UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPUR

MALAYSIAN INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL

BIOENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

CPB 20004
PLANT UTILITIES AND
MAINTENANCE
MINI PROJECT (TASK 2)

NUR EZZATI BT ABD AZIZ 55213115183

ZULKARRNAEN B AHMAD 55213115406

AIMI ATHIRAH BT ABDUL WAHAB 55213115050

M. ISMAT IRFAN BIN ROSTAN 55213115452

SIR MOHD SYAZWAN MOHD GHAZALI

12 APRIL 2018
 TABLE OF CONTENT

1.0 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 3

2.0 PROCESS OVERVIEW/ TECHNICAL INFORMATION ON PROCESS ........................ 4

5.0 DRAWING ................................................................................................................................. 6

6.0 LIST OF EQUIPMENT ............................................................................................................ 8

7.0 BILL OF QUANTITIES ......................................................................................................... 14

6.0 REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................. 15

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

The chemical processing plant chosen was acrylic acid processing plant. In this study of
Acrylic Acid production, the process involved are the reaction of combination or synthesis
process that involve the oxidation of Propylene with Oxygen to produce Acrolein for the first
stage of production. While in the second production stage is the final stage in producing
Acrylic Acid with the combination process of Acrolein and Oxygen. Acrylic acid is a clear
and colorless liquid that has a strong acrid odor. Its chemical structure is CH₂ = CH – COOH.
In the study, the process involves combination process as oxidation of Propylene occurs to
form Acrolein and from Acrolein it combines with Oxygen to form Acrylic Acid.

Acrylic acid primarily is used as a starting material in the production of Acrylic Esters.
Aside from that, there are many other industries that practically are using acrylic acid such
plastics, paper manufacturing, coating, exterior house paints and polymer solutions such
coating, emulsion and paint formulations (Luo et al., 2012).

Acrylic acid hazardous properties concern of the possibility of explosion to occur as the
process involves the oxidation of hydrocarbon gasses and the product must be made sure to
be stored under liquified form in a pressurized vessel in order to prevent any explosive vapor
to happen. Apart from that because of the process involves high temperature starting off at
330- 430oc thus the reactor needed to be monitor closely and to carefully isolated the process
from anything that can induce sparks.

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2.0 PROCESS OVERVIEW/ TECHNICAL INFORMATION ON PROCESS

PROCESS OVERVIEW

The process description of acrylic acid production is via oxidation of propylene method.
The are 4 major components in this production that is reactor, light gas seperator, distillation
column, and absorber. There are two stages before the acrylic acid is formed. Firstly, the
propane undergoes through process of oxidation and form propylene. The input to the first
reactor which is R-101 consisting of three feed streams and a recycle stream from the off gas
absorber from T-101. The three feed streams are air (1), steam (2), and propylene (3). The
feed of the propylene has a purity of at least 95%, with the balance being is propane. The
gaseous phase oxidation of propylene is undertaken in two stages and running in the separated
fixed-bed reactors of identical capacity. The difference between both reactors is the
temperature of the cooling fluid and types of catalysts used in the reactor. The first reactor
operates at temperature range between 300 ⁰C and 450 ⁰C. The most preferable catalyst used
in this reactor is iron. The reaction take place in this reactor is:

3.0 C3H6 + O2 → C3H4O +H2O (eq 1.1)

Due to this reaction, the propylene is still oxidised in three undesirable exothermic
reactions producing acetic acid, acrylic acid, carbon dioxide and water by-products. Thus, an
efficient cooling system is required to ensure that the reactor operates within the optimum
temperature range.

