DESIGN OF A 200,000 TONNES YEARLY CAPACITY

ACETONE PRODUCTION PROCESS USING ISOPROPYL

ALCOHOL AS FEEDSTOCK

By

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 DESIGN OF A 200,000 TONNES YEARLY CAPACITY
ACETONE PRODUCTION PROCESS USING ISOPROPYL
ALCOHOL AS FEEDSTOCK

By

SUPERVISOR:

A REPORT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF THE BACHELOR OF
ENGINEERING (B.ENG) DEGREE IN CHEMICAL
ENGINEERING.

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 CERTIFICATION

This is to certify that this project work was done by of the Department of Chemical

Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State.

……………………………. ………………………….

DATE

(SUPERVISOR)

…………………………………. …………………………………

DATE

(HEAD OF DEPARTMENT)

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DEDICATION

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

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ABSTRACT

Acetone is an organic compound with formula (CH3)2CO. There are majorly two methods for
Acetone production. One is the Cumene process and other is using Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA).
Given process uses Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) as the raw material. A plant utilizing a two-step
reaction process, which takes a 95% ethanol stream (by mass) and produces a 95% Acetone
stream, was designed for this project. The production goal for this plant was 200,000 tonnes of
acetone yearly with the main motivation behind the project being the recent rise in acetone
prices and demand. This is a viable commercial alternative, and a few plants continue to operate
using this process. The primary advantage of this process is that the acetone produced is free
from trace aromatic compounds, particularly benzene. The production of acetone was done by
following the process of dehydrogenation of IPA. The kinetics has been cited from the
available literature. The flowsheet is designed in Hysys V8.8. After Vapour Liquid Equilibrium
(VLE) and Liquid Liquid Equilibrium (LLE) validation NRTL fluid package was selected. The
unit operations involved at each stage was then investigated in detail and their corresponding
simulations were performed. An azeotropic mixture of IPA and water is feed initially. It is
mixed with the recycle stream containing unreacted IPA and water mixture. Then stream passes
through a heater for preheating before being fed to PFR for the reaction. Along with the desired
reaction of dehydrogenation of IPA, a few side reactions also take place in the reactor. After
exiting the PFR a cooler brings down the reactor temperature and then the process of separation
takes place. For separation, the flowsheet structure followed the light-out first design. Along
with various components, a vaporizer and four distillation columns are also used for the
separation part. Cost optimization for the designed flowsheet was done to obtain an optimal
condition on the reactor design and other dominant design variables out of the numerous design
DOFs. The work also included with the heat integration to reduce the operating costs further.

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 CHAPTER ONE

1.1 INTRODUCTION
In Process Engineering, a good design of the plant determines the future of the project inwhich
it is intervened; and the high national and international competition for the markethas the
effectiveness of finding solutions to problems and nurturing a policy of taking initiatives, as
well as incorporating innovation in technologies and processes. Therefore having a clear idea
of methodology, creativity and knowledge is essential to guarantee what you want to get as a
product or service. The present report shows the development of the design of a plant for the
production of Acetone from Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) by catalytic dehydrogenation which is
intended to be adjustable to a capacity of 200,000 tonnes per year, optimum, controllable, with
Low levels of pollutants and low productioncosts.
Acetone is widely used in industry, in the manufacture of Methyl Methacrylate (MMA),
Methacrylic Acid, Methacrylates, Bisphenol A, among others, but it can also be used as:

• Solvent for most plastics and synthetic fibers.

• Ideal for thinning fiberglass resins.
• Cleaning of wool and fur garments.
• Clean fiberglass tools and dissolve epoxy resins.
• Cleaning of microcircuits and electronic parts.
• It is used as a volatile component in some paints and varnishes.
• It is useful in the preparation of metals before painting.

In the production of Acetone different methods are presented, of which three are
outstanding: Cumene process, oxidation process of polypropylene and the process of
dehydrogenation of Isopropyl alcohol. The Cumene process is the most common
worldwide, but as a byproduct, is benzene (carcinogen) lowering the purity of Acetone and
increasing production costs by separation. The oxidation of polypropylene has a low
conversion of acetone and the purity of the reactants should be 99%. In the
dehydrogenation of IPA, high purity Acetone is obtained, the IPA can be used in aqueous
solution, and the conversion of acetone is high and has no substances, which are
significantly hazardous to health. This process leaves us as the main product acetone from
which its multiple uses were mentioned, and as secondary products: Hydrogen, widely
used in the chemical industry: ammonia synthesis, refinery processes, coal treatment,

1
among others. In this report, we opt for the dehydrogenation process of IPA, which offers
great advantages and results with low production costs.
1.2 AIM AND OBJECTIVES

i. Aim

To design a process plant for the manufacturing of a 200,000 t / year production plant of 99.9%
molar acetone by catalytic dehydrogenation of isopropyl alcohol and check its economic
viability by finding the equilibrium price for the requested acetone production capacity.

ii. Objectives

Having stated the aim of this work as done above, it would be achieved through the following
objectives namely;

1. To structure the preliminary design of an acetone production plant, so that a careful and
correct choice of the required operating equipment is made, specifying the dimensions,
materials, costs and operating capacity of each of them, in the proper sequence.
2. To look for the conditions of optimization of the productive process of the acetone from
isopropyl alcohol through the implementation of recycle streams, energy integration and
proper use of each equipment involved.
3. Use HYSYS software in simulating all the units needed to achieve the process design
by obtaining the energy and material balance of the whole process.
4. Do costing and the profitability of the facility.

1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT

Acetone is typically produced in commercial quantities as a by-product during the formation of
phenol. However, acetone manufactured thus generally contains small amounts of the reactant
benzene and the desired product phenol. In the past, these impurities were deemed to be within
allowable limits. However, recent downward revisions of these limits by the Nigeria Food and
Drug Administration has made alternative processes (which do not involve benzene) more
attractive. We wish to achieve the following problem statement by one such alternative process.

• Synthesize, design and optimize the industrial production of Acetone for a required
purity of more than 99% at a production rate of 200000 tons/yr.

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 • Demonstrate dynamic process operability for feed composition changes to keep the flow
rate and purity of acetone at the desired values.

1.4 SCOPE OF THE DESIGN

The scope of this work is restricted to the paper design of the production Acetone from Isopropyl
Alcohol (IPA) by catalytic dehydrogenation. More so, the design report is based on the data
available from previous researches by other workers, and there is no new research done.

1.5 RELEVANCE OF THE DESIGN

Production of Acetone from Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) by catalytic dehydrogenation makes it
relatively cheap compared to the other methods of producing the product. This particularly
makes the design relevant considering the fact that the cost of Acetone is on the increase on a
daily basis.

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 CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 A Historical Background

In 1863, the French chemist E. Caventou isolated a previously unknown hydrocarbon from the
pyrolysis of amyl alcohol. This hydrocarbon was identified as Acetone in 1886, after Henry
Edward Armstrong isolated it from among the pyrolysis products of petroleum. In 1910, the
Russian chemist Sergei Lebedev polymerized Acetone and obtained a material with rubber-like
properties. This polymer was, however, found to be too soft to replace natural rubber in many
applications, notably automobile tires.

The Acetone industry originated in the years leading up to World War II. Many of the
belligerent nations realized that in the event of war, they could be cut off from rubber plantations
controlled by the British Empire, and sought to reduce their dependence on natural rubber. In
1929, Eduard Tschunker and Walter Bock, working for IG Farben in Germany, made a
copolymer of styrene and butadiene that could be used in automobile tires. Worldwide
production quickly ensued, with acetone being produced from grain alcohol in the Soviet Union
and the United States and from coal-derived acetylene in Germany.

