UNIVERSITY OF KHATOUM FACULTY OF ENGINEERING CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT PRODUCTION OF CUMENE A PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULLFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF BS.C. (HONORS) IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING BY: ISHAG HAROON MOHAMED ALAWAD 072013 AMR ABDALLA IBRAHIM ABDALLA 072032 MOHAMED ABDELAZIM OMER MIRGANI 072036 SUPERVISED BY: Dr. TAJ ALASFIA MUBARAK BARAKAT. SEPTEMPER 2012Dedications This project is dedicated to our families, teachers and to all of our colleagues and friends with love and respect. To all of people that we love and respect and helped us, we are very thankful to all the people who inspired us with their attitude and unlimited support.Acknowledgement We would like to offer our deep thanks to our supervisor Dr.Taj Alasfia Mubarak Barakat for his unlimited support, grateful efforts, guidance and continuous encouragement to present this research in this form.Abstract The objective of this project is to design plant to produce cumene from 20 % of locally produced propylene in 2011, with the rate of 30,973.84 ton per year. Cumene production process is gaining importance and so the process needs to be studied to reduce the production cost. The main use of cumene is as a feedstock for the production of phenol which is used for production of polycarbonate (PC) resins. The Q - Max process was used here for cumene production from propylene and benzene on Zeolite-beta catalyst. The main units of this process are two reactors and three distillation columns. Based on this process the materials, unit operations and processes involved are identified. Material and energy balances were sequentially carried out for each unit in the same order by which they appear in the rough flow sheet. Steady state simulation was done. The production rate of cumene was found to be 60,217.6 ton per year with purity of 99.56 %. Process equipment and ancillaries were designed with their corresponding control systems. Also economic viability of plant was studied and the plant found to be feasible. It has a positive net present value, payback period of four years and intemal rate of retums higher than the preveiling interest rate. HAZOP and environmental analysis were conducted and the plant found to be environmentally friendly. Plant location was selected in Khartoum north and site was laid out. Finally recommendations for future works were considered.List of contents: Content Page No. Dedication T ‘Acknowledgements Abstract it perce] 1 List of Contents Ne List of Figures xIV [seCeebee S|: Sah.) see aetieneneeer eres bavi Chapter I: Introduction and Literature Review T 1.1 Introduction a ait te 1 1.2 Literature Survey I 1.2.1 Physicel properties 3 ~~ 1.2.2 Chemical Properties S 12.3 Uses 3 12.4 Demand 6 "12.5 Market 7 1.2.6 Production processes 8 1.2.7 Current Industrial process 17 1.2.8 Production Target 7 | Chapter 2: Process Description einen 2.1 General Process Description 21 2.2 Deiailed Process Desorption D 2.2.1 Section 1: Alkylation and Transalkylation 224.45 Alkylation Reactor Pre-heater, E-101 @ 4.4.6 Alkylation Reactor, R-101 6 47 Depropanizer Columa Pre-cooler, E-201 A 4.4.8 Depropanizer Column, T-201 a 4.4.9 Pre-Transalkylation Reactor Mixer (7 44.10 Benzene and DIPB Pump, P-102 Th 44.11 Trasalkylation Reactor Pre-Heater, B-102 75 44.12 Transalkylation Reactor, R-102 76 44.13 Pre-benzene Column Mixer 77 44,14 Benzene Column Pre-Cooler. B-202 3 8 44.15 Benzene Column, T-202 B 44.16 Cumene Column, T-203 80 4.5 Process Simulation r= 81 45.1 introduction a1 45.2 Cumene Process Simulation 82 4,6 References af 84 Chapter 5: Equipment Design 85 3.1 Introduction 85 5.2 Reactor design 8 5.2.1 Alkylation Reactor a 86 5.2.2 Transalkylation Reacior 107 3.2.3 References of reactor design 4 3.3 Distillation Columns Design 15 533.1 Introduction 1s 3.3.2 Distillation column design r 16 122 5.3.3 Chemical design of T-202 vu6.54 Cumene Storage Tank, T-202 242 6.5.5 Propylene Feed storage Tank, T-102 243 6.5.6 Propane By-product storage Tank, T-201 243 | 66 Cooling Tower [24 6.6.1 Total Water Load anii2as: 6.6.2 Cooling Tower Sizing 245 67 Steam Load ib 248 6.8 References 249 | Chapter 7: Process Control 250 77.1 Introduction 7.2 Requirements of control 72.1 Safety 72.2 Product specifications 251 7.2.3 Environmental regulations 21 | 7.2.4 Operational constraints 251 72.5 Economic 251 9)| 73 process variables 252, 7d Hardware elements of a control system | 253 7.4.1 