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

Bachelor of Chemical Engineering

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 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.

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

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 Unit One: Introduction

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
coatings applications, in paint formulations, in leather finishings, in paper coatings,
in polishes and adhesives and in general finishes and binders.

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 Unit One: Introduction

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 𝐶3 𝐻4 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
Acidity (pKa) 4.25 (H2O)

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 Unit One: Introduction

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 melting
point with a trace quantity of polymerization inhibitor. Its reactions with
strong oxidizing substances can be violent.

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 Unit One: Introduction

- 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.

𝐶𝐻2 = 𝐶𝐻𝐶𝑂𝑂𝐶𝐻 + 𝐻𝐶𝑂𝑂𝐻3 → 𝐶𝐻2 = 𝐶𝐻𝐶𝑂𝑂𝐻 + 𝐻𝐶𝑂𝑂𝐶𝐻3

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.

𝐶𝐻2 = 𝐶𝐻𝐶𝐻𝑂 + 1⁄2 𝑂2 → 𝐶𝐻2 = 𝐶𝐻𝐶𝑂𝑂𝐻

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%

𝐶𝐻2 𝐵𝑟𝐶𝐻𝐵𝑟𝐶𝑂𝑂𝐻 + 𝑍𝑛 → 𝐶𝐻 = 𝐶𝐶𝐻2 = 𝐶𝐻𝐶𝑂𝑂𝐻 + 𝑍𝑛𝐵𝑟2

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 Unit One: Introduction

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

pyrolyzing ethyl acrylate at 570℃.
𝐶𝐻2 = 𝐶𝐻𝐶𝑂𝑂𝐶𝐻(𝐶𝐻3 )𝐶𝐻2 𝐶𝐻3 → C𝐻2 = CHCOOH + C𝐻3 CH = CHC𝐻3

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

ethylene through the silica gel impregnated with iron sulfite.

𝐶𝐻2 = 𝐶𝐻2 + 𝐶𝑂2 → C𝐻2 = 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:

𝐶𝐻2 = 𝐶𝐻𝐶𝐻3 + 𝑂2 → C𝐻2 = CHCOOH + 𝐻2 𝑂

𝐻2 𝐶 = 𝐶𝐻𝐶𝐻𝑂 + 0.5𝑂2 → C𝐻2 = CH

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 Unit One: Introduction

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