DECLARATION

I, Angirekula Venu Kondala Rao, hereby declare that this project entitled
“MANUFACTURING OF HYDROXYMETHYL FURFURAL AND DIMETHYL
FURAN” is original and has not previously formed the basis for the award of any degree
to similar work.

Place: Kakinada
Date:
(Angirekula Venu Kondala Rao)

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 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project work entitled “MANUFACTURING OF

HYDROXY METHYL FURFURAL AND DIMETHYL FURAN” submitted by
ANIGIREKULA VENU KONDALA RAO (14021A2541) in partial fulfilment of the
requirements for the award of Bachelor of Technology in Petrochemical Engineering, is a
bonafide work carried out by him.

Ms. M. Sreenivas Prof. K.V. Rao

Project Supervisor Program Director,
Department of PE & PCE Petroleum Courses
UCEK (A), JNTUK, Kakinada UCEK (A), JNTUK, Kakinada

Dr. K. Meera Saheb

Head, Department of PE & PCE
UCEK (A), JNTUK, Kakinada.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my profound sense of gratitude to guide Mr. M. Sreenivas,

Assistant Professor, Department of Petroleum Engineering and Petrochemical
Engineering, for her skilful guidance, timely suggestions and encouragement in completing
this project.
I acknowledge my sincere thanks and deep felt gratitude to Prof. K. V. Rao,
Programme Director, Petroleum Courses, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University
Kakinada for being an inspiring source throughout the four years of my study.
I take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to Dr. K. Meera Saheb, Head
of the Department, Department of Petroleum Engineering and Petrochemical Engineering
for encouraging and motivating to complete this work successfully.
Also I express my special thanks to our beloved Principal, Dr. G. V. R. Prasad
Raju for providing necessary facilities to carry out the project.
I am also very thankful to all other faculty members of our department for their
valuable suggestions. Finally I am very much grateful to my parents for their enduring love,
support and encouragement throughout by B.Tech. Program.

ANGIREKULA VENU KONDALA RAO

(14021A2541)

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 CONTENTS
S.NO PAGE.NO

ABSTRACT ix
LIST OF TABLES x
LIST OF FIGURES xi
NOMENCLATURE xii
STATEMENT OF THE PROJECT xiii
1. INTRODUCTION 1
2. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
2.1. Physical & chemical properties of HMF 5
2.2. Physical & chemical properties of DMF 5
2.3 Uses 5
3. LITERATURE SURVEY
3.1. Synthesis from Hexoses Is Autocatalytic 8
3.2 Hydroxymethylfurfural from Glucose 8
3.3 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural from fructose 9
3.4 Dimethylfuran production by biomass 9
3.5 using Pd-Cs2.5H0.5PW12O40/K-10 clay 9
3.6 DMF over Heterogeneous Iron Catalyst 10
4. SELECTION OF PROCESS
4.1 selection of process 11

5. PROCESS DETAILS
5.1.Reactor 13
5.2.Mixer 15
5.3.Decanter 16
5.4.Distillation column 1 16
5.5.Separator 17

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 5.6.Plug flow reactor 17
5.7.Separator 18
5.8 Distillation column 2 18
6. MATERIAL AND ENERGY BALANCES
6.1.Material balance 21
6.1.1. Material balance over Reactor 22
6.1.2. Material balance over Mixer 23
6.1.3. Material balance over Decanter 25
6.1.4. Material balance over Distillation column 1 26
6.1.5. Material balance over PFR 26
6.1.6 Material balance over separator 27
6.1.7. Material balance over Distillation column 2 28
6.2.Energy balance
6.2.1.Energy balance of Reactor 30
6.2.2.Energy balance of Mixer 32
6.2.3.Energy balance of Decanter 33
6.2.4. Energy balance of Distillation column 1 34
6.2.5. Energy balance of PFR 35
6.2.6. Energy balance of separator 39
7. SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT DESIGN
7.1. Design of distillation column 40
7.1.1. Minimum number of stages 40
7.1.2. minimum Reflux Ratio 41
7.1.3. Number of stages 41
7.1.4. Feed Tray Location 42
7.1.5. Calculation of column diameter 43
7.1.6 Pressure Drop 44
7.2.Design of mixer 46
8. SIMULATION (USING ASPEN PLUS V 8.8)
8.1.Simulation 49
9. INSTRUMENTATION AND PROCESS CONTROL

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 9.1. Instrumentation and control objectives 50
9.2.Components of control system 50
9.3.Alarms and Safety trips 51
9.4.Temperature Control 51
9.5.Pressure Control 51
9.6.Flow control 52
9.7.Level Control 52
9.8.Control valves 52
9.9.Distillation Column Control 52
10. MATRIALS OF CONSTRUCTION
10.1.Important materials available 54
10.2.Recommended materials of construction 55
11.Health, Safety and Environmental aspects
11.1. Human Health and Environment 55
11.2. Management ‘s Responsibility for safety 57
11.3. Plant maintenance 57