The second reactor operates more efficiently when the temperature is kept between 200
⁰C and 350 ⁰C. The conversion of acrolein and selectivity of acrolein to acrylic acid are both
maximised. Catalyst used in this reactor is zinc oxide. The reaction to obtain acrylic acid from
acrolein is as follows:

4.0 C3H4O + 0.5O2 → C3H4O2 (eq 1.2)

The reaction is also an exothermic and the cooling fluid is the same as that used in R-101.
The recommended reaction temperature is 300 ⁰C. The acrolein reactor operates at 350 kPa.
The product from the acrolein reactor then is piped directly to the refluxed gas absorber, T-

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The product from R-102 is here simultaneously cooled and separated by a water stream
entering the top of the tower. The gaseous distillate waste stream, stream 10, containing water
and undesirable gases, is passed through a splitter, where 85 mass % is recycled as a feed to
the propylene reactor, and the remaining 15 mass % is piped to the incinerator. The bottoms
product of water and the two acids, stream 15, is piped to the acid extraction tower, T-102.
The refluxed gas absorber operates at a pressure of 550 kPa and temperatures between 60 and
300 ⁰C.

The top product from T-102, stream 17, goes directly to the solvent tower at T-103 used
for the separation of the n-pentane solvent from the two acids. Since n-pentane has the lowest
value of vapour/liquid ratio, it will be mostly recovered in the distillate. Both acrylic acid and
acetic acid are removed as bottoms product and fed to T-104. The solvent tower distillate,
stream 20, containing 99.9 mass % of n-pentane is recycled to the acid extraction tower, T-
102. The acrylic acid tower, T-104, separates the bottoms product from T-103 into an acrylic
acid bottoms product, stream 26, and an acetic/acrylic acid distillate, stream 25, which is fed
to T-105 for further purification. The acrylic acid tower operates at a pressure of 250 kPa and
temperatures between 150 ⁰C and 175 ⁰C. The acetic acid tower, T-105, separates the bottom
product from T-104 into an acrylic acid bottoms product, stream 27, and an acetic distillate
product, stream 31. The acetic acid tower operates at a pressure of 200 kPa and temperatures
between 130 ⁰C and 160 ⁰C.

The production of acrylic acid via the oxidation of propylene generates four output
streams in which the acrylic acid product exit at stream 34, containing 99.7 mol% of acrylic
acid by receiving the combination of bottoms products from both the acrylic acid and acetic
acid towers, T-104 and T-105. The acetic acid product at the stream 29 containing 98.5 mol%
acetic acid. It comes from the acetic acid tower at T-105, distillate product. The wastewater
at stream 18 containing 99.1 mol% water and the balance n-pentane, acrylic acid and acetic
acid comes from the acid extraction tower, T-102. Meanwhile, the off gas at stream 12
consisting 85 mol% nitrogen, with the balance being propylene, acrolein, oxygen, carbon
dioxide and water vapour, is only 15 mass% of the stream originated from the refluxed gas
absorber at T101.

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5.0 DRAWING

6
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 6.0 LIST OF EQUIPMENT

EQUIPMENT LIST

This part will explain more details on the process and reaction occur in each of equipment to
produce acrylic acid. Table 1 shows the list of main equipment in the process.

Table 1 list of main equipment in the process.

No. Equipment Name of Quantity

label Equipment

1. R-101 & R 102 Reactor 2

2. T-101 Refluxed gas 1

Absorber Colum

3. T-102 Liquid 1
Extraction
Column

4. T-104 and T - Distillation 1

105 Column

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 Plug Flow Reactor (R -100)

Function In the production of acrylic acid, there are two reactors

are being involved. The purpose of the first reactors is the
place where the first oxidation process happen producing
acrolein as a product.

Parameter Temperature: 550 ⁰C

Pressure: 465 kPa

Catalyst: Iron (Fe)

Description The feed mixture of this reactor should have following

components which are 55 mole % air (containing oxygen,
nitrogen, and water vapor), 40 mole% steam (added as
steam) and 5 mole % propylene. Propylene presence as
pure vapor at 25°C and 465 kPa entering this reactor
while air at 218°C and 465 kPa (it has been compressed
from atmospheric pressure causing the temperature
increase in the reactor). Steam enters reactor at pressure
465 kPa. First stage of oxidation takes place in R-101
producing acrolein as the major product.