Before and during World War II, this process was used in the United States and the Soviet
Union. Since then it has not been used widely since it is less economical than the hydrocarbon
extraction route, but it is still used in some parts of the world, such as China and India. The
Ostromislensky process also has the benefit that it uses ethanol, a renewable resource, as its
feedstock. A shift to this alternative production process would therefore reduce society’s
dependence on fossil fuels, a growing concern of our generation. The focus of this report is on
the implementation of the Ostromislensky process in a large-scale industrial plant, which now
has the potential to be highly profitable due to the increase in butadiene price. However,
detailed research on the Ostromislensky process only occurred during the years shortly after
World War II, and little research has been done since then. The research that was done was
carried out by the Mellon Institute for the Carbide and Carbon Chemicals Corporation, whose
limited data was used as the basis for our design (Corson, 2002). In the first step of the process,
ethanol reacts over a heterogeneous catalyst to form acetaldehyde and hydrogen. The reaction
is endothermic and thus requires a heating source to maintain operating conditions. The Carbide
and Carbon Chemicals Corporation specifies the selectivity of the reaction at 92%. The
remaining 8% is associated with by-products of the reaction which were not specified. The

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catalyst type and conversion were also not specified and were therefore viewed as design
parameters that could be used to optimize the process. A significant amount of hydrogen is
produced in this reaction, and thus a process of separating and purifying the hydrogen is also
required.

In the second reaction, acetaldehyde and additional ethanol react over a packed bed of tantala-
silica catalyst to form butadiene and water. Like the first reaction, the second reaction is
endothermic and requires a heating source. The Carbide and Carbon Chemicals Corporation
specifies a conversion of 44.5%, as well as a selectivity of 55%. Once again, it is assumed that
the remaining 45% is associated with by-products. The chief by-products include diethyl ether,
acetic acid, acetone, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, 1-butene, ethylene, and hexadiene. Unlike the
first reaction, a significant amount of the reactants in the second step form unwanted
byproducts. Therefore, it is important to have a process that separates the butadiene from the
by-products, as well as recycles back the unreacted ethanol and acetaldehyde.

We are producing and purifying 200,000 tonnes of butadiene a year, while minimizing capital
investment and maximizing profit. Based on the information provided by the Carbide and
Carbon Chemicals Corporation, we decided our plant design will include two reactor sections,
as well as processes for purifying the effluent of each reactor and for supplying heat to each
reactor.

We choose to build our plant in Lagos (a good industrial area in Nigeria having many large
ethanol manufacturing facilities) in order to avoid the inter-harvest periods when ethanol
production stops, and we are assuming the plant will operate 330 days per year.

Acetone is a colourless, non-corrosive gas that condenses to a liquid at minus 4.5 degrees
centigrade and has a mild aromatic odour. Butadiene is produced commercially by extractive
distillation from crude butylene concentration (C4) stream, a by-product of ethylene and
propylene production.

Acetone has high volatility and low-water solubility. When released to the environment from
industrial or non-industrial sources, butadiene evaporates to the air, even from water and soil;
and butadiene breaks down quickly in sunlight and degrades in the air with a half-life of less
than two hours. Environmental sources include industrial releases from butadiene production
and use, automobile exhaust, cigarette smoke and other combustion sources.

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Modelling data predict that butadiene is moderately toxic to aquatic organisms. Modelling data
also predict that butadiene has a low potential to bio accumulate, suggesting that toxicity from
long-term exposure to aquatic organisms is of low concern. Although microorganisms isolated
from the soil have been shown to metabolize Acetone, biodegradation is not likely to contribute
significantly to removal of Acetone from the soil.

Product Description

1. Acetone belongs to ketone family (dimethyl ketone) with scientific name 2-Propanone.
It is a common building block in organic chemistry.
2. Acetone is a clear, colorless, low-boiling, flammable and volatile liquid characterized by
rapid evaporation and a faintly aromatic, sweetish odor. It readily mixes with most
organic solvents and mixes completely with water.
3. In 2010, the worldwide production capacity for acetone was estimated at 6.7 million
tons per year.
4. The United States had the highest production capacity with 1.56 million tons per year
(2010). The second largest production is in Taiwan and followed by China (2010).

Table 2.1: Properties of Acetone

Chemical properties of Acetone

Chemical Formula (CH3)2CO
Molar Mass 58.08 g/mol
Density 0.7845 g/cm3 (25oC)
Melting Point -94.7oC(178.5K)
Boiling Point 56.05oC(329.20K)
Vapor Pressure 9.39kPa(0oC)
30.6kPa(25oC)
Refractive index 1.3588
Viscosity 0.295 mPa.s(25oC)

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PHYSICAL HAZARD INFORMATION

Acetone is a highly flammable material in both the liquid and vapor forms, has a relatively high
vapor pressure, and should be handled only with adequate ventilation and in areas where
ignition sources have been removed (e.g. matches and unprotected light switches). The flash
point for acetone is -4oF /-20oC.

PREPARATION OF ACETONE
There are primarily three methods used in industries to prepare Acetone. Each of them is briefed
below.
Cumene process for Phenol and Acetone
This process converts two relatively cheap starting materials, benzene and propylene, into two
more valuable ones, phenol as the main product and acetone as the side product. Other reactants
required are oxygen from air and small amounts of a radical initiator. Cumene process is a
process of producing phenol (C6H5OH) and acetone (CH3COCH3) from benzene (C6H6) and
propene (C3H6).

Direct oxidation of Propylene using air

Acetone can also be produced by the direct oxidation of propylene using air. In this pro-cess
the catalysis consists of a solution of copper chloride containing small quantities of palladium
chloride. The reaction takes place under a moderate pressure and at 100oC. It is exothermic by
61kcal/mole of acetone produced. The overall reaction is as follows;

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Dehydrogenation of Isopropyl Alcohol

In this process, an aqueous solution of isopropyl alcohol is fed into the reactor, where the
stream is vaporized and reacted over a solid catalyst. The reactions occurring within the
reactor are as follows:

The primary advantage of this process is that the acetone produced is free from trace aromatic
compounds, particularly benzene. For this reason, acetone produced from IPA is favored by
the pharmaceutical industry.

Selection of process
Table 2.2: Comparison of processes

Comparison between the processes

Cumene process Propylene oxidation IPA dehydrogenation
Primary product is phenol Acetone is the primary Acetone is the primary
Acetone is by product product product
Purity of acetone is low Purity is high Purity is high
– Propylene used should be Aqueous solution of the iso-
99% pure propyl alcohol can be used
Conversion to acetone is low Conversion to acetone is low Conversion to acetone is
high
Unconverted benzene Not a dangerous compound Not a dangerous compound
present along with ace- present along with acetone present along with acetone
tone is dangerous to some
process
To purify acetone large Less separation process re- Less separation process re-
number of separation pro- quired and production cost quired and production cost
cesses are required which in- is low is low
crease the production cost

Major disadvantage of the production of acetone from cumene process is that some amount of
reactant benzene is present along with desired product which is toxic. The disadvantage of
production of acetone from propylene oxidation process is that propylene required for the
process should be 99% pure. So our process for the production of acetone is dehydrogenation
of isopropyl alcohol.

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REACTION KINETICS OF THE CHOSEN PROCESS
The reaction to form acetone from isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol) is endothermic, with a
standard heat of reaction of 62.9 kJ/mol. The reaction is kinetically controlled and occurs in
the vapor phase over a catalyst at a temperature of 350oC and a pressure of 1.8 – 2 bars in the
presence of catalyst. The reaction kinetics for this reaction are first order with respect to the
concentration of alcohol and can be estimated from the following equations

In practice, two side reactions can occur to an extent shown above. First reaction is the main
desired reaction. Second reaction is the condensation reaction IPA to di-isopropyl alcohol, this
reaction is expected at very low temperature hence can be ignored at our present conditions.
Third equation is the dehydration of IPA to give propylene and water, which occurs at

significantly higher temperatures. The kinetics for the main (1st) and the side (2nd) reaction is
follows:

-ripa=K1Cipa + K3Cipa kmol/m3reactor.s

Where K=Aexp(-Ea/RT)Cipa kmol/m3reactor.s
The data for constants in above equation is presented in the table below:

Table 2.3: Values of constant

Rate constant Pre-exponential fac- Ea (MJ/kmol)

(kmol/m3reactor.s) tor (m3/ m3reactor.s)
K
1 3.51*105 72.38
K3 5.7*105 83.5

However, numerous factories have struggled with production costs and a lack of
government funding due to various wars, terrorist activities, and globally fluctuating oil
prices. In addition, and most notably, petroleum is a limited natural resource (Moore &
Parker, 2007). The foremost question the Iraqi government faces is how best to manage

9
this issue. Arguably, the acetone production factory suggested in this study can satisfy the
country’s economic needs and increase Iraq’s budget since it would be a profitable
project. Third, one of the largest cities in Iraq, Basra, has been chosen for the production
factory location due to its close proximity to countries where raw materials can be
acquired. In addition, the proposed factory location is near the Euphrates, Tigris, and
Arabian Gulf. These bodies of water can be used as a source for the cooling and heating
systems.

