ABC Corporation’s Phenol Production Plant:
Design and Economic Evaluation for 300,000 tons/yr Group 21: Laura Bertrand, Brandon Burns, Amiel Kirtikar, Brandon Lorentz
Design Objective ABC Corporation is looking for a cost-effective method of attaining 300,000 tons of phenol per year as a raw material for their downstream resin production. Currently, phenol is purchased at $0.64 per pound. Cumene, a raw material in phenol production, can be obtainable internally for $0.60 per pound. Our technical assignment included designing a phenol phenol plant, plant, estimating estimating the production production cost of phenol phenol per pound, and making making an economicallyfeasible decision forABC Corporation
Process Overview
Economics
Health & Environment
Capital Costs
ContinuousProcess Emissions:
TotalCapital Investment (TCI):$271 MM Total Installed Equipment Cost, MM $
U ni ni t
Coolers, $7.6
Misc, $15.1
OxidationReactor Vent
W as as te te F lo lo w a nd nd C om om po po si si titi on on T re re at at me me nt nt ( lb lb mo mo l/ l/ h hrr ) ( mo mo le le % ) T re re at at me me nt nt E mi mi ss ss io io n D is is po po sa sa l Total: 4080
Gas
4%_Oxygen, 96%_Nitrogen
Column T-100 PartialCondenser
Gas
B ur ni ng ng a s f ue l
Acetone, Cumene,
credi t
Total: 23
Trace Amounts :
86%_Ni trogen, 12%_Cumene,
Phenol, Acetone
Vent
C ar ar bo n Di Di ox ox id id e
V en en t to to Atmos phere
Reactor Vent Cleavage Reactor Catalyst and
Compressor, $16.9
Operating Costs
Nitrogen
Vent to
_
Atmos phere
2%_Oxygen
Total: 5
Hydrogenation
Reactors, $13.4
T ra ra ce ce A mo un ts : Hydrogen
Exchangers, $36.6
Columns, $25.9
Streams of compressed air and pure cumene are fed into oxidation reactors where the cumene is oxidized to cumene hydro peroxide (CHP) and a by-product di-methyl benzyl alcohol (DMBA). Cumene in the vent from the reactors is recovered and recycled back into the process. Unreacted cumene, CHP and DMBA are then sent to a distillation column where cumene in the distillate stream is recycled back to the oxidation reactors. In the bottoms, CHP, DMBA, andanyremainingcumene is thensentto acleavagereactor.CHP acleavagereactor.CHP iscleavedto formPhenol and Acetone and DMBA reacts with the sulfuric acid catalyst in the cleavage reactor to form alpha-methyl styrene styrene (AMS) andwater. Acetone, water, cumene, AMS, and phenol are then sent through a separation train of distillation columns to isolate each component. Isolated cumene is recycled back into the oxidation reactors. AMS is hydrogenated back into cumene, which is also recycled back to the oxidation reactor. The water stream is sent to a wastewater treatment facility. The byproduct acetone is cooled and stored for sale, and the final phenol product is cooled and sentto the resins resins plant. plant.
W as as te te P ha ha se se
Gas
98%_Hydrogen, 2%_C umene
B ur ni ng ng a s f ue l
W at at er er , C ar ar bo n
AMS
credi t
Dioxide
Not Simul ated Sol id
Aqueous Sul furi c and Organic
Organic Waste
AcidSalts withSodiumPhenolate
Column T-104
Total: 44
Bottoms Waste
T ra ra ce ce A mo un ts :
Liqui d
98%_Water, 2%_C umene
V en en t to to Atmos phere
Water-Treatment Sa Salts
Bacteri al
proces s
Di gesti on
T ra ra ce ce A mo mo un ts :
W at at er er -T re re at at me nt nt C oo oo lili ng ng W a te r
Acetone
proces s
_
Total Annual Operating Costs: $483 MM/year
Production Costs, MM$/year Misc ,$38.6
BTCF, $91.4
Major Safety Considerations
Utility Costs, MM$/year Cooling Water,$3.7
Misc, $2.3
Cleavage Reactor: -RapidCHP -RapidCHP decomposit decompositioncausinga ioncausinga RunawayExothermic Reaction
Refrigerant,$0.4
Hydrogenation Reactor: -Flammabili -Flammability ty ofHydrogenresulting ofHydrogenresulting inexplosion
Electricity,$3.5
Reactions Oxidation Reactor
Cleavage Reactor
(Main Reacti on)
(Main Reaction)
(Side Reacti on)
(Si de Reaction)
Utilities, $46.7
Raw Materials (Cumene& (Cum ene& Hydrogen, $306
Steam,$36.9
Minor Safety Considerations Oxidation Air Compressor: -Compressed Air Temperature below 600
Economic Decision Final Production Cost of Phenol: Phenol: $0.73 per pound
CHEAPER to BUY Phenol
°
F to prevent auto ignition of cumene
High Pressure Steam Reboiler: -600 psi steam used in AMS/Phenol Distillation Column Reboiler Oxidation Reactor Vent Composition: LOC with cumene is less than 6 mol % -Oxidation reactor vent LOC
Commercial Uses and Supply Chain of Phenol HydrogenationReactor Hydrogenation Reactor
Phenol is used in various products: • • • • • •
Simulation:: Simulation
•
YieldofPhenol YieldofPhenol:99 :99 %
Epoxy Resins – paint coatings Polycarbonate Polycarbonate plastics – CDs and domestic electrical appliances Nylon and Polyamide plastics – carpets, nets, and clothing Antioxidant Antioxidant in rubber manufacture manufacture Intermediate Intermediate to herbicides and insecticides Manufacture of surfactants, detergents, and emulsifiers Precursor to pharmaceuticals pharmaceuticals – aspirin aspirin and chloraseptic B en en ze ze ne ne
Specifications: Pressure of oxidation reactor reactor = 80 psia Temperature of oxidation oxidation reactor = 212 F Pressure of cleavage reactor reactor = 14.7 psia Temperature of oxidation oxidation reactor = 176 F Pressure of hydrogenation hydrogenation reactor = 110 psia Temperature of oxidation oxidation reactor = 194 F 99.9 % Purity of Acetone Acetone
Cumene
•
•
°
Air
•
•
Phenolic Phen olicRes Resins ins
•
°
P ro ro pa pa n e
N at at ur ur al al g as as
N ap ap ht ht ha ha
C ru ru de de O il
Phenol Phen ol
°
•
•
N ap ap ht ht ha ha
Propylene
Hydrogen
Air
C ru ru de Oi l