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Plug Flow Reactor (R -101)

Function The purpose of the second reactors is to complete the

conversion from acrolein to acrylic acid where the iron
oxide where used as the catalyst in this chemical
reactions.

Parameter Temperature: 350 ⁰C

Pressure: 350 kPa

Catalyst: Metal Oxide

Description

The acrolein passed to the second stage reactor which is

similar to the first stage reactor but packed with catalyst
(Metal oxide). This reactor operates more efficiently
when the temperature is kept between 200 ⁰C and ⁰350
C. However, the recommended temperature us 300 ⁰C.
The chemical reaction take place in this reactor is:

C3H4O + 0.5O2 → C3H4O2

The end product of this partial oxidation taking place in

this reactor is acrylic acid.

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Refluxed Gas Absorber Column (T-101)

Function The purpose of this equipment in this production of

acrylic acid is to absorb the product stream such as
nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen, acrolein and
propylene using deionized water. The water absorbs the
acrylic and acetic acids and allows the other gases to
continue on to an incinerator to be burned.

Parameter Temperature: 250 ⁰C

Pressure: 450 kPa

Description The product from the acrolein reactor, is piped directly to

the refluxed gas absorber which is T-101. Meanwhile,
acrylic acid produced in the reactor R- 102 is being cooled
at the top. The water is used to "scrub" the gas and remove
all the gases that are immiscible in water (nitrogen,
carbon dioxide, oxygen, acrolein and propylene). Small
amounts of both acetic acid and acrylic acid are absorbed
into the water. The gaseous distillate waste stream,
containing water and undesirable gases, is passed through
a splitter, where 85 mass % is recycled as a feed to the
propylene reactor, and the remaining 15 mass % is piped
to the incinerator. The bottoms product of water and the
two acids, is piped to the acid extraction tower, T-102.

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 The refluxed gas absorber operates at a pressure of 550
kPa and temperatures between 60 ⁰C and 300 ⁰C.

Liquid Extraction Column (T-100)

Function The liquid extraction column used to extract the acids or

the products which are acrylic and acetic acids and to
remove water and a very small amount of solvent by
counter flow using organic solvent.

Parameter Temperature: 40 ⁰C to 50 ⁰C

Pressure: 200 kPa

Description Liquid extraction column use to remove the acid fraction

by an organic solvent. The product leaves on the top of
the unit is acrylic and acetic acids. The waste stream at
the bottom side of this extraction column containing
water and small amounts of n-pentane and the two acids,
is removed from the bottom of T-102 and piped to the
wastewater treatment facility.

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Distillation Column (T-104)

T
-
Function To separate heavier stream containing acrylic acid at the
1
bottom0 with the highest purity from lighter component
containing
4 acetic acid.

Parameter T-104

Temperature: 150 ⁰C to 175 ⁰C

Pressure: 250 kPa

Description This column operates at pressure of 250 kPa and

temperatures range of 150 ⁰C to 175 ⁰C. The main
product of this column at T-104 are acrylic acid at the
bottom with purity 99.7% and acetic acid distillate at
95% purity.

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 7.0 BILL OF QUANTITIES
The supporting equipment had been placed at the main equipment for example based on P&ID
the supporting equipment is placed at distillation column which the process consist liquid
mixture. The supporting equipment will control the element in the distillation column because
the heat is applied in the process so the pressure and level must be control inside the distillation
column if not the distillation column might explode. The sensor will functional as the detector to
any error occur to the process and give information to the control to react.

From the P&ID that had been obtained, it show that the quantity required of supporting
equipment in this plant.

Supporting equipment quantity

Valve 18

Sensor 13

Pressure controller 5

Pressure transmitter 5

Temperature controller 6

Level controller 5

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 From the P&ID that had been obtained, below show that the price together with the overall
price for each quantity required of supporting equipment in this plant.