Table 2.4: Consumption of Acetone (2005) (PubChem)

Acetone Consumption (Global Demand) 5 Million Tons per Year

As a solvent 31%

Acetone cyanohydrin (MMA) 30%

Bisphenol A 20%

Aldol chemicals 11%

Other uses 8%

The factory is designed theoretically with a low cost based on the calcu-lations presented in
the Results section. Moreover, the raw material is iso-propyl alcohol and water. The reaction
is endothermic. Therefore, the re-action needs a certain amount of heat to decompose the H-
atom from the isopropyl alcohol.
Acetone is a colorless liquid that is a very important solvent for some kinds of fibers and
plastics. Acetone is one of the most vital materials due to its many different uses and purposes.
The main use for acetone is in the production of methyl methacrylate and bisphenol A (BPA (.
Acetone is also used as a solvent in the pharmaceutical industry and in the production of
synthetic fibers, in the preparation of metal before painting, in the appli-cation of biological
research, and in the cleaning of various materials and surfaces, including cleaning residue from
glass, laboratory tools, fibers, and as nail polish remover (Hudson, 2015; Coulson et al.,
1999b).
However, acetone is toxic and flammable, so it should be kept away from any source of fire or
ignition due to its flammable chemical nature. It should be stored in a safe environment, and
pregnant women and children should avoid working with it. In addition, those who work with
acetone gas should be careful since acetone can dry out skin and cause other health issues like

10
eye sensitivity.

There are different methods of obtaining acetone, among which one of the most used in the
pharmaceutical industry is the process of catalytic dehydrogenation of isopropyl alcohol due
to the high purity of the product; this process consists of a set of operations well known and
used by process engineers.

2.2 Base Process Block Diagram (PBD)

The base case study deals with the production of acetone from isopropyl alcohol by the

dehydrogenation reaction in the gas phase of the isopropyl alcohol in the presence of the

catalyst, then undergoes cooling, condensation and purification (separation of impurities

from the product - IPA, water) To obtain acetone with high purity (99.9%), with the said

block diagram of the base process would be as follows:

Figure 2.1: Process Block Diagram for acetone production.

In the block diagram shown, the main operations that make up the process are presented,

which are justified by the following reasons:

• MIXING: The concentration of IPA in the feed is different from that recirculated

fromthe top of the IPA distillation column, which contains small quantities of the

product (acetone) that could not be separated in the acetone distillation column.

For this reason, it is necessary to mix these two streams before entering the

vaporizer, in order to homogenize the properties of the mixture.The resulting

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 mixture of IPA, water and a depreciable amount of acetone requires to be

vaporized, since the catalytic dehydrogenation reaction is carried out in the gas

phase in order to improve the contact between the catalyst and the reactant mixture.

• REACTOR: In order to carry out the reaction it is necessary to bring the feed

mixture into contact with the catalyst, to supply the heat of reaction because it is

endothermic, tofeed the reactants and to withdraw the products in such a way as to

favor the kinetics Andselectivity. All these operations must be carried out in a

reactor that allows the reactants to be converted into desired products.

• CONDENSER AND COOLING: The reactor outlet current is at high

temperatures, forthis reason it is necessary to cool this stream, to condense the

IPA, acetone and water vapors in order to improve the separation of the liquid and

gaseous phases in the Flash tab.

The reactor output stream is made up of product (acetone), water, unreacted

isopropyl alcohol and hydrogen. In order to separate the desired product from the

other componentsit is necessary to carry out several separation operations, which are:

a) PHASE SEPARATOR: The formation of a liquid and gaseous phase after cooling

allows using a flash separation, making it possible to separate all the hydrogen

from the liquid phase because it has low (negligible) solubility. In the gas phase

hydrogen and vapors of IPA, acetone and water will be in equilibrium with their

liquids.

b) ACETONE DISTILLATION: The liquid phase separator is fed to the distillation

column, which is made up of water, IPA, acetone and traces of hydrogen. The

separation in this operation is carried out taking advantage of the difference of

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 volatilities of the 3 components, this allows to obtain the product (acetone) to the

desired specification (99.9%) with a small amount of IPA at the top as the lighter

components And a bottom stream consisting of IPA, water and a negligible amount

of acetone to be separated in thenext step.

c) DISTILLATION OF IPA: The feed of this column is formed by the bottoms of

the acetone distillation column. This operation allows obtaining a current of IPA

and acetone(negligible) by the stop to be recirculated to the process and a bottom

stream formed by IPA and water, whose concentration is limited by the capacity of

the wastewater treatmentsystem.

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 CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

There are many methods to synthesize acetone. One of the most efficient methods is the
decomposition of isopropyl alcohol, which is the proposed method in this project. Another
method to synthesize acetone is called the cumene process, in which benzene (C6H6) reacts
with propylene (C3 H6) to form cumene (C9 H12). After reaction, cumene is oxidized to form
ace-tone (CH3) 2CO with phenol (C6H6O), as is clarified in the equations below (Hudson,
2015; Coulson et al., 1999b). The cumene process method is quite expensive, since it requires
the raw materials and extra separation equip-ment to separate acetone from many different
materials (Moore & Parker, 2007; Coulson et al., 1999b). Therefore, this study focuses on the
more economic method of decomposition of isopropyl alcohol over the cumene process
method.

C6H6 + C3H6 → C9H12

C9H12 + O2 → (CH3)2CO + C6H6O

The proposed method in this project is the decomposition of isopropyl alcohol (C3H8O) with
water (H2O) as a catalyst—water is not reacted with isopropyl alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol
(C3H8O) and water (H2O) together en-ter the reaction at 298 K (25°C) with 101.325 kPa (1
bar). In these conditions, the reaction is endothermic. The heat is supplied to the Plug Flow
Reactor (PFR) via hot water at 700 K, with hot water supplied from a fired heater. The produced
materials from the reaction are acetone (C3H6O) and hydrogen (H2), and the amount of
acetone produced at 63346 kmol/hr (Table 4) (Coul-son et al., 1999b; Scorecard).

H2 O

C3H8O C3 H 6 O + H 2

3.1 Design Process

In designing a factory, the most crucial component is choosing the method to use in
production. Following that, the tools and equipment required for the factory must be
selected based on the physical properties of the consumed and produced materials. After

14
that, calculations should be done be-fore establishing the factory, including technical and
economic feasibility. The acetone factory requires the following equipment, for the
proposed process that is shown in Appendix A.

3.2 EQUIPMENT

3.2.1 Reactor (R)

The Plug Flow Reactor (PFR) is the most suitable reactor for the following reasons: PFR
is used for large scale, fast reactions; continuous production; high temperatures; high
conversion per unit volume; low operating labor (cost); and efficient heat transfer. The
feed enters into the reactor at 298 K, the operation pressure of the reactor is 800 kPa (8
bar), and the operation temperature of the reactor is 499 K (225.85°C). The reactor has
53 tubes (Lev-enspiel, 1999).

The Reaction

The reaction is endothermic. Ninety percent of isopropyl alcohol con-verts to acetone and
hydrogen after decomposition of the H - atom from isopropyl alcohol. The reaction takes
place in the tubes, with a significant amount of heat added to the reactor by hot water. The
source of heat is from the fired heater, which operates at 700 K and 800 kPa (8 bar). In
addition, the heat transfers from outside the tubes to inside the tubes by conduction. The
outlet pipe from the reactor (Stream 4) goes to the heat exchanger (HE-1) (Appendix A)
(Levenspiel, 1999).

