NED UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

FINAL YEAR (CHEMICAL ENGINEERING)

BATCH 2016-2017
Chemical Plant Design - (CH-402)

Name: Rabiya Saeed Roll # CH-16013

Assignment # 2: Taxonomy Level C2 (05 marks)

Submission deadline: January 10, 2020

Describe the complete development of a plant for producing formaldehyde. Prepare, in the form of a flow sheet,
an outline showing the sequence of steps for producing formaldehyde. A detailed analysis of the points to be
considered at each step should be included. The outline should take the project from the initial idea to the stage
where the plant is in efficient operation.

FORMALDEHYDE:
Formaldehyde is a naturally occurring organic compound with the formula CH2O (H−CHO). It
is the simplest of the aldehydes (R−CHO). The common name of this substance comes from its
similarity and relation to formic acid.
Formaldehyde is an important precursor to many other materials and chemical compounds. In
1996, the installed capacity for the production of formaldehyde was estimated at 8.7 million tons
per year.

DEMAND
Formaldehyde is the most commercially important aldehyde. 
World Consumption of Formaldehyde:

China is the single-largest market for formaldehyde; other countries with large markets include
the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Russia, India, South
Korea, Japan, Brazil, and Canada.

Global Formaldehyde Market was valued US$ 24.59 Bn in 2017 and is expected to reach US$
36.61 Bn by 2026, at a CAGR of 5.1 % during a forecast period.
The global consumption of formaldehyde is increasing as it is being used on a large scale for
construction and remodeling activity and furniture production. The construction industry is the
major end-user of formaldehyde globally, with a share of more than 65%.

USES
Formaldehyde is an essential building block chemical in the production of hundreds of items that
improve everyday life.

 Building and Construction

Formaldehyde-based resins are used to manufacture composite and engineered wood
products used extensively in cabinetry, countertops, moldings, furniture, shelving, stair
systems, flooring, wall sheathing, support beams and trusses and many other household
furnishings and structures. Glues that use formaldehyde as a building block are
exceptional bonding agents, delivering high-quality performance that is extremely
economical.

 Personal Care and Consumer Products

Formaldehyde-based chemistry is essential in the production of many personal care and
consumer items. These products may contain formaldehyde-releasing ingredients, which
act as a preservative to kill microorganisms and prevent growth of bacteria and other
pathogens, extending product shelf life.

 Automobiles
Formaldehyde technology helps make vehicles lighter and more energy efficient.
Formaldehyde-based resins are used to make interior molded components and under-the-
 hood components that need to withstand high temperatures. These resins are also used in
the production of highly durable exterior primers, clear coat paints, tire-cord adhesives,
brake pads and fuel system components.

PRODUCTION OF FORMALDEHYDE FROM METHANOL

Methanol is a principal ingredient used in the production of formaldehyde. Worldwide, one third
of the demand for methanol is for formaldehyde production. At about 10 million metric tons,
this is the largest single market for methanol. Formaldehyde is produced by catalytic oxidation
and dehydrogenation of methanol using a silver catalyst.

PRODUCTION FROM METHANOL USING SILVER CATALYST

RAW MATERIALS

 Methanol
 Silver Catalyst

EQUIPMENTS

Main Units
 Vaporizer
 Reactor
 Absorption Unit
 Distillation Unit

Other Equipments
 Heat exchanger
 Pump
 Reboiler
 Condenser

REACTIONS

Dehydrogenation of Methanol
CH3OH  H2CO + H2
Partial Oxidation of Methanol

CH3OH + ½ O2  H2CO + H2O

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

Process flow diagram of preparation of formaldehyde from methanol

The silver process for the preparation of formaldehyde uses silver catalyst, over which partial
oxidation and dehydrogenation of methanol takes place.

REACTOR:

The reactor feed is the mixture of air, steam and methanol. The ratio of methanol to water (as
steam) in the feed is normally 60:40. The reason for adding steam is that it avoids damage to the
catalyst. It stops sintering of silver and reduces the rate of carbonaceous deposits on the silver
catalyst that might be a cause of decrease the catalyst’s activity.

The ratio of methanol to oxygen in the feed to industrial reactors is about 2.5. The vaporised
methanol with air and steam is passed over a thin bed of silver-crystal catalyst at about 650ºC.

ABSORPTION UNIT:

At relatively low temperatures of about 600-650ºC, the undesirable secondary reactions are
suppressed. The oxygen conversion is complete, and the methanol conversion is between 77 and
87%. The gases are cooled after exiting the reactor and enter into the absorption column. The
product includes about 42 wt % formaldehyde.

DISTILLATION COLUMN:

The product of the absorption unit is lead to a distillation column to recover and recycle the
unreacted methanol.

After exiting the distillation column, the formaldehyde solution is generally fed to an anion
exchanger unit to decrease the formic acid content. The final product includes upto 55 wt %
formaldehyde and less than 1% methanol. The overall yield is between 91 and 92%.

The tail gas for silver process contains about 20% hydrogen and is burnt to produce steam and
eliminate releases of carbon mono oxide and other organics.

OTHER PROCESS

There is another process for it’s preparation which is metal oxide process. The oxide process for
formaldehyde production uses a metal oxide (modified iron molybdenum-vanadium oxide)
catalyst. The feed mixture of steam, air and methanol is lean in methanol (to avoid the explosive
range) and almost complete conversion of methanol is obtained (98-99%). The reaction takes
place at 250-400°C. All of the formaldehyde is made via reaction 2 (the exothermic oxy
dehydrogenation of methanol). By-products are carbon monoxide, dimethyl ether, carbon
dioxide and formic acid. Overall yields are in the range of 88 - 92 %. The process begins with
the vaporisation of methanol. It is then mixed with air (and optional tail gas) and passed through
catalyst-filled tubes in a heat exchanger reactor. A heat transfer fluid passes circulates outside the
tubes and vaporises, removing the heat of reaction. This fluid is then condensed to produce
steam. The gases are cooled to 110°C in a heat exchange unit and then travel to the bottom of an
absorber. Water is added to the top of the column, and the amount can be varied to control the
product concentration. After leaving the column the product is fed through an anion exchange
unit to reduce the formic acid content. The final product contains up to 55 wt% formaldehyde
and 0.5 - 1.5 wt% methanol. The tail gas from the oxide process does not burn by itself as the
combustible content (dimethyl ether, carbon monoxide, methanol and formaldehyde) is only a
few percent. It can be burnt in a catalytic incinerator or by adding fuel.

HAZARD RECOGNITION
Formaldehyde is classified as a human carcinogen. Short-term exposure to formaldehyde can be
fatal. Long-term exposure to low levels of formaldehyde may cause respiratory difficulty,
eczema, and sensitization.