PROCESS DESIGN AND ECONOMICS

ASSIGNMENT
Process alternative to reduce environmental impact
Name: Shailaja Ujjal Chowdhury
Enrollment No.: BT18CME076

Question:
Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), the world's largest-volume synthetic surfactant, which
includes the various salts of sulfonated alkylbenzenes, is widely used in household
detergents as well as in numerous industrial applications.
LABSA is manufactured by following chemical reaction

The manufacturer of LABSA approached to VNIT and informed that during manufacturing:
1) He has to use 3.5 times excess conc sulphuric acid (98%) than the stoichiometric
requirement.
2) During the reaction H2O is produced which dilutes sulphuric acid reactant hence
excess amount of conc. Sulphuric acid is needed.
3) At the end of the reaction unreacted dilute (78%) sulphuric acid remains which puts
burden on effluent treatment.
4) The process uses excess hazardous chemicals even produces effluent which is
harmful to the environment.
You being a student of PDE course suggest process modification in recyle/ process/
separation such that excess use of sulphuric acid is reduced and thud production of
hazardous effluent.
 Solution:
The process flow diagram of the above process can be made as:
Equipment Details:

 TK-101: LAB storage vessel

 TK-102: Concentrated Sulphuric Acid storage vessel
 R-101: Reactor
 TK-103: Overhead Water Reservoir
 W-101: Washer
 TK-104: LABSA storage tank

Figure 1: Process Flow Diagram of the given process

Alternative:
The above process does not treat the acidic effluent coming out of the washer. We know
that, water is produced along with LABSA. The reaction stops (attains equilibrium) when the
concentration of the sulphuric acid drops to 80%. Due to this, a huge amount of unreacted
H2SO4 gets discharged with the effluent. We can further use that effluent by concentrating it
to around 98% of H2SO4. This would help us to reduce the amount of sulphuric acid required
for the process. We can use the waste acid that is separated from the reaction mixture in
the manufacture of SSP (Single Super Phosphate) and other fertilizers. Sulphur demand of
the crops can be met by using fertilizers like SSP as it could easily meet P requirement while
simultaneously supplying S, Ca, and micro-nutrients to crops. It helps to protect the soil
from disintegration and increases the yield by 15-25%. This is shown in the figure below:
Equipment details:

 TK-101: LAB storage vessel

 TK-102: Concentrated Sulphuric Acid storage vessel
 R-101: Reactor
 TK-103: Overhead Water Reservoir
 W-101: Washer
 TK-104: LABSA storage tank
 S-101: Separator
 D-101: Spent Decanter
 TK-105: Storage tank for spent acid
References:
 DownloadPfdFile.aspx (environmentclearance.nic.in)
 Production of Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulphonic Acid (LABSA) | LinkedIn
 alkyl benzene plus sulphuric acid reaction - Bing
 Ssp manufacturing (slideshare.net)