3.2.2 Heat Exchanger 1 (HE-1)

The function of the HE-1 is to cool Stream 4, since Stream 4 comes out of the reactor
with a high temperature of 450 K. The temperature needs to be reduced because the next
unit after the reactor is the distillation column. In the distillation column, hydrogen (H2)
is the first component that leaves the mixture, because H2 has the lowest boiling point. In
addition, if Stream 4 enters the distillation column at 450 K, all components will be
evaporated. This would be unproductive since the function of distillation separates the
components based on the difference in boiling points. Therefore, Stream 4 must enter the
heat exchanger (HE-1) at 450 K and leave HE-1 at 278 K,which is the temperature of
Stream 5. Water is used to cool the mixture in HE-1 (Richardson et al., 2002).

15
3.2.3 Distillation Column 1 (D-1)

Reactors are usually followed by a separation unit. In this process, a

distillation column is proposed to separate the components due the
materials’ very different boiling points. Stream 5 enters the distillation
column as a liquid mixture with a temperature of 278 K. In this distillation
column, the temperature of the mixture is greater than the boiling point of
hydrogen, which results in the hydrogen’s evaporation. When the
temperature of the distillation reaches the boiling points of H2, the H2
transfers to the upper part of distillation and then is condensed (Richardson
et al., 2002).

3.2.4 Condenser 1 (C-1)

H2 along with a small amount of acetone, isopropyl alcohol, and water

release to the top of the distillation in a vapor phase. The condenser liquidiz-
es the materials to return to the distillation in a liquid phase. The condenser
cools the vapor mixture as reflux materials. However, five percent of
acetone remains in a gas phase with H2. Five percent of acetone
accompanies H2 out of the condenser to the refrigeration unit (R-1)
(Richardson et al., 2002).

3.2.5 Boiler 1 (B-1)

In the first distillation, the operation temperature should be greater than the
boiling point of H2. A boiler is required to warm the mixture. The boiler
evaporates the amount of H2 that is not evaporated through the first step of
distillation since the system is continuous (Richardson et al., 2002; Sinnott,
2005a).

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3.2.6 Refrigeration Unit 1 (R-1)

The output of the first condenser (C-1) is a mixture of H2 and five percent
of acetone. The mixture must be liquidized in order to separate the small
amount of acetone. Refrigeration cools the H2 into a liquid phase to
efficiently store it, and then the acetone is liquidized and separated into
Stream

Furthermore, acetone is re-mixed with the components from the boiler (B-
1) in Stream 9 (Appendix A) (Richardson et al., 2002).

3.2.7 Heat Exchanger 2 (HE-2)

A shell and tube heat exchanger is used to heat Stream 10. Stream 10 has to
be warmed to reach the boiling point of the material that should be
separated, from 274 K to 347 K. Heating Stream 10 is done by using hot
water through HE-2. The outlet from HE-2 is Stream 11, which enters the
second distillation column (Appendix A) (Richardson et al., 2002; Sinnott,
2005a).

3.2.8 Distillation Column 2 (D-2)

Stream 11 enters the second distillation column at 347 K. The operation

temperature of the distillation column reaches the boiling point of acetone,
at 329.2 K (56.2°C). Acetone is evaporated with a small amount of isopro-
pyl alcohol, and a small portion of isopropyl alcohol is separated from the
acetone and raised to the top of the distillation. In turn, isopropyl alcohol
returns to the distillation as reflux material through the condenser (C-2).
Water and isopropyl alcohol leave the column from the bottom. This dis-
tillation column also has a boiler at the bottom and a condenser at the top

17
(Richardson et al., 2002).

3.2.9 Condenser 2 (C-2)

The condenser cools the vapor mixture of acetone and isopropyl alcohol. In
addition, the amount of isopropyl alcohol returns to the distillation as reflux
material. Then acetone is produced in Stream 14 (Appendix A). The purpose
of using the second refrigerator is to turn acetone from a gas phase to a
liquid phase due to the difficulty of storing acetone as a gas. The amount of
the produced acetone from C-2 is 63346 kmol/hr, which is stored in Vessel
2, as shown in (Richardson et al., 2002).

3.2.10 Boiler 2 (B-2)

The function of the boiler is to heat the rest of the acetone to reach its boiling
point. Acetone then separates from the mixture. The operation tem-perature
of the second distillation column is established based on the boiler
(Richardson et al., 2002).

3.2.11 Heat Exchanger 3 (HE-3)

To reach the boiling point of isopropyl alcohol, Stream 16 is heated before
the mixture enters the third distillation column by HE-3. The process
principle is the same as the previous heat exchangers as well as the same
design. All of the exchangers are called shell and tube heat exchangers, a
kind of heat exchanger that is distinguished by the high efficiency of heat
transfer be-cause the amount of heat distributes over the number of tubes,
which makes the heat transfer occur more quickly (Sinnott, 2005a).

18
3.2.12 Distillation Column 3 (D-3)
Isopropyl alcohol is separated from water through D-3 after the opera-tion temperature reaches
the boiling point of isopropyl alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol transfers up to D-3 with a small
amount of water. In tandem, the water transfers down D-3 with a small amount of isopropyl
alcohol (Rich-ardson et al., 2002).
3.2.13 Condenser 3 (C-3)
The vapor mixture is cooled, and isopropyl alcohol is separated from the rest of the water.
Isopropyl alcohol leaves C-3 in a vapor phase to a refrigeration unit (R-3), and water returns to
D-3 and then leaves the distillation column through Stream 19 (Richardson et al., 2002).
3.2.14 Boiler 3 (B-3)

The boiler’s function is to warm the mixture and to maintain the operation temperature of D-3
in order to reach the boiling point of isopropyl alcohol. This boiler warms the mixture at the
boiling point of isopropyl alcohol, and then isopropyl alcohol evaporates and transfers to the
top of the distillation column. The refrigerator then turns the isopropyl alcohol from a vapor
phase to a liquid phase and it is recycled to the reactor (Richardson et al., 2002).

3.2.15 Waste Stream

There are three components of the waste stream in this process. First, the hydrogen (Stream 8)
is separated from the first distillation column; hydrogen can be a byproduct. All the focus in
this study is on acetone production, therefore the technical and economic feasibility of
hydrogen is not studied. Second, isopropyl alcohol is separated from the third distillation
column; because this component feeds the reactor, it is recycled from the third distillation
column to the reactor through Stream 21 (Figure 1). Finally, the water component is separated
from the third distillation col-umn, which could be used as catalyst for the reactor. However,
water is not recycled to the reactor in this process for two reasons. The distance be-tween the
third distillation column and the reactor is quite far, as demon-strated in Table 2. To recycle
water from the third distillation column to the reactor could be quite expensive, given the need
to provide and in-stall the pipe with valves, as well as provide for periodic maintenance
(Richardson et al., 2002).