The chemical process 255" 7.42 The measuring instrument or sensor 253 7.43 Transducers 253 | 7.44 Transmission line is 253 7.4.5. The controller | 253° 7.4.6. The final control element 258° | | TAT Recordingelement 2 | 7.5 Classifications of control 2548.3.5 Handling and Storage Precautions: 288 | 8.3.6 Exposure Controls and Personal Protection 288 3.4 Propylene hazards identification 289 8.4.1 Flammability 289 8.4.2 Toxicity 289) 8.43 Health effects 789 8.4.4 First aid measures 290 8.4.5 Fire and explosion hazards 2 291 8.4.6 Firefighting instruction 291 8.4.7 Handling and storage 292 8.4.8 Engineering controls 392 | 8.4.9 Eyc/face protection 292 8.4.10 Skin protection D 292 8.5 Propane hazards identification [293 8.5.1 Toxicity 293 «| 8.5.2 Flammability 293 8.6 Di-isopropylbenzene hazards identification 294 8.6.1 Flammability 294 8.6.2 Health effects 294 | 863Pistadmeasres = 204 8.6.4 Handling 294 8.6.5 Storage | 294 8.7 Beazene hazards identification 295 1 Toxicity and health effects | 295 (7keamabiny | = gee, ceie = tae 295 8.7.3 Firefighting procedures 295 xt10.3 Site Layout 362 [104 PlantLayouw 364 10.5 Cumene Plant Site Selection and Leyout 367 10.6 References — 30 Conclusion 370 Recommendations 31 ‘Appendices 372 xuFigure 4.12: E-201 A [Figure 4.13: T-201 7 | Figure 4.14: Pre-transalkylation Reactor Mixer B [Figure 4.15: P-102 ii iF 7h “Feue 4.16: E-102 rE Figure 4.17. Transalkylation Reactor 76 Figure 4.18; Pre-benzene Column Mixer 7 ae 7 Figure 4.19: B-202 B Figure 4.20: T-202 B Figure 4.21: T-203 “al 80 Figure 4.22: Process Simulation Flow Diagram 82 Figure 5.1: Spatial structure of beta zeolite 6 Figure 5.2: Mole balance around differential volume clement — 90 Figure 5.3: I/-t, Vs. X, along the reactor 96 Figure 5.4: Hemispherical Head for the alkylation reactor 9 Figure 5.5: Temperature — conversion profile along the reactor 103 | Figure 5.6: Temperature — length profile of the reactor 105 Figure 5.7: Alkylation Reactor Dimensions 106 ‘Figure 5.8: Hemispherical Head for the transalkyletion reactor T10 Figure 5.9: Transalkylation Reactor Dimensions 113 Figure 5.10; Distillation column (a) Basic column (b) Multiple feeds and | 117 side streams Figure 5.11; Flooding velocity, sieve plates 133 Figure 5.12: Selection of liquid flow arrangement 139 Figure 5.13: Relation between downcomer area and weir length 140 Figure 5.14: Relation between hole area and pitch 142 xv[Figure 7.4: Reactor pressure control loop 262 “Higare 75: Reactor overall cortol i |262 Figure 7.6: Pre-cooler control loop 264 | Figure 7-7: Distillation column top pressure control loop Tek 266 Figure 7.8: Dram level control loop for distillation column 268 | Figure 7.9: Re-boiler level control loop 269 Figure 7.10: Distillation column overall control 270 Figure 9.1: Column plates cost. Time base mid-1998 317 Figure 9.2: Cost of vertical pressure vessels. Time base mid-1998 318 Figure 9.3: Cost of shell and tube heat exchanger. Time base mid-1998 | 321 Figure 94 The cost of the pump, Time base mid-1998 = 324 Figure 9.5: The cost of the cooling tower, Time base mid-1998 325 Figure 10.1 Plant layout 368Table 4.4; Mean heat capacities calculation using equations él Table 4.5: Mean critical temperature and pressure of the mixture calculation | 62 Table 4.6: Heats of formation i 70 Table 4.7; Latent heat constants 7 72 Table 5.1: Physical propertics of a zeolite catalyst [87 Table 5.2: Calculation of the mean specific heat capacity 92 “Table 5.3: The alkylation reactor feed component flow-rates. 93 Table 5.4: X, and -1 versus temperature within the reactor 95 Table 5.5: The variation of selectivity with feed temperature iol Table 5.6: Alkylation reactor final design specification 105 Table 5.7: The transalkylation reactor feed components molar rates 108 Table 5.8: Transalkylation reactor Final design specification 112 Table 5.9: The feed, top and distillatc flow rates and compositions | 122 composition of T-202 ‘Table 5.10: the constants for the vapor pressure calculations for T-202 123 Table 5.11: 126 Table 5.12: The liquid vi 127 Table 5.13: vapor density calculations with data obtained from Chemead for | 131 7-202 Table 5.14: Liquid density calculation with data obtained from Chemead for | 132 T-202 Table 5.15; Contribution to Sugdens’s parachor for organic compound 135 Table 5.16: Surface tension calculations for T-202 [136 | Table 5.17: The bottom liquid and vapor flow rates and compositions for T- | 137 202. Table 5.18; Provisional Plate Design Specification for 1-202 167 xx