Introduction:
o The crude methanol produced in synthesis unit contains water undesired able gases
and some amounts of other un avoidable by products like L.B and H.B methanol.
o The objective of this unit is to provide rectification at a minimum loss of methanol
and distilled water of desired specifications in plant 200 and 300, which is
accomplished in the following three stages,
1. Degassing.
2. Removal of Low B.P products.
3. Removal of high B.P products.
4. Purification of process water.
Degassing:
o Crude methanol is flashed in expansion vessel F-301.
o The still dissolved inerts entering column D-301 are routed with the perun vapors
from top of the perun coolers via FRC-303 and finally from expansion gas cooler
(Serves To minimize the methanol loses) E-306 and into expansion gas header.
o The over-head vapors from top of process water column D-304 are combined with
other dissolved gases and vapors by-products.
o To avoid condensation these gases are superheated in a super heater E-312 before
they are used as a fuel for firing the reformer C-101.
Removal Of Low B.P Products:
o From F-301 crude methanol flows to perun column D-301, whose reboiler is heated
via LP steam.
o Where Low Boiling Point Impurities are removed like (dimethyl ether and methyl
formaite) are removed and discharged in the expansion gas header.
o The overhead product from D-301 is liquefied in condenser E-305, collected in
reflux vessel F-304, and pumped back to the top of perun column D-301 by reflux
pump G-304.
o The pressure in D-301 is maintained by discharging the remaining inert gases from
condenser/reboiler E-305 via expansion gas cooler E-306.
o A small quantity of aqeous caustic soda is fed to a process by pump G-302 from
NaoH storage tank F-302 to prevent corrosion in the lower parts of columns due to
high proportion of water in boiling liquids.
Removal Of High B.P Products:
o Higher boiling by-products (HB) are separated from pure pure methanol in D-
302 and D-303.
o The bottom products from column D-301 which is almost pure methanol (free of
low boilers) are fed to pure methanol pressure column D-302.
o The over-head products of D-302 produced in reboiler E-302 (which is heated
with low pressure steam) is condensed in condenser/reboiler group E-303.
o The heat released thereby is used to heat column D-303.
o The pure methanol condensate is partly refluxed from pure methanol refluxed
vessel F-303 by reflux pump G-303 to the column top D-302 via pure methanol
cooler E-307.
o The over-head vapors are liquified in air cooled condenser EA-301, cooled down
in pure methanol cooler E-308 and collected in pure methanol reflux vessel F-
305.
o The pure methanol is refluxed by G-306 to the top pf D-303. While the other
portion is discharged from plant as pure methanol product.
o The steam D-303 is generated by reboiler group E-303, Reboiler condenser E-
305 and trim reboiler E-304(to adjust temperature fluctuations).
Separation Of High Boiling Impurities From Water:
o The process water extracted from bottom of D-303 contains methanol and high
boiling impurities and to avoid air pollution, process water column D-304 is
installed, which is fed by pump G-305.
o This column is heated via reboiler E-310, with steam.
o By which methanol and impurities in the form of gases is sent to expansion gas
header upstream to super heater E-312.
o The rflux is condensed in reflux condenser E-311 and accumulated in reflux
vessel F-306.