19
 CHAPTER 4
MATERIAL AND ENERGY BALANCE

4.1 MATERIAL BALANCES

Desired acetone production rate = 200,000 tons/ year.
Feed Stream (Stream 1) = 690.255 kmol/hr (31,920 kg/hr) (88% IPA 12% water)
Let number of working hours in a year be 8000 hours per year
(8000/8760 x 100 = 91.3% efficiency)
8000
31,920 kg/hr to tons/year 𝑋 (1000) = 255,360 tons/year

Table 4.1: Operating Conditions for the different streams

Operating Conditions

Name 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 10

Pressure [kPa] 101 220 220 220 190 150 150 150 500 150 150

Temperature 25 67 235 450 147 45 45 45 30 55 49

[C]
Mole Flow 51.13 58.85 58.85 58.85 93.77 93.77 54.73 39.04 39.04 51.85 30.64
(kmol/hr)
Mass Flow 2400 2762 2762 2762 2762 2762 1117 1646 500 848 769
[kg/h]
Vapor / Phase 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0
Fraction

Name 15 18 17 12 OFF 14 ACETONE 19 20 21 22

GAS STREAM
Pressure [kPa] 150 150 150 300 300 300 150 150 150 150 101

Temperature 41 68 94 15 15 15 26 90 111 90 67
[C]
Mole Flow 84.56 33.2 51.35 51.85 36.97 14.88 33.2 7.787 43.57 7.718 58.85
(kmol/hr)
Mass Flow 3078 1928 1150 848 184 664 1928 365 785 362 2762
[kg/h]
Vapor / Phase 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0
Fraction

20
Table 4.2: Molar composition of component in each stream

Components 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Water 0.3127 0.3127 0.3127 0.3127 0.1962 0.1962 0.0487 0.403 1 1 0.0994

IPA 0.6873 0.6873 0.6873 0.6873 0.0589 0.0589 0.0216 0.1111 0 0 0.0077

Acetone 0 0 0 0 0.3724 0.3724 0.2917 0.4857 0 0 0.2195

Hydrogen gas 0 0 0 0 0.3724 0.3724 0.638 0.0001 0 0 0.6735

Off
Gas Acetone
Components 12 Stream 14 15 Stream 17 18 19 20 21 22

Water 0.0994 0.0041 0.3362 0.544 0 0.8958 0 0.3127 1 0.3127 0.3127

IPA 0.0077 0.0005 0.0255 0.0651 0.0046 0.1042 0.0046 0.6873 0 0.6873 0.6873

Acetone 0.2195 0.0511 0.6378 0.3907 0.995 0 0.995 0 0 0 0

Hydrogen gas 0.6735 0.9445 0.0004 0.0001 0.0004 0 0.0004 0 0 0 0

Acetone in acetone stream = 439.432 kmol/hr (25,509.4 kg/hr) (0.995 X 441.56)

Now, converting 25,509.4 kg/hr to tons/year
Let number of working hours in a year be 8000 hours per year
(8000/8760 x 100 = 91.3% efficiency)

8000
25,509.4 kg/hr to tons/year 𝑋 (1000) = 204,075.2 tons/year of acetone produced.

21
 4.2 ENERGY BALANCE

The table below shows a summary of the energy streams of the Acetone production process

Table 4.3: Summary of the energy streams

Unit Q1 Q10 Q11 Q30 Q31

Heat
Flow kJ/h 7,880.351 63,205,071.3 80,611,991.6 20,570,538.1 25,394,607.7

22
 Mixer (Mix- 101)

Feed to Mixer
Stream 1 = 680.029 kmol/hr (31,920 kg/hr)
Stream 21 (Recycle Stream) = 102.6494kmol/hr

Stream 1 = 680.029 kmol/hr

Stream 22 = 782.705 kmol/hr

IPA = 467.229 kmol/hr

H2O = 212.8 kmol/hr
IPA = 537.985 kmol/hr
ACETONE = 0 kmol/hr
H2O = 244.72 kmol/hr
HYDROGEN = 0 kmol/hr
ACETONE = 0 kmol/hr
HYDROGEN = 0 kmol/hr

IPA = 70.556 kmol/hr

H2O = 32.0929kmol/hr
ACETONE = 0 kmol/hr
HYDROGEN = 0 kmol/hr

Plug Flow Reactor (Pfr 100)

Reactor conversion: 86.35%

23
Feed to Reactor: 58.85 kmols/hr of feed. (2762 kg/hr)
Reactor Type: Plug flow reactor with fixed bed catalytic packing.

24
 Stream 5
Stream 4
PFR 100
PFR-100

IPA = 537.985kmol/hr IPA = 73.416 kmol/hr

H2O = 244.72 kmol/hr H2O = 244.72 kmol/hr
ACETONE = 0 ACETONE = 464.436 kmol/hr
HYDROGEN = 0 HYDROGEN = 464.436 kmol/hr

Flash Separator (V- 100)

Feed to Separator (V- 100) = 1,247.141 kmol/hr (36,734.6 kg/hr)

25
26
 Stream 7 = 727.909 kmol/hr

Stream 6 = 1,247.141 kmol/hr IPA = 1.18 kmol/hr

V 100 H2O = 2.67 kmol/hr
IPA = 73.416 kmol/hr ACETONE = 34.92 kmol/hr
H2O = 244.72 kmol/hr HYDROGEN = 212.268
kmol/hr
ACETONE = 464.436 kmol/hr
HYDROGEN = 464.436 kmol/hr Stream 8 = 519.232 kmol/hr

IPA = 57.722 kmol/hr

H2O = 57.722 kmol/hr
ACETONE = 252.168 kmol/hr
HYDROGEN = 0. kmol/hr

Adsorber Column (T- 100)

Feed to Adsorber column

Process water = 369.075 kmol/hr (6,650kg/hr)
Stream 7 = 727.909 kmol/hr (14,856.1 kg/hr)

Product from Adsorber column.

Stream 11 = 689.605 kmol/hr (11,279.73 kg/hr)
Stream 10 = 407.512 kmol/hr (10,461.78 kg/hr)

27
28
29
Flash Separator (V- 101)

Feed To Separator (V- 101)

Stream 12 = 689.605 kmol/hr (11279.73 kg/hr)

30
Mixer (Mix- 100)

Feed To Mixer
Stream 8 = 519.232 kmol/hr
Stream 10 = 407.512 kmol/hr
Stream 14 = 197.904 kmol/hr

Product from Mixer

Stream 15 = 1124.648 kmol/hr

31
32
Short Cut Distillation Column (T- 101) – Acetone Column

Feed to Short cut Distillation Column (T- 101)

Stream 15 = 1124.6 kmol/hr (40937.4 kg/hr)

33
34
Short Cut Distillation Column (T- 102) – IPA Column

Feed to IPA Column

Stream 17 = 682.95 kmol/hr

35
36
37
 CHAPTER 5
EQUIPMENT DESIGN
5.1 PUMP
Table 5.1 Design of pump
User tag number P-100
Equipment mapped from 'P-
Remarks 1 100
Casing material Carbon steel

Liquid flow rate [GPM] 18.135442

Fluid head [FEET] 53.899235
Fluid specific gravity 0.737657
Design gauge pressure
[PSIG] 35.304
Design temperature [DEG
F] 250
Fluid viscosity [CPOISE] 0.644217
Pump efficiency
[PERCENT] 75
Allow resize

5.2 HEAT EXCHANGERS

Table 5.2 Design of Heat exchanger
Heat Exchanger
Name E-100 E-101 E-102 E-103
Duty [kJ/h] 3349320.49 1963931.65 617814.19 1128272.75
UA [kJ/C-h] 43086.20 49855.49 50253.31 69439.11
Control UA [kJ/C-h] 43086.20 49855.49 50253.31 69439.11
Tube Side Pressure Drop [kPa] 0.00 40.00 -150.00 0.00
Shell Side Pressure Drop [kPa] 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Tube Side Delta T [C] 167.89 -101.93 -39.63 -42.08
Shell Side Delta T [C] -6.27 12.89 6.32 11.44

38
 Uncorrected LMTD [C] 80.49 46.02 16.38 21.48
LMTD [C] 77.74 39.39 12.29 16.25
Ft Factor 0.97 0.86 0.75 0.76
Wall Time Constant [seconds] - - - -
Tube Side Zones 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
Shell Side Zones 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
Tube Side Volume [m3] 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.10
Shell Side Volume [m3] 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.10
Heat Trans. Area [m2] 60.32 60.32 60.32 60.32
Shell UA Reference Flow [kg/h] - - - -
Tube UA Reference Flow [kg/h] - - - -
Minimum Flow Scale Factor 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Shell side U [kJ/h-m2-C] - - - -
Tube side U [kJ/h-m2-C] - - - -
Overall U [kJ/h-m2-C] 714.31 826.54 833.13 1151.21
Carbon Carbon Carbon Carbon
Material of Construction steel steel steel steel

