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Ethylbenzene Production
Fall 2022
Unit 200
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- Unit 200 -
Ethylbenzene Production
Miles Herron
Trevor Dene
Hybert Pakdaman
James Plain
Jose Hernandez-Romero
Evan Hudson
Alexis Vargas Bastida
Landers Ngirchemat
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Process Description - Walkthrough
The facility described here produces 47207.03 tonne/y of 99 mol% ethylbenzene (EB) that will be sent over to styrene production (Unit 300)
Benzene produced from HDA process (Unit 100) is fed and mixed with a recycle stream from our process
Initial preheating of feed by way of fired heater (two process heat exchangers will be used after to save on utility consumption)
Three adiabatic packed-bed reactor system with intercooling for desired alkylation reaction
Separation includes a flash drum and two distillation columns
Fuel gas is separated in flash drum, unreacted benzene is separated in 1st column, and EB is separated from diethylbenzene (DEB) in 2nd column
Transalkylation reactor = maximize EB yield by reacting by-product (DEB) with unreacted benzene
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Process Description - Reactions
Desired Alkylation Reaction:
Undesired Side Reaction:
Transalkylation Reaction:
Toluene Alkylation Reaction:
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Process Description - Kinetics
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Process Description - Physical Properties
Chemicals
CAS
Formula (MW)
Boiling Point
Melting Point
Benzene
71-43-2
C6H6 (78.11)
80 to 81oC
5.5 to 6oC
Toluene
108-88-3
C7H8 (92.14)
110.6 to 111oC
-94.9 to -95oC
Ethylene
74-85-1
C2H4 (28.05)
-103.7 to -104oC
-169.2oC
Propylene
115-07-1
C3H6 (42.08)
-47.68 to -48oC
-185 to -185.3oC
Ethylbenzene
100-41-4
C8H10 (106.16)
136.1oC
-94.9oC
Diethylbenzene
25340-17-4
C10H14 (134.22)
183.7oC
-42.83oC
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Process Description - Phase Behavior
Based on common practice in petrochemical industry, NRTL thermodynamic method was selected.
Nevertheless, NRTL thermodynamic model with default parameters (Aspen v11 database, ideal gas) was checked for accuracy.
When compared to literature data, the NRTL model with default parameters fail thermodynamic consistency for area test; however for isobaric systems area tests are non meaningful.
Compared to parameters adjusted from regression in distillation comparison study, the difference was found insignificant and therefore the NRTL method with default parameters was chosen.
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EB Process Flow Diagram
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Aspen Plus Simulation
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Mass & Energy Balance Table
Stream
201
250
202
209
212
216
Phase
Liquid
Liquid
Liquid
Vapor
Vapor
Vapor
Temperature (oC)
43.84
47.04
45.18
25
25
25
Pressure (bar)
1.1
1.05
1.05
20
20
20
Mass Enthalpy (MJ/kg)
0.66
0.65
0.66
1.59
1.59
1.59
Total Flow Rate (kg/hr)
4194.56
3016.13
7210.69
504.18
504.18
504.18
Mass Fractions
Benzene
0.996
0.99
0.996
0
0
0
Ethylbenzene
0
0.0006
0.0003
0
0
0
Diethylbenzene
0
3.38E-13
1.42E-13
0
0
0
Toluene
0.004
0
0.002
0
0
0
Propylene
0
0.0008
0.0003
0
0
0
Ethylene
0
5.01E-06
2.10E-06
0.94
0.94
0.94
Ethane
0
0.004
0.002
0.06
0.06
0.06
Process Inputs:
Benzene (From Unit 100)
Recycle Stream
Unit 100 Benzene & Recycle Mixture
3 Ethylene Feeds
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Mass & Energy Balance Table
Stream
224
240
Phase
Vapor
Liquid
Temperature (oC)
76.18
137.56
Pressure (bar)
1.1
1.1
Mass Enthalpy (MJ/kg)
-0.60
0.12
Total Flow Rate (kg/hr)
318.20
5388.93
Mass Fractions
Benzene
0.58
0.01
Ethylbenzene
0.11
0.99
Diethylbenzene
0.0036
1.04E-09
Toluene
0
0
Propylene
0.022
0
Ethylene
0.0005
0
Ethane
0.28
0
Process Outputs:
Fuel Gas (Sent to Unit 400)
Ethylbenzene Product (Sent to Unit 300)
5388.93 kg/hr = 47207.03 tonne/yr
99 mol% of Ethylbenzene
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Heat Exchanger Network (HEN)
Base Case Design
Integrated Design
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Heating & Cooling Requirements
Base Case Design
Energy Recovery
QC, min
QH, min
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Heating & Cooling Requirements
Integrated Design
Energy Recovery
QC, min
QH, min
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Grand Composite Curve and Utility Placement For Heat Integrated Case
Pinch
QC,Total
HPS Gen @ 234 CO
1
2
3
QH,Total
Heat Recovery Pockets
Cooling Water @ 25 CO
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Process Equipment - Heat X Datasheet
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Process Equipment - Reactor Datasheets
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Process Equipment -Flash Drum
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Process Equipment - Column Datasheets
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Process Equipment - Tank Datasheets
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P&ID Diagram Overall Left Half
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P&ID Diagram Overall Middle
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P&ID Diagram Overall Right Half
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P&ID Diagram TK-201
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P&ID Diagram TK-202
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P&ID Diagram E-201 & R-201–R-203
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P&ID Diagram E-202 & V-201
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P&ID Diagram T-201
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P&ID Diagram T-202
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P&ID Diagram E-205 & R-204
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P&ID Diagram E-210 & E-211
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Piping
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References
Turton, R., Shaeiwitz, J. A., Bhattacharyya, D., & Whiting, W. B. (2018). Analysis, synthesis, and design of Chemical Processes. Pearson Education, Inc.
W. D. Kesselman, G. E. Hollenbach, A. L. Myers, and A. E. Humphrey. (1968). Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium Data for Benzene-Alkylbenzene Systems. Journal Of Chemical and Engineering Data, Vol. 13, No. 1.School of Chemical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa. 19104.
Weimin Yang , Zhendong Wang, Hongmin Sun, and Bin Zhang. (2016). Advances in development and industrial applications of ethylbenzene processes. Chinese Journal of Catalysis, Vol. 37, No. 1, pgs. 16-26. DOI: 10.1016/S1872‐2067(15)60965‐2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/18722067.
VanVeckhoven, Jonathan Butler. (2018). Process Design and Optimization: Analysis of an Ethylbenzene Production Plant. Honors Theses. University of Mississippi. Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College.
Peaster, William. (2018). A Case Study on the Design and Optimization of an Ethylbenzene Production Plant. Honors Theses. University of Mississippi. Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College.