U NIVERSITY OF WAH

Department of Chemistry

Assignment# 01

 Submitted by: Iqra Shahid

 Reg No: UW-21-CHM-BS5-002
 Submitted to: Ms. Sana Javed
 Topic: Unit Operations and Unit Processes
 Course Title: Organic Industries (CHM-445)
 Date of Submission: 2nd-March-2023

1
Table of Contents

1. Introduction to water treatment plant............................................................3

2. Unit Operations..................................................................................................3
2.1. Classification of Unit Operations................................................................................. 3

2.1.1. Material handling transportation............................................................................ 3

2.1.2. Mechanical unit operations.....................................................................................3

2.1.3. Mass transfer operations.........................................................................................4

2.1.4. Heat transfer operations...........................................................................................4

2.2. List of Some Unit Operations..........................................................................4

3. Unit Process..........................................................................................................4
4. Unit Operations and Unit Processes in waste water treatment plant............5
5. Block Diagram of Water Treatment Plant.......................................................5
6. Physical Unit Operations in Wastewater Treatment......................................6
7. Chemical Unit Processes in Wastewater Treatment.......................................6
8. Biological Unit Processes...................................................................................6
9. Classification of Biological processes...............................................................7
9.1. Aerobic processes...................................................................................................7

9.2. Anaerobic processes............................................................................................... 7

9.3. Secondary Treatment.............................................................................................7

9.4. Tertiary Treatment................................................................................................ 8

10. Difference between Unit Operations and Unit Processes..............................8

11. Conclusion..........................................................................................................8
12. References...........................................................................................................9

2
Topic: Describe Unit Operations and Unit Processes in any
chemical industry and elaborate the examples related to it.
1. Introduction to water treatment plant:
Drinking water treatment plants are used to remove particles and organisms that leads to diseases
and public’s welfare supply pure drinkable water to the environment, people and living
organisms. In addition, they also supply drinking water that is pleasant to the senses: taste, sight,
smell and provide safe, reliable drinking water.

Water treatment, as a word originally means the act or process of making water more potable or
useful as by purifying, clarifying, softening or deodorizing it.

Water is treated differently in different communities depending on the quality of water which
enters the plant. For example; ground water requires less treatment than water from lakes, rivers,
streams. To provide pure drinking water to the public, the design of water supply system and the
plant follow many unit operations and unit processes.

2. Unit Operations:
Unit operation is a basic step in a chemical process that involves physical change or chemical
transformation during the process like polymerization, separation, evaporation, crystallization
filtration, isomerization and other reaction.

Example of unit operations:

Distillation of methylene Dichloride with water Chlorination.

2.1. Classification of Unit Operations:

There are four classification of unit operation

2.1.1. Material handling transportation:

Pumping, compression, fluidization.

2.1.2. Mechanical unit operations:

Size reduction, size enlargement, mixing, agitation blending etc.

3
 2.1.3. Mass transfer operations:
Evaporation, Distillation, Absorption, Extraction, leaching

2.1.4. Heat transfer operations:

Conduction, convection radiation.

2.2. List of Some Unit Operations:

1. Heat flow 4. Distillation 7. Mixing 10. Sedimentation

2. Drying 5. Extraction 8. Adsorption 11. Crushing

3. Evaporation 6. Filtration 9. Separation 12. Leaching

3. Unit Process:

It is a process in which chemical changes take place to the material present in the reaction
and result in the chemical reaction is known as unit process.

This is basically consisting of a reaction between two or more chemicals which results in another
chemical. e.g., halogenation.

Examples:

Sulphonation, Nitration, Oxidation

 Electrolysis of sodium chloride solution

NaCl + H₂O → NaOH + ½ H₂ + ½ Cl₂

 Production of hydrogen

CH4+ H₂O+ heat → CO +3H2

4
4. Unit Operations and Unit Processes in waste water treatment plant:

Waste water treatment is any operation/process that an reduce the objectionable properties of
waste water and render it less dangerous. Waste water treatment is combination of physical
chemical and biological processes. Methods of treatment in which applications of physical forces
predominate known as “Unit operations.” Methods of treatment in which chemical or biological
activities are involved known as “Unit processes”.

The unit operations approach in water and waste water treatment has following advantages;

 Give better understanding of the processes and the capabilities of these processes in
attaining the objectives.
 Helps in developing mathematical and physical models of treatment mechanisms and
consequent design of treatment plant.
 Help in the coordination of affective treatment procedures to attain the desired plant
performance.
5. Block Diagram of Water Treatment Plant:

5
6. Physical Unit Operations in Wastewater Treatment:

Treatment methods that apply predominantly to physical process.

Operations Applications
1. Screening Removal of coarse and settleable solid by surface straining.