5.3 SEPARATOR
Fig 5.3 Design of Separator
User tag number V-100 V-101
Equipment mapped from Equipment mapped from
Remarks 1 'V-100'. 'V-101'.
Liquid volume [GALLONS] 634.560878 634.560878
Vessel diameter [FEET] 3 3
Vessel tangent to tangent height
[FEET] 12 12
Design gauge pressure [PSIG] 35.304 35.304
Vacuum design gauge pressure
[PSIG]
Design temperature [DEG F] 250 70

39
 Operating temperature [DEG F] 113 59
Material of Construction Carbon steel Carbon steel

5.4 FIRED HEATER

Fig 5.4 Design of fired heater
Fired Heater
Name FH-100
Number of Radiant Zone Streams 1
Number of Convective Zone 0
Streams
Number of Economizer Zone 0
Streams
Number of Radiant Zone Tubes 20
Ambient Temperature [C] 25
Rad Fluid Pressure Drop -
Furnace Pressure Drop [kPa] -
Duty to Tubes [kJ/h] -
Oxygen Efficiency [%] 100
Tube Inner Area [m3] 0.471744663
Tube Outer Area [m2] 24.25812183
Tube Inner Volume [m3] 0.471744663
Shell Inner Diameter [m] 1.7
Shell Outer Diameter [m] 2
Shell Thickness [m] -
Zone Height [m] 4.28
Shell Inner Area [m2] 22.85822815
Shell Outer Area [m2] 26.89203311
Shell Net Volume [m3] 9.098590668
Shell Total Volume [m3] 9.714746963

40
5.5 PLUG FLOW REACTOR
Fig 5.5 Design of plug flow reactor
Plug Flow Reactor
Name PFR-100
Pressure Drop [kPa] 30
Reactor Volume [m3] 3.55
Tube Length [m] 2
Tube Diameter [m] 1.5
Void Volume [m3] 1.775
Particle Diameter [m] 0.0001
Particle Sphericity 0.55
Solid Density [kg/m3] 2500
Solid Heat Capacity
[kJ/kg-C] 250
Number of Tubes 1.00444453
Minimum Step Fraction 1.00E-06
Minimum Step Length
[m] 2.00E-06
Number of Segments 20
Wall Thickness [m] 0.005
Bulk Density [kg/m3] 1250

5.6 SHORTCUT DISTILLATION COLUMN

Fig 5.6 Shortcut Distillation Column
Shortcut Column
Name T-101 T-102
Minimum Reflux 0.99 1.11
External Reflux 5.00 5.00
Minimum Trays 28.00 12.94
Actual Trays 33.37 15.73
Optimal Feed 0.12 0.01

41
Rectify Vapour Flow
[kgmole/h] 199.21 46.72
Rectify Liquid Flow [kgmole/h] 166.01 38.93
Stripping Vapour Flow
[kgmole/h] 199.21 46.72
Stripping Liquid Flow
[kgmole/h] 250.56 90.29
Light Key Mole Frac 0.00 0.00
Heavy Key Mole Frac 0.0046 0.3127
Condenser Pressure [kPa] 150.00 150.00
Reboiler Pressure [kPa] 150.00 150.00
Condenser Temperature [C] 68.08 90.25
Reboiler Temperature [C] 93.80 111.38
- -
Condenser Duty [kJ/h] 4752261.35 1546716.38
Reboiler Duty [kJ/h] 6061052.94 1909429.18

42
 CHAPTER 6
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
6.1 THE PRICES OF PRODUCT
The main product that is produced from this plant is Acetone.
The cost for acetone is $0.88/kg. Molecular weight of Acetone is 58 kg/kmol.
The cost for IPA is $0.72/kg IPA in the feed solution. Molecular weight of IPA is 60 kg/kmol.

Price in cost per kilomoles of Acetone becomes $0.88/kg x 58 kg/kmol = $51.04/kmol.

Price in cost per kilomoles of IPA becomes $0.72/kg x 60 kg/kmol = $43.2/kmol.
6.2 PLANT SPECIFICATION
Table 6.1: plant specification
Information Estimated Data
Plant life 10 years
Operating period 8000 hrs/year
Product price $51.04/kmol
Capital cost annuity interest factor 15%

6.3 COST ESTIMATION

For detailed sizing, costing, and economic evaluation including profitability analysis, the
Aspen Process Economic Analyzer was used.
Description of steps:
Step 1: Setting Up the Model for Process Economics
This step involves compiling all of the information that will be needed for this analysis and
creating a model that will be used for the economics analysis. While rigorous models are
recommended to reduce the number of assumptions that will be taken for equipment sizes,
existing process simulation models are usually the most time efficient start points. The startup
period, operating hours per year, operating life of the plant, the start of basic engineering, the
prices of raw materials needed for the process feed as well as any product information, costs
of the utilities were specified to run the economic analyzer in Aspen Hysys.
Step 2: Mapping Unit Operations to Process Equipment
The APEA engine will automatically map the unit operations present in the process simulation
to constituent equipment according to the definitions within the economic template for the
project. A single unit operation can be mapped to one or multiple pieces of equipment.

43
Examples: the pump on the flowsheet was mapped to a pump equipment, while the distillation
column was a tower, a condenser, accumulator, reboiler and other equipment needed to make
the distillation column work properly.
Step 3: Sizing and Defining Process Equipment
The equipment sizing step is a crucial step in the cost analysis of a process model. Activated
Economics has an interactive sizing expert tool which automatically sizes unit operations based
on simplified routines to generate enough parameters to evaluate the cost of the item
successfully.
Step 4: Evaluating Cost and Investment Metrics
Once the mapping, equipment sizing and customization steps were complete, the cost engine
evaluates the cost of the process and its equipment. This delivered a final process capital and
utility cost along with a number of project investment metrics that can be used to compare
relative costs of process case alternatives.

6.4 RESULT OF COST ANALYSIS

The table below shows the summary of the result of the aspen plus economic analyzer (APEA).

Table 6.2: APEA result summary.

PROJECT RESULTS SUMMARY AMOUNT
Total Project Capital Cost [USD] 4790000
Total Raw Materials Cost [USD/Year] 12165120
Total Products Sales [USD/Year] 13502720
Total Operating Labor and Maintenance Cost [USD/Year] 669503
Total Utilities Cost [USD/Year] 64204.7
Total Operating Cost [USD/Year] 1330000

Operating Labor Cost [USD/Year] 657450

Maintenance Cost [USD/Year] 12053.3

Operating Charges [USD/Year] 164363

Plant Overhead [USD/Year] 334752

Subtotal Operating Cost [USD/Year] 1230000

44
 G and A Cost [USD/Year] 98625.8

The next table shows a more detailed result of the equipment, installation and utility cost of all
the major unit operations in the process.

Table 6.3: Unit operation cost analysis

Component Total Direct Equipment Equipment Installed
Name Cost Cost Weight Weight
(USD) (USD) LBS LBS
E-103 72800 15000 3100 11486
MIX-101 0 0 0 0
V-100 96100 14900 2600 10303
E-102 57700 10800 1500 6380
E-101 61400 10800 1400 8025
V-101 96100 14900 2600 10303
MIX-100 0 0 0 0
PFR-100 244400 38900 7800 34946
RCY-1 0 0 0 0
P-100 31200 3800 180 3210
E-100 86200 17100 3400 16944

Main
Tower_@T-100 166800 40300 6200 17032

Total 912700 166500 28780 118629

6.5 PROFITABILITY ANALYSIS

Profitability analysis was carried out based on a number of economic criteria such as payback
period, internal rate of return, and cash flow analysis. In addition, the following objective
function was used. It is the equivalent annual operating cost (EAOC), and is defined as
EAOC = − (product value – feed cost – other operating costs – capital cost annuity)
The capital cost annuity is defined as follows:

45
 𝑖(1+𝑖)n
Capital cost annuity = FCI
(1+𝑖)n −1

Where FCI is the installed cost of all equipment;

i is the interest rate;
and n is the plant life, in years.
For accounting purposes, i = 0.15 and n = 10.
0.15(1+0.15)10
Capital cost annuity = $912700 x
(1+0.15)10 −1
Capital cost annuity = $912700 x 0.19925
Capital cost annuity = $181855.475

6.6 PAY BACK PERIOD

For the analysis of the payback period, the following formula was used:
𝐼𝐼
PBP =
𝐶𝑎𝑠ℎ 𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤
Where II is initial investment and is assumed to be:
II = (Total Capital Cost + Equipment Cost + Total Installed Cost) x 5.
II = ($4790000 + $166500 + $912700) x 5
II = $5 869 200 x 5
II = $29, 346 000.
Cash inflow = $13, 502 720 (product cost per year) constant value annuity.
29,346 000
Therefore; PBP =
13,502 720
PBP = 2.17 years approx. 2 years.

