Title: “Design a plant to manufacture 1×〖10〗^7kg per year of Methyl Ethyl Ketone(MEK) from Butyl alcohol.

By
Subhasis Basu
DSc,F(ICS).

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Contents:

 A brief outline of the process.

 A summary of raw material requirements.
 A summary of the process design equipment.
 A summary of the mechanical design.
 A summary of safety and pollution consideration of the plant

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Elaborated Idea Of Design Report

1. Literacy Survey.
2. Detailed flow sheet.
3. Material and energy balance of the plant.
4. Design of vaporizer including mechanical details.
5. Design of catalytic reactor using the rate equation from references.
6. Instrumentation and process control of the reactor.
7. Plant layout.
8. Safety and pollution abatement aspects
9. Cost estimation.
10. Detailed engineering drawing of the reactor and vaporizer.

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 (Process Selection)
Dehydrogenation process for MEK production has
been selected for following advantages:
 1. In dehydrogenation hydrogen as a by-product is obtained that can be used as a
furnace fuel.
 2. In dehydrogenation process, there is the feasibility of separating the MEK from
the reaction products.
 3. The dehydrogenation process can easily be carried out at moderate
temperature and at atmospheric pressure.
 4. In dehydrogenation process, 90% of MEK can easily be converted to MEK.
 5. Selective oxidation process require controlled conditions so it becomes
uneconomical.
 6. Chromic acid and sulphuric acid in aqueous acetone is required for selective
oxidation of butanol while only brass is required for dehydrogenation of butanol.
 8.From the literature survey, it can be found that the dehydrogenation process is
the most economical process.

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FLOW CHART OF THE MEK PREPARATION
FROM SBA

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Summary of Raw Materials

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 Selected Chemical Reaction in the
preparation Process:
The dehydrogenation of 2-butanol using a catalyst is catalysed by copper,
zinc, or bronze to obtain MEK in the following reaction:

CH3CH(OH)CH2CH3 → CH3C(O)CH2CH3 + H2
(2-butanol,M.W=74) (Methylethylketone, M.W=72) (Hydrogen, M.W=2)

This is used to produce approximately up to 700 million kilograms yearly or

may be used as projected plant as per given in the problem.
For Production of given amount i.e 10 million Kg of MEK we need to rescale
the infrastructure in a calculated way from this basis reaction.

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Process Description

 The butyl alcohol is supplied to a steam heated preheater and then to a vaporizer heated by the
reaction products. The vapour leaving the vaporizer is heated to its reaction temperature by the
flue gases which have previously has been used as reactor heating medium.
 The vapour leaving the vaporizer is heated to its reaction temperature by the flue gases which have
previously been used as reactor heating medium. The superheated butyl alcohol is fed to the
reaction system at 400° C to 500° C where 90% is converted on a zinc oxide brass catalyst to methyl
ethyl ketone (MEK), Hydrogen, and other reaction products.
 The reaction products are cooled to a suitable temperature and separate the MEK by absorption in
aqueous ethanol.
 The hydrogen off- gas is dried and used as a furnace fuel. The liquors leaving the absorbers are
passed to a solvent extraction column, where MEK is recovered using trichloroethane.
 The raffinate from this column is returned to absorber and the extract is passed to distillation unit
where the MEK is recovered.
 The trichloroethane is recycled to the extract plant. Secondary butyl alcohol can be used as feed
stock. Dry saturated steam is available at 140° C, cooling water is at 24°C and Flue gases at 540°C.
Out let condensate temperature is 32°C and vapour and liquid are in equilibrium at the condenser
out let. Calorific value of MEK is 41800 Kj/kg. Assume any missing data suitably if required.

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A summary of safety and pollution
consideration of the plant

 Butanone is an irritant, causing irritation to the eyes and nose of humans. Serious
health effects in animals have been seen only at very high levels.
 Emission of butanone was regulated in the US as a hazardous air pollutant,
because it is a volatile organic compound contributing to the formation of
tropospheric (ground-level)ozone.
 Butanone can react with most oxidizing materials, and can produce fires. It is
moderately explosive; it requires only a small flame or spark to cause a vigorous
reaction. Butanone fires should be extinguished dry agents, or alcohol-resistant
foam. Concentrations in the air high enough to be flammable are intolerable to
human.
 Pump Reactor Partial Condenser, Liq-Liq Extraction Column, Solvent Recovery
Column, Distillation Column, MEK Storage, all there special safety precaution
should be taken.
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 References
1. S.K.Ghosal, S.K.Sanyal, S.Datta, Introduction to Chemical Engineering, Tata Mc- Graw Hill Publishing Company Limited, New
Delhi.ISBN:0-07-460140.
2. Shukla S D and Pandy G N , " A text book of Chemical Technology vol I & II", Visas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.,
Newcastle Delhi.
3. M.Gopala Rao & Marshall Sitting, 3rd Edition Charls E.Dryden,Out lines of Chemicals Techonology-2nd Edition p-
389-392, East-West Press(2004).
4. Plant design and Economics foe Chemical Engineering by M.S Peters, K.D. Timmerhaus, 4th Edition, Mc Grawhill
International.
5. Chemical Engineering Kinetics by J.M.Smith 3rd Edition, McGraw Hill.
6. Chemical Engineering Design (5th edition) by Ray Sinnot & Gavin Towler, Elsevier.
7. 5. Turner, Charles F.; McCreery, Joseph W. (1981). The Chemistry of Fire and Hazardous Materials. Boston,
Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon, Inc. p. 118. ISBN 0-205-06912-6.
8. 4. Wilhelm Neier, Guenter Strehlke "2-Butanone" in Ullmann's Encyclopaedia of Industrial Chemistry, Wiley-VCH,
Weinheim, 2002.

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Thank You and welcome Questions.

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