2. Comminution Grinding of coarse solid.

3. Flow Equalisation Equalisation of flow and mass loadings of BOD suspended
solids.
4. Mixing Mixing of chemicals and gases with waste water and
maintaining solids in suspension.
5. Flocculation Promotion of aggregation of smaller particles into larger ones.
6. Sedimentation Removal of settleable solids and thickening
of sludge.
7. Floatation Removal of finely divided suspended solids and particles. Also
thickens biological sludge.
8. Filtration Removal of fine residual suspended solids remaining after
biological or chemical treatment.
9. Micro screening Same as filtration. Also, removal of algae from stabilization
pond effluents

7. Chemical Unit Processes in Wastewater Treatment:

Treatment methods done through the applications of chemicals
Processes Applications
1. Chemical Removal of phosphorous and enhancement of suspended solid
Precipitation removal in primary sedimentation
2. Gas Transfer Addition and removal of gases.
3. Adsorption Removal of organics.
4. Disinfection Disinfection of disease-causing organisms.
5. De-chlorination Removal of total combined chlorine residual.
6. Miscellaneous Achievement of specific objectives in waste water treatment.

8. Biological Unit Processes:

 Biological unit processes are those in which removal of contaminants are brought about
by biological activity
 In biological treatment of waste water, the objectives are to coagulate and remove the
non- settleable colloidal solids and to stabilise the organic matter.

6
  The waste water is generally from three sources
1) Domestic waste water
2) Agricultural return waste water
3) Industrial waste water

 For domestic waste water, the objectives are to remove various nutrients, specifically
nitrogen and phosphorous, which are otherwise capable of stimulating growth of aquatic
plants.
9. Classification of Biological processes:

Biological processes are classified by the oxygen dependence of the primary micro-organisms
responsible for waste treatment.

9.1. Aerobic processes:

Biological treatment process that occurs in the presence of dissolved oxygen. The bacteria that
can survive in the presence of DO are known as obligate aerobes.

The aerobic process includes the following:

 Activated sludge process

 Trickling filters

9.2. Anaerobic processes:

It involves the decomposition of organic or inorganic matter in the absence of molecular oxygen.

9.3. Secondary Treatment:

It removes the soluble and colloidal organic matter which remains after primary

treatment. Secondary treatment processes may be classified into:

1) Attached growth process

2) Suspended growth process
3) Combined process

7
 9.4. Tertiary Treatment:

Tertiary treatment or advanced treatment includes all operations and processes to remove the
pollutants not removed in preliminary, primary and secondary treatment.

 Common Unit Processes used in tertiary treatment:

 Chemical clarification
 Decarbonation
 Filtration
 Activated carbon adsorption
 Disinfection
 Nitrogen removal
 Phosphorous removal
 Demineralisation

10. Difference between Unit Operations and Unit Processes:

Unit Operations Unit Processes

Unit operations are physical processes where Unit processes are chemical conversion of
only a physical forces predominates reactants into desirable product(s)
They involve s e p a r a t i o n o f p r o d u c t ( s ) They involve both physical and chemical
b y p h ys i c a l m e a n s processes or may be a biological reaction occurs

Unit operation is considered as primary Unit process is considered as secondary treatment

treatment
e.g.,granulization, coating,p ul ve ri s a ti on , e.g., hydrohalogenation, oxidation, nitration and
filtration, distillation etc. sulphonation etc.

11. Conclusion:

Every industry is based on unit operations (physical treatment) and unit process (chemical
treatment) to produce economically a desired product from specific raw materials, just like in
water treatment plant; the contaminated water is passes through physical unit operations and
chemical unit processes to make it contamination free for daily usage.

8
12. References:

1. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.slideshare.net/duith
ygeorge/unit-operations-processes-in-waste-water-
treatment&ved=2ahUKEwjX9p2UubP9AhWHP-
wKHYGbCqsQFnoECCkQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3-lZnjjr5BgJO-YqASs4XP
2. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://chemicaltweak.com/unit-
operation-and-unit-process/&ved=2ahUKEwjLtr2iurP9AhUNIewKHV-
jCMIQFnoECAgQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2_3uWwEPEjo3A7BWjRtTYV
3. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.slideshare.net/sneha
lmenon92/primary-and-secondary-wastewater-treatment&ved=2ahUKEwj7ku-
CvLP9AhXMu6QKHQSqBsQQFnoECA0QAQ&usg=AOvVaw2ZRrtFL6f6EM6o1eVFPGb
p
4. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://issuu.com/sushil-kumar-
kushwaha- hse/docs/unit_20operation_20vs_20unit_20proc%23:~:text%3DUnit
%2520operations%2520 are%2520reversible%2520and,unit%2520process%2520is
%2520secondary%2520activity.& ved=2ahUKEwj1kqm-
vLP9AhXQxgIHHQJ3BzoQFnoECAsQBQ&usg=AOvVaw0WXkU7Pfe2FuBmXuaR3OJF
5. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.researchgate.net/pu
blication/326012401_Wastewater_Treatment_An_Overview&ved=2ahUKEwjZ5qvcvLP9Ah
VStqQKHfWTCvYQFnoECAsQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3wkCUKdsWadhma5pEi3gA3
6. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Carl_Kriger/publication/267954000/figure/download/fi
g1/AS:669537355706373@1536641553220/1-A-Block-Diagram-of-the-Biological-
Wastewater-Treatment-Process.png

9
10