6.7 INTERNAL RATES OF RETURNS (IRR)

Internal rate of return is gotten when the net present value of cash inflow is zero.
NPV = ∑PV - II
Where PV is present value of cash inflow and is evaluated as;
PV = ∑Cash inflow + PVIF.
Where PVIF is present value interest factor taken as;
1
PVIF =
(1+𝑖)n

46
Where i is 15% interest factor
And n is number of years, in this case 10 years.
Preparing the discounted cash inflow for a period of 10 years:
Table 6.4: Discounted cash inflow at 15% rate.
period
(n) cash inflow PVIF PV
1 13502720 0.8696 11741965

2 13502720 0.7561 10209407

3 13502720 0.6575 8878038

4 13502720 0.5717 7719505

5 13502720 0.4971 6712202

6 13502720 0.4323 5837226

7 13502720 0.3759 5075672

8 13502720 0.3269 4414039

9 13502720 0.2842 3837473

10 13502720 0.2471 3336522

∑PV = $67762050

NPV = $67, 762, 050- $29, 346 000

NPV = $38, 416, 050
Note that $38, 416, 050 is positive and very far away from zero. So we will take three steps
further i = 18%.

Discounting again with 18% interest rate.

Table 6.5: Discounted cash inflow at 18% rate.
period
(n) cash inflow PVIF PV
13502720 11443555
1 0.8475
13502720 9697654
2 0.7182
13502720 8217755
3 0.6086
13502720 6964703
4 0.5158

47
 13502720 5902039
5 0.4371
13502720 5001407
6 0.3704
13502720 4238504
7 0.3139
13502720 3591724
8 0.266
13502720 3044863
9 0.2255
13502720 2580370
10 0.1911

∑PV = $60, 682, 574

NPV = $60, 682, 574 - $29, 346 000

NPV = $31, 336, 574
Note that $31, 336, 574 is positive and very far away from zero. So we will take some steps
further i = 48%.

Discounting again with 48% interest rate.

Table 6.6: Discounted cash inflow at 48% rate.
period
(n) cash inflow PVIF PV
9123788
1 35562240 0.6757
6163992
2 35562240 0.4565
4165589
3 35562240 0.3085
2813967
4 35562240 0.2084
1901183
5 35562240 0.1408
1285459
6 35562240 0.0952
868224.9
7 35562240 0.0643
586018
8 35562240 0.0434
396980
9 35562240 0.0294
267353.9
10 35562240 0.0198

∑PV = $27, 572, 554

NPV = $27, 572, 554- $29, 346 000

NPV = $-1, 773, 446
Note that $-1, 773, 446 is negative

48
Interpolating between i = 18% and i = 48% on PVIF,

18 $31, 336, 574

X 0
48 $-1, 773, 446
Where x is unknown IRR.
X = 46.39% which is approx. 46%. Therefore, the internal rate of return is 46%.

6.8 EQUIVALENT ANNUAL OPERATING COST (EAOC)

EAOC = − (product value – feed cost – other operating costs – capital cost annuity)
Capital cost annuity = $181 855.475
Operating costs = $1 230 000
Feed cost = $12 165 120
Product value = $13 502 720
EAOC = - (13 502 720 – 12 165 120 – 1 230 000 - 181 855.475)
EAOC = -$74,255.475.
A negative value of EAOC means there is a profit. It is desirable to minimize EAOC.
From the profitability analysis, it can be concluded that it is economically feasible to produce
acetone using these process conditions.

CHAPTER 7
SAFETY MEASURES

7.1 HAZARD IDENTIFICATION

• Fire Hazard
• Electricity Hazard

49
 • Mechanical Hazard
• Chemical Hazard

7.1.1 Chemical Hazard

The categories include:
• Flammable liquids
• Acute toxic substance
• Skin corrosion and irritation substance

Raw material: Isopropyl alcohol

Use: Manufacture of Acetone
Hazard warning information: Highly flammable liquid and gas, harmful if ingested, causes
slight skin irritation, causes eye irritation.
Hazard Prevention Measures: place container in a well –ventilated area, Keep away from
inflammables, Smoking prohibited, prevent eye contact, and do not dispose in drainage canals.
7.1.2 Fire Hazard
Fire hazards includes all types of potential threats for ignition, fire prevention practices,
firefighting, built-in fire safety systems and situations that restrict the escape of people from an
affected building or area in the event of a fire.
Suitable Extinguishing media: Carbon dioxide, chemical powder, and alcoholic form.
Special Exposure Hazards:
i. Vapours and liquids are flammable. Liquid will accumulate electric charges. Vapor is
heavier than air and may float to places far away, and may flashback from ignition
sources.
ii. High heat will cause this material to decompose and produce toxic gas. The containers
in a fire site may rupture and explode.

Special Extinguishing Procedure: Retreat and extinguish the fire from a safe distance or a
protected area, Stay upwind to keep away from hazardous vapour and toxic decomposition,
Any leakage should be stopped before extinguishing the fire, If the leakage cannot be stopped
and there is no immediate danger in the surrounding area, allow it to burn away. If the leakage
is not stopped before extinguishing the fire, the vapor and the air will form an explosive mixture
and ignite afterwards, Separate materials that are not on fire and protect the personnel, Move
the container, Personnel without special protective equipment should not enter the fire field.

50
7.1.3 Electrical Hazards
Causes: defective electrical equipment or electrical lines; defective lightning protection,
defective electrical installations.
Risks: explosions, fires, electrical shocks.
Hazard prevention measures: use of safe electrical equipment, turn off electricity, to ask
advice from an electrician.

7.1.4 Mechanical Hazards

Causes: Large number of equipment, improper maintenance of equipment, dangerous part,
negligence, failure of SOP, worn or teared parts etc.
Risks: Injuries, Falling into tanks, from ladder, from construction area etc
Hazard prevention measures: All personnel should use personal protective equipment when
operating on any machine, Right tools should be used etc.

7.2 EXPOSURE CONTROL

Engineering Control:
i. Complete gas exchange or partial exhaust devices.
ii. Will not produce sparks if used alone and grounded to the ventilation system.
iii. Exhaust opening is connected directly outside the window. 4. Provide enough fresh air
to supplement the air exhausted by the exhaust system.

7.3 PERSONAL PROTECTION

i. Respiratory Protection:
1) Below 2000ppm: Fixed amount air supplied type respirator, respiratory
respirator with organic vapor filter cartridge powered for air purification or full
chemical filter cartridge, respirator with organic vapor filter cartridge, full self-
contained or air supplied respirator.
2) Unknown Concentration: positive-pressure self-contained respiratory
apparatus, positive-pressure full air-supply respiratory apparatus with positive-
pressure self-contained respiratory apparatus.
3) Escape: Gas mask with organic vapor filter cartridge, life escape self-contained
breathing apparatus.

51
ii. Hand Protection: Impermeable gloves made of butyl rubber, rubber-like, Viton, 4H,
CPF 3, Responder, etc.
iii. Eye Protection: Anti chemical splashing safety goggles, full face masks
iv. Skin & Body Protection: Leak-proof gloves made of butyl rubber, rubber-like, Viton,
4H, etc.

