MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

CAN THO UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

CHEMICAL EQUIPMENT DESIGN

TOPIC: SELECTION OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL FOR

AN AMMONIA SYNTHESIS TOWER (REACTOR)

Intrucstor: Students (Group 3):

Nguyen Minh Nhut Tran Thuy Anh
Huynh Nhi
Mai Xuan Trieu
Le Anh Khoa
 CONTENTS

Key characteristics for material selection

Theory Effect of the material on equipment structure

Effect of the fabrication methods on equipment structure

Characteristics of the reaction system.

Requirements of materials for the reaction system

Application Properties of selected materials

Selection of fabrication method for chemical reactor

Effect of the material selected on equipment structure

 Theory

Key characteristics for material selection

Choosing the most suitable material is the design's first important job.

Pay attention to the following features

Mechanical Corrosion Physical Technological Price of

properties resistance properties properties materials
 Theory

Key characteristics for material selection

Mechanical properties
Materials resistant to
Tensile stress Elastic mondule corrosive environments
Yield stress Elongation Corrosion rate not exceed
Fatigue stess Brinen/Rocoen hardness 0.1- 0.5 mm/year

Corrosion resistance
 Theory

Key characteristics for material selection

Physical properties Technological properties

Consider physical factors: Able to be manufactured by methods:

Coefficient of thermal conductivity Welding, forging, casting
Melting temperature Machining, cutting
Specific heat, density Heat treatment

Price of materials
Don’t choose cheap materials when the materials do
not meet the conditions of the equipment
 Theory

Effect of the material on equipment structure

Most chemical production equipment is made of stainless steel

it can work at high temperatures and pressure, and highly corrosive
 Theory

Effect of the material on equipment structure

Equipment made of stainless steel Equipment made of carbon steel

Keep the austenitic organization and chemical composition for a long time.

To ensure corrosion and mechanical properties.

Different physical properties between the two sheets of steel.

Price of stainless steel is more expensive.

 Theory

Effect of the material on equipment structure

Equipment made of stainless steel Equipment made of carbon steel

For stainless steel must be heated evenly, do not heat for too long.

Welding two materials together (welding stack, edge, perpendicular, ..),

the thickness of the two parts must be equal.

If the width is not equal, the thickness

of the section must be removed.
 Theory

Effect of the material on equipment structure

Equipment made of stainless steel Equipment made of carbon steel

Welding thin equipment bodies with

thick pipe blisters or thick flanges, holes
are drilled in the pipes or flanges.

Welding two parts with different thickness,

must have an intermediate ring with a
thickness suitable for those two parts.
 Theory

Effect of the fabrication methods on equipment structure

Depending on the type of material, temperature and working

pressure, we can choose different fabrication methods.

With each different processing method,

the device and the part will have a different shape.

When assembling equipment together, joints are often used.

Flange joints are very popular joints in chemical and
petroleum equipment as well as liquid and gas pipelines.
 Application

Characteristics of the reaction system

A mixture of N2 and H2 gas in a ratio of 1:3 is pumped
into the reactor and passed through the catalyst layers.
catalyst used: Iron (Fe)
The whole process is carried out by maintaining
a temperature of 400 – 450oC and a pressure of
150 – 200 atm.

The reaction is an exothermic reaction

in which there is a release of energy.

N2(g) + 3H2(g) ⇋ 2NH3(g) ΔH°27 °C = −46.35 kJ/mol

 Application

Requirements of materials for the reaction system

Working temperature 360 ​– 485oC

Good heat resistance
Calculated temperature 380 – 505 C o

High-pressure resistance
Pressure up to 153 bar

The ammonia production environment is a corrosive medium.

Resistant to environment and the corrosion rate of the

material should not exceed 0.1/0.5 mm/year.
 Application

Requirements of materials for the reaction system

For a working environment with high temperature, pressure, and durability.

The high cost of materials and processing costs are inevitable.

Working in harsh environments

Good heat resistance

High-pressure resistance
High strength to ensure the unit's life
Purity of the product
 Application

Properties of selected materials

1X18H12M3T steel is a high-alloy steel > 2.8% ≤ 0.12% 12-14%

suitable for processing equipment:

1.5% 0.7% 15 -18%

Highly corrosive environments

Good anti-rust properties Increased mechanical strength
Good forging properties Good heat resistance
High working pressure Good wear resistance
Melting temperature up to 1400℃ Good hardening permeability
 Application

Requirements of materials for the reaction system

Although this alloy steel is quite expensive than other materials,

it is widely used in the chemical industry because it has many precious properties.

High quality 1X18H12M3T steel is used to make the device body which
can guarantee the strength of the device and the purity of the product.
 Application

Requirements of materials for the reaction system

Welding: for equipment working at an average temperature and efficiency

usually less than 0.5N/mm2, easy to process and low cost
Casting: for equipment with unlimited pressure but difficult to process
and very expensive to process.
 Application

Requirements of materials for the reaction system

Forging: Equipment working at temperatures and pressures greater than 0.5

N/mm2, but processing is difficult and the cost is quite high after casting.

+ The selected material is high-alloy steel 1X18H12M3T which has good

forging properties and is resistant to high temperatures and pressures.

+ With a pressure of 153 bar and a calculated temperature of 380 - 505,

the forging method is suitable for stable operation of the system.
 Application

Effect of the material selected on equipment structure

During heating, the equipment may generate thermal stress due to uneven heating.

To reduce the thermal stress between the two sides of the device body.

It is necessary to evenly distribute the temperature throughout the points

of the shell by making insulation on the outside of the equipment.