5.

1 REACTION PATH
As already noted, given that the
objective is to anulacture
iCeitam product, there are often a umber of alternative
feaction paths to that product. Reaction paths that usC
he
cheapest raw materials and produce the mallest
quantities of byproducts are to be preferred. Reaction
paths thal produce signilicant quantities of nwanted
byproducts should especially be avoided, since they can
Createsigilicant environmental probles.
However, there are many other factors to be
considered
In the choice of reaction
path. Some are commercial, such
asuncertainties regarding future prices of raw malerials and
byproducts. Others are technical. such as safety and energy
Consumption.
The lack of suitable
catalysts is the most common reason
preventing the exploitation of novel reaction
paths. At the
irst stage of design, it is
see all of the
impossible to look
ahead and
conscquences of choosing one reaction path
or another, but some
things are clear even at this stage.
Consider the following
example.
Example 5.1 Given that the
objective is to manufacture vinyl
chloride, there are at least three reaction
exploited. paths that can be readily
Path 1
CH +HCI
acetylene
CHCI
hydrogen vinyl
chloride chloride
Path 2
CH + Cl2 C.HC
ethylene chlorine dichloroethane
heat
C.HC1 C>HCI+ HCI
dichloroethane Vinyl hydrogen
chloride chloride
Path 3
CH4+1/202 + 2HCI C>HCl +H0
ethylene oxygen hydrogen dichloroethane water
chloride
heat
C H,C12 C>HCI+ HCI
dichloroethane vinyl hydrogen
chloride chloride
The market values and molar masses of the materials involved
are given in Table 5.1.

Table 5.1 Molar masses and values of materials in

Example 5.1.

Material Molar mass Value

(kg-kmol-) (S-kg
26 1.0
Acetylene
Chlorinhe 71 0.23
28 0.53
Ethylene
Hydrogen chloride 36 0.39
Vinyl chloride 62 0.46

Oxygen is considered to be free at this stage, coming from the

atmosphere. Which reaction path makes most sense on the basis
of raw material costs, product and byproduct values?

Solution Decisions can be made on the basis of the economic

potential of the process. At this stage, the best that can be done
is to define the economic potential (EP) as (see Chapter 2):

EP = (value of products) - (raw materials costs)