52
 CHAPTER 8
PLANT LAYOUT
8.1 SITE CONSIDERATIONS
The location of the plant can have a crucial effect on the profitability of a project and the scope
for future expansion. Many factors must be considered when selecting a suitable site. The
principle factors to be considered are:
Marketing area
This consideration will be less important for low volume production, high-priced products;
such as pharmaceuticals. For material that are produced in bulk quantities such as cement,
mineral acids, and fertilizers where the cost of the product per tonne is relatively low and the
cost of transport is a significant fraction of the sales price, the plant should be located close the
primary market.
In an international market, there may be an advantage to be gained by locating the plant within
an area with preferential tariff agreement.
Raw materials
The availability and price of suitable raw materials will often determine the site location. Plants
producing bulk chemicals are best located close to the source of the major raw material; where
this is also close to the marketing area.
Transport
The transport of the materials and products to and from the plant will be an overriding
consideration in site selection. If practicable, a site should be selected that is close to at least
two major forms of transport: road, rail, waterway [canalor river], or a sea port. Road transport
is being increasingly used and is suitable for local distribution from a central warehouse. Rail
transport will be cheaper for the long distance transport of bulk chemicals. Air transport is
convenient and efficient for the movement of personnel and essential equipment and supplies,
and the proximity of the site to a major airport should be considered.

Availability of labour
Labour will be needed for construction of the plant and its operation. Skilled construction
workers will usually be brought in from outside the site area, but there should be an adequate
pool of unskilled labour available locally and labour suitable for training to operate the plant.
Skilled tradesmen will be needed for plant maintenance. Local trade union customs and
restrictive practices will have to be considered when assessing the availability and suitability
of the local labour for recruitment and training.
53
Utilities [services]
Chemical processes invariably require large quantities of water for cooling and general process
use, and the plant must be located near source of water of suitable quality. Process water may
be drawn from a river from wells, or purchased from a local authority. At some sites, the
cooling water required can be taken from a river or lake, or from the sea; at other locations
cooling towers will be needed. Electrical power will be needed at all sites. Electro-chemical
processes that require large quantities of power. A competitively priced fuel must be available
on site for steam and power generation.
Environmental impact and effluent disposal.
The proposed plant must fit in with and be acceptable to the local community. Full
consideration must be given to the safe location of the plant so that it does not impose
significant additional risk to the community. On a new site, the local community must be able
to provide adequate facilities for the pant personnel: school, banks, housing, and recreational
and cultural facilities. All industrial processes produce waste products, and full consideration
must be given to the difficulties and cost of their disposal. The disposal of toxic and harmful
effluents will be covered by local regulations, and the appropriate authorities must be consulted
during the initial site survey to determine the standards that must be met. An environmental
impact assessment should be made for each new project, or major medication or addition to an
existing process.
Local community considerations

Land
Sufficient suitable land must be available for the proposed plant and for future expansion. The
land should ideally be flat, well drained and have suitable load-bearing characteristics. A full
site evaluation should be made to determine the need for piling or other special foundations.
Climate
Adverse climate conditions at a site will increase cost. Abnormally low temperatures will
require the provision of additional insulation and special heating for equipment and pipe runs.
Stronger structures will be needed at locations subject to high winds [cyclone and hurricane
areas] or earthquakes.

8.2 SITE LAYOUT

The process units and ancillary buildings should be laid out to give the most economical flow
of materials and personnel around the site. Hazardous processes must be located at a safe
54
distance from other buildings. Consideration must also be given to the future expansion of the
site. The ancillary buildings and services required on a site. In addition to the main processing
units [buildings], will include;
i. Storage for raw materials and products: tank farms and warehouses.
ii. Maintenance workshops.
iii. Stores, for maintenance and operating supplies.
iv. Laboratories for process control
v. Fire stations and other emergency services
vi. Utilities; steam boilers, compressed air, power generation, refrigeration transformer
stations
vii. Effluent disposal plant
viii. Offices for general administration
ix. Canteens and other amenity buildings, such as medical centre
x. Car parks

Fig 8.1: A schematic diagram of a Site Layout.

55
They should be arranged so as to minimize the time spent by personnel in travelling between
buildings. Administration offices and laboratories, in which a relatively large number of people
will be working, should be located well away from potentially hazardous processes. Control
rooms will normally be located adjacent to the processing units, but with potentially hazardous
processes may have to be sited at safer distance.
The sitting of the main process units will determine the layout of the plant roads, pipe alleys
and drains. Access roads will be needed to each building for construction, and for operation
and maintenance. Utility buildings should be sited to give the most economical run of pipes to
and from the process units. The main storage areas should be placed between the loading and
unloading facilities and the process units they serve. Storage tanks containing hazardous
materials should be sited at least 70m [200ft] from the site boundary.

8.3 PLANT LAYOUT

The economic construction and efficient operation of a process unit will depend on how well
the plant and equipment specified on the process flow-sheet is laid out.
The principal factors to considered are:
i. Economic considerations: construction and operating costs.
ii. The process requirements
iii. Convenience of operation
iv. Convenience of maintenance
v. Safety

8.4 UTILITIES
Utilities are generally used for the ancillary services needed in the operation of any production
process. These services will normally be supplied from central site facility and will include:
i. Electricity
ii. Steam , for process heating
iii. Catalyst
iv. Natural gas

8.5 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION

In addition to the moral duty, stringent controls over the environment are being introduced in
the United Kingdom, the European Union, the United States, and in other industrialized

56
countries and developing countries. Vigilance is required in both the design and operation of
process plant to ensure that legal standards are met and that no harm is done to the environment.
All individuals and companies have a duty to care to their neighbour, and to the environment
in general. In the United Kingdom this is embodied in the common law.
Consideration must be given to:
i. All emissions to land, air and water.
ii. Waste management.
iii. Smells.
iv. Noise.
v. The visual impact.
vi. Any other nuisances.
vii. The environmental friendliness of the products.

8.6 WASTE MANAGEMENT

The designer must consider all possible sources of pollution and, where practicable, select
processes that will eliminate or reduce (minimize) waste generation. Unused reactant can be
recycled and off-specification product reprocessed. Integrated processes can be selected: waste
from one process becoming the raw material for another. Waste arises mainly as by-products
or unused reactants from the process or as off specification product produced through mis-
operation. There will also be fugitive emissions from leaking seals and flanges, and in advertent
spills and discharges through mis-operation. In emergency situations, material may be
discharged to the atmosphere through vents normally protected by bursting discs and relief
valves. It may be possible to sell waste to another company for use as raw material in their
manufacturing processes. Processes and equipment should be designed to reduce chances of
mis-operation; by drains, and pumps should be sited so that any leaks flow into the plant
effluent collection system, not directly to sewers. Hold-up systems, tanks and ponds, should be
providing to retain spills for treatment. Flanged joints should be kept to the minimum needed
for the assembly and maintenance of equipment.
When waste is produced, processes must be included in the design for its treatment and safe
disposal. The following techniques can be considered:
i. Dilution and dispersion
ii. Discharge to foul water sewer
iii. Physical treatment: scrubbing, settling, absorption and adsorption.

57
iv. Chemical treatment: Precipitation, neutralization.

58
 CHAPTER 9
CONCLUSION
This project design was carried out to produce 200,000 tons/year of acetone and the equipment
required were specified. The process was designed assuming 8000 hours per year. The process
description was planned out at minimum equipment cost, safety consideration and material and
energy balances. Most of the world’s supply of acetone is produced as a by-product of reacting
cumene to phenol via the cumene hydro peroxide process, but for pharmaceutical and other
applications. Acetone is sometimes produced from isopropyl alcohol due to the requirement of
zero aromatic impurities.
The process chosen for the production of Acetone is catalytic dehydrogenation of isopropyl
alcohol. For the process synthesis and flow sheeting, base case material and energy balance
together with process simulation has been performed both by manual calculation and Aspen
Hysys simulator.
Equipment process design and mechanical engineering design of all major equipment has been
performed by the Hysys simulator with standard input referred from literatures.
In this project, 204,075.2 tons/year of acetone was produced after the reaction process using a
reactant feed of 255,360 tons/year (31,920 kg/hr) of isopropyl alcohol and water. The total
capital cost per year is $181855.475. The annual pay back period, internal rate of return and
the equivalent annual operating cost is 2 years, 46% and -$74,255.475 respectively. A negative
value of EAOC means there is a profit. It is desirable to minimize EAOC.

59
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