11.4.Transportation and Safety concerns 57

11.5.Safety Recommendations 58

11.6.Material Safety Details 59

11.6.1.Hydroxymethyl Furfural

11.6.2.Dimethyl Furan

12. PLANT LOCATION AND LAYOUT

12.1 Plant location 60

12.1.1.Marketing Area 60

12.1.2.Raw Materials 60

12.1.3.Transport 61

12.1.4.Availability of Labor 62

12.2 Plant layout 62

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13. PRELIMINARY COST ESTIMATION

13.1.Cost of major equipment’s 63

13.2.Fixed Capital Investment 64

13.3.Manufacturing Cost 65

13.4.Working Capital Investment 65

13.5.Profit 65

14. CONCLUSION 66

15. BIBILOGRAPHY 67

16. APPENDIX 69

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 ABSTRACT

This project deals with the Manufacturing of Hydroxymethyl Furfural and

Dimethyl Furan using a non-toxic solvent Dimethyl Sulphoxide. Dimethyl Furan finds a
place in various industrial applications. It can be produced by dehydration in a clean and
environment friendly route from fructose but recovery of the Hydroxymethyl furfural from
the dilute stream of the reactor is an economic problem. Hydroxymethly furfural is
extracted from the crude with ethyl acetate and distilled to give Hydroxymethyl furfural.
Dimethyl furan is produced from Hydroxymethyl furfural by hydrogenolysis in plug flow
reactor.

We choose Ethyl acetate as solvent to separate the Hydroxymethyl Furfural because

of its less toxicity and less corrosive .Its low boiling point is favourable for easy removal
from Hydroxymethyl furfural.

Keywords: Hydroxymethyl Furfural.Dimethyl Furan, Dimethyl Sulphoxide.

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 LIST OF TABLES

Table
Title Page
Number
4.1 Difference between various routes 11
6.1 Material balance over reactor1 22
6.2 Material balance for mixer 23
6.3 Material balance for decanter 24
6.4 Material balance for Distillation column1 26
6.5 Material balance for Plug flow reactor 27
6.6 Material balance for separator 27
6.7 Material balance for Distillation column2 28
6.8 Cp Values of components 30
6.9 Energy balance around the Reactor 30
6.10 Heat of formation of components 31
6.11 Energy balance around the Mixer 32
6.12 Energy balance into the Decanter 33
6.13 Energy balance out of the Decanter 34
6.14 Energy values for feed of Distillation Column 35
6.15 Energy values for distillate of Distillation Column 35
6.16 Energy values for bottom of Distillation Column 36
6.17 Energy flow around Plug flow reactor 39
6.19 Energy flow out Separator 39
10.1 Material of construction for equipment’s 54
13.1 Costs of major Equipment’s 65
13.2 Pay scale for each Designation 66

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 LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Caption Page
Number
1.1 Structure of Hydroxymethyl Furfural 2
1.2 Structure of Dimethyl Furan 2
1.3 Growth of market for HMF 3
1.4 Market shares for HMF 3
1.5 Global market for DMF 4
2.1 Hydroxymethyl Furfural decompostition 5
3.1 Autocatalytic production from Hexoses 8
3.2 Hydroxymethyl Furfural from Glucose 9
5.1 Structure of Amberlyst-15 14
5.2 Diagram of HMF Reactor 15
5.3 Diagram of Mixer 15
5.4 Diagram of Decanter Column 16
5.5 Distillation column1 for HMF 17
5.6 Plug flow reactor 18
5.7 Distillation column for DMF 19
5.8 Process Flow Diagram of HMF 19
6.1 Material balance over reactor1 22
6.2 Material balance for mixer 23
6.3 Material balance for decanter 24
6.4 Material balance for Distillation column1 25
6.5 Material balance for Plug flow reactor 26
6.6 Material balance for separator 27
7.1 Gilliland Correlation graph 42
7.2 correlation between flow parameter, K1 and plate spacing 44
8.1 Process Flow sheet of DMF manufacturing in Aspen 48
9.1 Controllers and valves for distillation column 52
12.1 Plant layout for HMF and DMF Process Plant 62

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 NOMENCLATURE

HMF Hydroxy methyl Furfural

DMF Dimethyl Furan
TPA Tons per annum
F Flow rate, kg/hr
Vorg Volume of organic phase, lit
Cp Specific heat capacity, J/mol.K
A, B, C ,D Specific heat capacity constant
n number of moles of stream, moles
ni moles of individual component in stream, moles
xi Mole fraction of component
T Temperature, K
∆H Enthalpy, kJ/kg
Q Heat supplied kJ/hr
ṁ Mass flow rate, kg/hr
ṁi Mass flow rate individual component, kg/hr
∆T Temperature difference
𝜏 Residence time, hr
V Mixer volume, lit
q Volumetric flow rate, lit/hr
D Diameter of cylindrical vessel, m
H Height of cylindrical vessel, m
Da Impeller diameter, m
NRe Reynolds number
NP Power number
P Motor power, hp

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 STATEMENT OF THE PROJECT
Manufacturing of Hydroxymethyl Furfural and Dimethyl Furan from fructose taken
as a feed, is carried out with a DMF production capacity of 11000 TPA.

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