Saint Louis University

Baguio City

A Preliminary Design for Ethylene Production

In partial fulfillment of the course CHE 522:

Chemical Engineering Plant Design

Daywan, Diorella S.

Engr. Jan Andrew Delos Santos

26 February 2021
 I. PROBLEM STATEMENT

Acetylene is a light carbon. Due to this nature of acetylene, it possesses flammable

properties. Although it is generally non-toxic, it could participate in the production of harmful
byproducts, depending on the process of how acetylene was produced. Depending on the process
involved, a number of problems could be encountered during the production process, such as
corrosion, pressure-related issues, leaks, and more. Problems may vary as to the equipment used
for the chosen production process. The challenge in choosing a process most suitable for acetylene
production is choosing a process wherein the costs are minimized, safeness of the process is
considered, economy of the whole process, which is also inclusive of the raw materials used.

II. LITERATURE SURVEY

Acetylene is the simplest alkyne with a chemical composition of two carbons and two
hydrogens. It is gaseous in form and is considered to be flammable. The fact that acetylene, in its
pure form, is odorless and colorless, it becomes more hazardous to handle. Accidental
ignition/explosion may occur as it is nearly undetectable. Fortunately, acetylene is mostly
commercially produced, and during the production, acetylene tends to contain impurities which
gives it a detectable scent. Due to its unstable nature in its pure form, it is primarily handled as a
solution. The main purpose of acetylene is as a fuel and/or chemical additive in other reactions.

Acetylene was accidentally discovered by Edmund Davy in 1863. While he was attempting
to isolate potassium metal by heating potassium carbonate, he was able to produce potassium
carbide. When reacted to water, potassium carbide yielded acetylene gas. The gas was eventually
rediscovered by Marcellin Berthelot by employing a different process in 1860 and was the one
who coined the name of the gas “acetylene”. In his procedure, he was able to produce acetylene
by passing organic gasses through a hot tube. He, eventually, was able to discover two other ways
of producing acetylene which is by allowing electricity to flow and spark through a gaseous mixture
of cyanogen and hydrogen and the other process was allowing hydrogen to pass through a carbon
arc.

Acetylene is commercially produced using the three processes: reaction with water and
calcium carbide, passing of a gas mix through the poles of an electric arc, and partial combustion
of methane and air/oxygen. The most common applications of acetylene are: fuel for welding
(capable of producing a 3,600 K flame), portable lighting, Niche applications, catalyst for other
chemical reactions.

III. PROCESS DESCRIPTION

A.) Reaction with water and Calcium Carbide

Calcium Carbide and water are reacted to form acetylene based on the reaction CaC2 + 2
H2O --> C2H2 + Ca(OH)2 . This process occurs inside a generator capable of automatically
discharging by-products. A high-pressure drier and anhydrous calcium chloride are also
employed to aid in drying the acetylene. The resulting gas passes through purifiers to
separate hydrogen sulphide and phosgene which were not discharged in the generator.
The gasses already separate easily when passed through a wire mesh. A scrubber is also
used to “scrub” the gas from ammonia and other water-soluble gases. Lastly, acetylene is
compressed in a compressor.
 B.) Partial Combustion of Methane and Air/Oxygen (Thermal Cracking Process)

Natural gas, mostly methane, is charged and heated in furnace. The hot gas is then passed
through a venturi and mixed with oxygen. The resulting gas mix is then passed through a
diffuser to impede the gas just enough to avoid blow-out of the flame and flash back. The
gas is then pass through a burner block to further increase its temperature. The heated gas
is allowed to flow into the reaction space where the high-temperatures causes the about
a third of the gas to be converted to acetylene with the remaining 2/3 to be burned. Water
is sprinkled afterwards to maximize the conversion process. The resulting acetylene gas is
then passed through a series of two scrubbers to remove carbon soot and to absorb the
acetylene via solvents. The acetylene-solvent is pumped to a separation tower wherein the
acetylene is separated and released as a gas to the top of the tower, while the solvent is
released to the bottom of the tower.

C.) Passing of a Gas mix through an Electric Arc

The process involved is a plasma reactor comprising of a PDC-3D plasmatron, a sectioned reactor,
and a quenching device arranged in two ways: a quenching section (ensuring the distributed
injection of water jets perpendicularly to the motion of a plasma jet and a quenching bunker
where pyrolysis gases are quenched by submerging them in the of the quenching medium —
diesel fuel. Mixtures of propane-butane and air are used as a plasma-generating gas for production
of hydrogen and acetylene. The total flow rate of the gas mixture is estimated to be around 12–20 kg ⁄
h; its velocity at exit from the plasmatron is around 40–95 m ⁄ sec and 20–50 m ⁄ sec at entry of
the pyrogas into the quenching medium (diesel fuel).
 IV. ASSESSMENT OF DESIGNS

Of the three processes, the most common is the reaction of water and calcium carbide
since is it the easiest way to produce acetylene. Thermal cracking makes the production of
acetylene without having to purchase calcium carbide. Using electric arc (based on improved
technology) as means of acetylene production has a conversion of about 95-99%. The
disadvantage of using calcium carbide is that during the process, phosphine and arsine could be
generated, which are highly toxic gases. Also, the cost of calcium carbide adds to the total cost of
operation for a plant. Thermal cracking, on the other hand, uses natural gas, which is still very
abundant, but uses high temperature and more complicated processes than calcium carbide’s just
to ensure the quality of the gas during the process. Using an electric arc employs more
complicated technology which are not yet commercially employed to produce acetylene. Of the
three processes, thermal cracking would be the best option as it produces less harmful by-
products, considering that the safety of the employees and the environment play a major factor,
too, and uses raw materials that are abundant and are easily accessible. Also, the technology used
in thermal cracking is not too complex unlike in electric arcs.

V. CONCLUSION

Acetylene is a gaseous compound with a chemical formula of C2H2. In its pure form, it is
odorless and colorless, and unstable. When commercially produced, it possesses a distinct scent
prior to impurity caused by other gases. There are several ways to produce acetylene, but only a
few are employed commercially. Of the few ways to produce acetylene commercially, the most
efficient way, with all pertinent conditions taken into account, is thermal cracking. Thermal
cracking involves the partial combustion of a natural gas, mostly methane, and other series of
processes, to produce acetylene.

VI. REFERENCES

(PDF) Production of commercial hydrogen and acetylene from propane-butane and liquid
hydrocarbons in an electric-arc plasma reactor (researchgate.net)
Engineers Guide: Acetylene production process using calcium carbide (enggyd.blogspot.com)

How acetylene is made - material, making, used, processing, Raw Materials (madehow.com)

Acetylene: How Products are Made Archived 20 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine

Takashi Ohara; Takahisa Sato; Noboru Shimizu; Günter Prescher; Helmut Schwind; Otto Weiberg;
Klaus Marten; Helmut Greim (2003). "Acrylic Acid and Derivatives". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of
Industrial Chemistry: 7. doi:10.1002/14356007.a01_161.pub2. ISBN 3527306730.

"Acetylene". Products and Supply > Fuel Gases. Linde. Retrieved 30 November2013.