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    CW 8

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    Ridwan Mahfuz
    The document describes the Sachasse process for producing acetylene from methane. Key steps include: 1) Pyrolysis of natural gas at 1500°C to produce acetylene and other gases. 2) Cooling the gases to 38°C to prevent decomposition of acetylene. 3) Absorbing the acetylene selectively using dimethylformamide (DMF) as a solvent. 4) Regenerating the DMF and recycling it to extract more acetylene.

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    CW 8

    Uploaded by

    Ridwan Mahfuz
    25 views1 page
    The document describes the Sachasse process for producing acetylene from methane. Key steps include: 1) Pyrolysis of natural gas at 1500°C to produce acetylene and other gases. 2) Cooling the gases to 38°C to prevent decomposition of acetylene. 3) Absorbing the acetylene selectively using dimethylformamide (DMF) as a solvent. 4) Regenerating the DMF and recycling it to extract more acetylene.

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    The document describes the Sachasse process for producing acetylene from methane. Key steps include: 1) Pyrolysis of natural gas at 1500°C to produce acetylene and other gases. 2) Cooling the gases to 38°C to prevent decomposition of acetylene. 3) Absorbing the acetylene selectively using dimethylformamide (DMF) as a solvent. 4) Regenerating the DMF and recycling it to extract more acetylene.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    25 views1 page

    CW 8

    Uploaded by

    Ridwan Mahfuz
    The document describes the Sachasse process for producing acetylene from methane. Key steps include: 1) Pyrolysis of natural gas at 1500°C to produce acetylene and other gases. 2) Cooling the gases to 38°C to prevent decomposition of acetylene. 3) Absorbing the acetylene selectively using dimethylformamide (DMF) as a solvent. 4) Regenerating the DMF and recycling it to extract more acetylene.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 1

    Department of Chemical Engineering, BUET

    CHE 306 (Chemical Engineering Laboratory-IV)


    Classwork 8
    Time: 60 minutes
    Read the entire question carefully before starting

    The Sachasse process, developed by BASF in 1950, is the main manufacturing technology for
    acetylene. The pyrolysis of natural gas is carried out at temperatures around 1500 oC, generated
    via oxidation of the gas, to supply the energy required for this highly endothermic reaction.
    The hot gas then enters a water-cooled column that decreases the temperature to 38oC to
    prevent acetylene’s decomposition. The recovery of acetylene is carried out by selective
    absorption into a solvent such as dimethylformamide (DMF). The two relevant reactions are:

    CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O

    To simulate the process in a simplified manner, air and 55 kmol/h of supply gas (which has the
    composition given below) will be mixed at a molar ratio of 0.60:1 for O2:CH4 and preheated
    using a heater to 700 oC. The gases are then directed to a combustion reactor where 32% of
    the methane undergoes combustion. The heat generated in the combustion raises the
    temperature to slightly above 1500 oC.

    The gases are then directed into the pyrolysis reactor (another conversion reactor) where 60%
    of the methane is converted to acetylene. The product gases are then cooled to 38oC in a
    counter-current heat exchanger (HX1) operated using cooling water at 25oC. The gases are
    then mixed with the recycled product gas coming out of a flash separator that is just
    downstream of the DMF absorber. In the absorber (20 stages; top stage pressure = 6000 kPa
    and bottom stage pressure = 6880 kPa), the mixed gas is contacted with a DMF stream and
    acetylene is absorbed into the solvent. The rich loaded solvent passes through a valve where
    its pressure drop is such that the vapor from the flash drum has a DMF mole fraction = 0.004
    (Use an ADJUST block to simulate this aspect). After separation inside the flash chamber, the
    vapor is compressed to 6900 kPa, cooled to 200oC with the cooling water (in HX2) that had
    exited HX1 and recycled back to the absorber.

    DMF is regenerated in a stripper and is mixed with fresh DMF. The mixed stream (153 USGPM
    considering an ideal liquid) has a temperature of 37oC and is pumped to a pressure which is
    always 5 psi lower than that of the gas feed entering the absorber. Use a SET block to simulate
    this aspect. Find the pump duty required to raise the pressure of the DMF mixed stream to this
    desired value from a pressure of 1500 kPa.

    Relevant data:

    Supply gas composition: 95.35% CH4, 2.54% C2H4, 0.97% propane, 0.25% i-butane, 0.30% n-
    butane, 0.17% n-pentane, 0.25% nitrogen and 0.18% CO2

    Supply gas and air temperature and pressure: 25oC and 7000 kPa

    Delta P: Preheater = 21 kPa; HX1 (for both sides) = 70 kPa; HX2 (for both sides) = 4 kPa.

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