Supporting equipment Price for each Price all

Valve RM38.83 RM698.94

Sensor RM30.50 RM396.50

Pressure controller RM150.00 RM750.00

Pressure transmitter RM216.54 RM1082.70

Temperature controller RM45.85 RM275.10

Level controller RM169.39 RM846.95

Total RM651.11 RM4050.19

6.0 REFERENCES
Mortan, A. (2011, January 3). ACRYLIC ACID.(market overview; statistics
andforecasts)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included). Chemical Week, 15-17.

MSDS (2014, April 16). Retrieved November 26, 2015, from

http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9922794

John, G. (2014, May 29). "Processes for Producing Acrylic Acids and Acrylates" in Patent
Application Approval Process. Politics & Government Week, pp. 25-30. Retrieved October
26, 2015, from http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-370548106.html

Luo, W., Cai, J., Zhu, L., Zhu, X., Huang, L., Xu, Z., & Cen, P. (2012). Toxic effects of
acrylic acid on Clostridium propionicum and isolation of acrylic acid-tolerant mutants for
production of acrylic acid. Eng. Life Sci. Engineering in Life Sciences, 567-573. 262

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Bertorello, H., & Argüello, R. (2013). Synthesis and characterization of new poly(butadiene-
co-acrylic acid(g) acrylic acid) and poly(butadiene(g) acrylic acid).Polym. Eng. Sci. Polymer
Engineering & Science, 1092-1096.

Sittig, M. (2010). Acrylic acid and esters (Vol. 5, pp. 223-235). Park Ridge, N.J.: Noyes
Development.

Buckley, P. S., Luyben, W. L., & Shunta, J. P. (1985). Design of distillation column control
systems (2nd ed.). Research Triangle Park, NC: Instrument Society of America.

Eldridge, R. B. (2005). Final Report - Advanced Hydraulic and Mass Transfer Models for
Distillation Column Optimization and Design.

Towler, G. P., & Sinnott, R. K. (2008). Chemical engineering design: Principles, practice and
economics of plant and process design. Amsterdam: Elsevier/Butterworth-Heinemann.

William, J. (2012). Packed Bed Reactor Design for a Gas Phase Catalytic Reaction.Wolfram
Demonstrations Project.

Buckley, P. S., Luyben, W. L., & Shunta, J. P. (1985). Design of distillation column control
systems (2nd ed.). Research Triangle Park, NC: Instrument Society of America.

Eldridge, R. B. (2005). Final Report - Advanced Hydraulic and Mass Transfer Models for
Distillation Column Optimization and Design.

Hill, C. G., & Root, T. W. (2014). An introduction to chemical engineering kinetics & reactor
design (2nd ed.).

Nauman, E. B. (2002). Chemical reactor design, optimization, and scaleup (3rd ed.). New
York: McGraw-Hill. 260

Towler, G. P., & Sinnott, R. K. (2008). Chemical engineering design: Principles, practice and
economics of plant and process design. Amsterdam: Elsevier/Butterworth-Heinemann.

William, J. (2012). Packed Bed Reactor Design for a Gas Phase Catalytic Reaction. Wolfram
Demonstrations Project.

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Peters, M. S., & Timmerhaus, K. D. (1991). Solutions manual to accompany Plant design and
economics for chemical engineers, Fourth edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Coulson, J. M. (1977). Chemical engineering: Volume one, fluid flow, heat transfer and mass
transfer. Oxford: Pergamon Press.

Chemical Engineering Plant Cost Index (Cepci) - Student - Cheresources.com Community.

(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cheresources.com/invision/topic/21446-chemical-
engineering-plantcost-index-cepci/

Kumar,Prasad (2002). Manufacture of acrylic acid by partial oxidation. Retrieved from

https://www.scribd.com/doc/142355672/acrylic-acid-production.

Erwin, D.L., (2002). Industrial Chemical Process Desi 261

Sinnot, R., and Towler, G., (2009). Chemical Engineering Design. Elsevier Ltd.5th ed., Pp.
281 – 288.Seborg, E., Edgar, T. and Mellichamp, D. (1989). Process Dynamics and Control,
John Wiley and Sons, NY.

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