless liquid has a characteristic
acrid or tart smell. It is miscible with water, alcohols, ethers, and chloroform.
More than a million tons are produced annually

Acrylic acid is a highly reactive carboxylic acid thatcan react with itself to form
polyacrylic acid, which is used as an absorbent in hygiene products. It also can
react with alcohols to form acrylates (esters) that are used in a wide range of
polymers. However, polymers commonly called acrylic (Plexiglas, textiles, etc.)
contain acrylate monomers but are often produced from chemicals other than

acrylic acid.

Acrylic acid is was discovered by Josef Redtenbacher, a German chemist. .

Known also as 2-propeonic acid, this plant molecule occurs naturally in marine
algae and has been found in the rumen fluid of sheep. Acrylic acid has been
found to polymerize easily when exposed to heat, light, or metals so, therefore a
polymerization inhibitor is added to commercial for storage. The acid is used in
the manufacture of plastics, floor polish, paint formulations, leather finishings,
and paper coatings. Exposure to the liquid occurs primarily in the workplace and
can irritate the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes of humans. Acrylic acid has
not been classified as a carcinogen.

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 Unit One: Introduction

The word "acrylic" was coined in 1843, for a chemical derivative of acrolein, an
acrid-smelling oil derived from glycerol

Uses of Acrylic acid :

Acrylic acid is used in the manufacture of plastics, in latex applications, in floor

polish, in polymer solutions for coatings applications, emulsion polymers, paint
formulations, leather finishing’s, and paper coatings. Acrylic acid is also used as
a chemical intermediate. One of the main applications is in the manufacture of
superabsorbent polymers that can soak up large amounts of liquid and are used
mainly in diapers and other hygiene products.

The primary use of acrylic acid is in the production of acrylic esters and resins,
which are used primarily in coatings and adhesives. It is also used in oil treatment
chemicals, detergent intermediates, water treatment chemicals, and water
absorbent polyacrylic acid polymers. Acrylic acid is used widely for
polymerization, including production of polyacrylates.

It is a monomer for polyacrylic and polymethacrylic acids and other acrylic

polymers. It is used in the manufacture of plastics, as a tackifier, as a flocculant,
in the production of water-soluble resins and salts, as a comonomer in acrylic
emulsion and solution polymers and in molding powder for signs, construction
units, decorative emblems and insignias. It is used in polymer solutions for

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 Unit One: Introduction

coatings applications, in paint formulations, in leather finishings, in paper

coatings, in polishes and adhesives and in general finishes and binders.

Physical properties:

Property Value
Appearance Colorless liquid
Freezing point 12 ℃
Boiling point 139 ℃
Melting Point 13 ℃
Flash point 54.4 ℃
Density 1.05g/mL
Formula C 3 H 4 O2
Molecular weight 72.06g/mol
vapor pressure at 25 °C 31 torr
octanol/water partition coefficient 0.36
Solubility Stability Unstable - may contain p-
methoxyphenol as an inhibitor. Prone
to hazardous polymerization.
Combustible. Incompatible with
strong oxidizing agents, strong bases,
amines. Contact with oxidizers may
cause fire. Light and air sensitive.
Hygroscopic
Vapor (Gas) Specific Gravit 2.5
Liquid Water Interfacial Tension Not pertinent
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 Unit One: Introduction

Acidity (pKa) 4.25 (H2O)

Chemical properties:

- colourless liquid with an acrid odour

- Acrylic acid is a colorless, flammable, and corrosive liquid or solid

(below 13 C) with an irritating, rancid, odor. Sinks and mixes with water;
irritating vapor is produced.

- Reactivity with Water: No reaction

- Reactivity with Common Materials: No reaction

- Stability During Transport: Normally unstable but will not detonate.

- Neutralizing Agents for Acids and Caustics: Wash with water, rinse with
sodium bicarbonate solution.

- Polymerization: May occur on contact with acids, iron salts, or at

elevated temperatures and release high energy rapidly; may cause
explosion under confinement.

