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Assignment Process Flow Diagram and The Heat Exchangers Used in Polyethene Production
Assignment Process Flow Diagram and The Heat Exchangers Used in Polyethene Production
Assignment
VISCOMETERS.docx
University of Moratuwa
• INTRODUCTION
Polyethylenes are one of most commonly used type of polymers in day-to-day use. The
applications of polythene are very high due to the versatility of the properties of the material.
The process of production involves, cracking of petroleum products to produce ethylene gas,
and polymerization of ethylene under controlled conditions to produce polyethene. The process
involves a series of steps where a number of heat exchanging steps are involved. (“How Is
HDPE Made? | Scranton Products,” n.d.)
• PROCESS DESCRIPTION
The production process of PE, could be done using different processes, under different
conditions. According the pressure conditions, there are two production processes.
1. Primary Compressor
2. Secondary Compressor
3. Reactor
4. High-pressure Separator
5. Low-pressure Separator
6. Low-pressure Separator
7. Cooler
8. Cooler
9. Extruder
a. Fresh Ethylene
b. Recycled Ethylene
c. Recycled Ethyl;ene
d. Intermediate pressure
ethylene
e. High pressure ethylene
f. Catalyst
g. Chain transfer agent
h. Ethylene, Oils, Waxes, and
Polyethylene
i. Ethylene and Polyethylene
j. Ethylene, Oils, and Waxes
k. Oils and Waxes
l. Ethylene Recycle
m. Polyethylene
n. Ethylene Recycle
o. LDPE/HDPE Pellets
• “Fresh ethylene a also known as make-up ethylene because it forms only about 10–20% of
the reactor feed is fed into a primary compressor 1.
• The fresh ethylene is joined by recycled feedstock b and c.
• The primary compressor elevates the ethylene pressure to approximately 1500–4000 psi,
and it is then transferred d into the secondary compressor 2, which boosts the pressure to
approximately 15,000–22,500 psi.
• The pressurized ethylene e is fed into the reactor 3.
• The initiator f and chain transfer agent g can be metered into the ethylene stream as it
enters the reactor or at various points within it.
• From the reactor the product stream h containing a mixture of unreacted ethylene, oils,
waxes, and polyethene proceeds to a two-stage separation process.
• The product stream is initially let down into a high-pressure separator 4 wherein the
polyethene precipitates and is drained off with some ethylene i to a low-pressure
separator 5.
• The low molecular weight oils and waxes remain in solution in the bulk of the ethylene,
and this stream j is let down into a separate low-pressure separator 6.
• Here the ethylene is stripped from the oils and waxes, which are discharged in waste
stream k.
• The ethylene for recycle l proceeds to a cooler 7, from which it is piped to the primary
compressor to join the make-up feed.
• In the low-pressure separator 5 the ethylene is flashed off and the polyethene m is
removed.
• The ethylene stream n is recycled via a cooler 8 to the start of the process.
• Many variants of the separation process exist, with different arrangements of separators
that can recycle unreacted ethylene to either or both of the compressors.
• The polyethene product is fed into an extruder 9, where it is homogenized and blended
with additives, principally antioxidants.
• The product is extruded as thin strands that are chopped into pellets to form low-density
polyethene resin o that is ready for packaging and shipping.” (La Mantia, Mistretta, &
Morreale, 2013)
2. Low-pressure production process
The general components of Low-pressure process, irrespective of the different alteration are as
follows. Consider that the process is not discussed in length here.
▪ Generally in Polyethene production, shell and tubular heat exchangers are used according
to, (PDF) Performance Evaluation of Heat Exchangers in a Polyethylene Plant., no date.
• REFERENCES
Heat Exchanger Design and Types of Heat Exchanger. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2019, from
http://www.alternative-energy-tutorials.com/energy-articles/heat-exchanger-design.html
How Is HDPE Made? | Scranton Products. (n.d.). Retrieved October 28, 2019, from
https://www.scrantonproducts.com/how-is-hdpe-made/
INCH - Technical English | plate and frame heat exchanger. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2019,
from https://inchbyinch.de/pictorial/plate-heat-exchanger/
La Mantia, F. P., Mistretta, M. C., & Morreale, M. (2013). Handbook of Industrial Polyethylene
and Technology. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary-wiley-
com.ep.fjernadgang.kb.dk/doi/pdf/10.1002/9781119159797
Saffarian, M. R., Fazelpour, F., & Sham, M. (2019). Numerical study of shell and tube heat
exchanger with different cross-section tubes and combined tubes. International Journal of Energy
and Environmental Engineering, 10(1), 33–46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40095-019-0297-9
Why is a counter flow heat exchanger better than a parallel flow heat exchanger? - Quora. (n.d.).
Retrieved October 31, 2019, from https://www.quora.com/Why-is-a-counter-flow-heat-
exchanger-better-than-a-parallel-flow-heat-exchanger