- Inhibitor of Polymerization: Monomethyl ether of hydroquinone 180-200

ppm; phenothiazine (for tech. grades) 1000 ppm; hydroquinone (0.1%);
methylene blue (0.5-1%); N, N'-diphenyl- pphenylenediamine (0.05%)

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 Unit One: Introduction

Hazards:

- May burn skin or eyes upon short contact. INHALATION: eye and nasal
irritation and lacrimation. INGESTION: may cause severe damage to the
gastrointestinal tract.

- Acrylic acid is a corrosive liquid that cancause skin burns. Spill into the
eyes candamage vision. The vapors are an irritantto the eyes. The
inhalation hazard is oflow order. An exposure to 4000 ppm for4 hours was
lethal to rats. The oral LD50values reported in the literature show
widevariation. The dermal LD50 value in rabbitsis 280 mg/kg.

- Combustible liquid; flash point (closed cup) 54°C (130°F), (open cup)
68°C (155°F); vapor pressure 31 torr at 25°C (77°F); vapor density 2.5
(air=1); autoignition temperature 360°C (680°F). Vapors of acrylic acid
form explosive mixtures with air within the range 2.9–8.0% by volume in
air. Fireextinguishing agent: water spray, “alcohol” foam, dry chemical, or
CO2; use a water spray to flush and dilute the spill and to disperse the
vapors.

- Acrylic acid may readily polymerize at ambient temperature.

Polymerization may be inhibited with 200 ppm of hydroquinone
monomethyl ether (Aldrich 2006). In the presence of a catalyst or at an
elevated temperature, the polymerization rate may accelerate, causing an
explosion. The reactions of acrylic acid with amines, imines, and oleum
are exothermic but not violent. Acrylic acid should be stored below its

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 Unit One: Introduction

melting point with a trace quantity of polymerization inhibitor. Its

reactions with strong oxidizing substances can be violent.

- Acrylates are esters from acrylic acid. Occupational contact allergies from
acrylates have frequently been reported and mainly concern workers
exposed to the glues based on acrylic acid, as well as dental workers and
beauticians.

Methods of producing Acrylic acid

There many ways to produce Acrylic acid such as :

1- The easiest way to prepare pure acrylic acid is to exchange the ester of
formic acid and readily available methyl acrylate. Sulfuric acid is a good
catalyst.

CH 2=CHCOOCH + HCOO H 3 → C H 2=CHCOOH + HCOOC H 3

2- Acrolein can be oxidized in the liquid phase at 20-40℃ with silver or

vanadium as the catalyst and methoxybenzene as the solvent which glacial acetic
acid is more commonly used. It has been reported that the yield of acrylic acid
can reach 65-90% based on the consumption of acrolein.

1
C H 2=CHCHO+ O 2 ¿ C H 2=CHCOOH
2 →

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 Unit One: Introduction

3- A mixture of water and 2,3 dibromopropionic acid is treated with zinc powder
can obtain an aqueous solution of acrylic acid with a yield of 90%

C H 2 BrCHBrCOOH + Zn CH =CCH 2=CHCOOH + ZnBr 2

→

4- Acrylic acid also can be obtained by pyrolyzing sec-butyl acrylate at 500℃, or

pyrolyzing ethyl acrylate at 570℃.
C H 2=CHCOOCH (C H 3 )C H 2 C H 3 C H 2=CHCOOH +C H 3 CH =CHC H 3  
→

5- At 200-300℃, acrylic acid can be obtained by passing carbon dioxide and

ethylene through the silica gel impregnated with iron sulfite.

C H 2=C H 2+C O 2 C H 2 =CHCOOH

→

6- crylic acid is typically produced through a two-stage propylene-based

oxidation process Using acrolein as a fast-acting medium, as shown below:

C H 2=CHC H 3+ O 2 C H 2 =CHCOOH + H 2 O
→

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 Unit One: Introduction

H 2 C=CHCHO+ 0.5 O 2 C H 2=CH

→

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