Plant Design: Basic Chemical

Process Design & Feasibility

Study
By: Prof Ir Ts Dr Sharifah Rafidah Wan Alwi
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
 Course Outcome
• It is expected that students will be able to:
– Describe the steps in basic chemical process
design
– Analyse potential of chemical based on
market survey
Phases for product design and development
Phase 1: Product Conceptualization
Phase 2: Detail Design & Prototyping
Phase 3: Product Manufacturing & Launch
Stage-GateTM Product-Development Process.
Feasibility Analysis
 Market Assessment
1. To determine the scale of production and
demand on a global, regional, national and
local basis
2. Initial estimates for capital, operating and
draw material costs to determine whether
the product can be sold competitively.
 Feasibility Study & Market Survey Steps
1. Identify product applications: Identify the main
(traditional) uses for the product. Survey for any existing
and new applications to support the declining sales and
competition.
2. Market survey: Identify the market for the chemical,
market price, location and size locally and for exports,
competitor, sales and production trends over the last five
years. Identify local information relating to the markets
and demands for the chemical, list of current producers.
3. Raw material cost survey and site selection analysis:
Determine the cost of all raw materials used in the
process – including shipping and handling (Current price
referring to origin location). Analyze suitable site to locate
the plant considering availability of raw material, facilities,
ease of transportation of product to consumer etc.
 Preliminary Market Survey (cont.)
4. Establish Production Capacity: Establish the production capacity
throughput so the preliminary calculations can be performed.
5. Preliminary capital and operating cost estimates: Obtain the
capital cost data for an existing plant producing the same chemical
(recently commissioned plant of approximately the same required
production rate) (accuracy 40% at best)
6. Estimate plant life-time and pay-back period: Estimate the
number of years possible plant operation and determine the pay-
back period for plant capital cost.
7. Itemize all costs involved: Itemize all costs either annually or per
metric tonne of chemical produced, including raw materials,
capital cost repayments, operational costs, etc.
8. Present feasibility findings: Present all the findings of the
feasibility study in a clear and concise form.
 Market Assessment
1. Production: Worldwide, regional and national
2. Current and future prices
3. Demand
4. Imports and Exports
5. Plant capacity
6. Product value and operating costs.
i. Capital costs –
i. Based on demographic and scale for location and inflation and
ii. Recent construction costs, scaled for capacity, location and inflation.
ii. Operating costs.
iii. Approximate Selling price
iv. Conclusions
v. Recommendations.
Example Market
Analysis

3
 CHEMICAL PRODUCT
BACKGROUND - ADIPONITRILE
Electrical &
Nylon 6,6
Electronics

APPLICATION
OF Li-Ion Batteries
Automotive
ADIPONITRILE

Textile

4
 PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL
PROPERTIES OF
ADIPONITRILE
PHYSICAL PROPERTY CHEMICAL PROPERY

• Phase : Liquid form at STP • Chemical Safety:

• Appearance : Colourless
liquid
• Odour : Odourless • Molecular weight :
• Melting point : 2˚C 108.14 g/mol
• Boiling point : 295˚C • Toxicity : Oral rat LD50:
155mg/kg

Source :
1. https://www.chemistrylearner.com/adiponitrile.html
2. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Adiponitrile
3. http://www.chemicalland21.com/specialtychem/perchem/ADIPONITRILE.htm 5
 GENERAL MARKET ANALYSIS
Examine existing
market scenario

Supply/demand
Budget
forecast

Market Analysis

Any technology
Underserved
impact
niche markets?
supply/demand?

Competitor?

Reference:
https://processdesign.mccormick.northwestern.edu/index.php/Preliminary_market_analysis_and_plant_capacity
GLOBAL DEMAND OF
ADIPONITRILE

7
FORECAST DEMAND OF
ADIPONITRILE
 SUPPLIERS AND
COMPETITORS OF
ADIPONITRILE

COMPANY CAPACITY (*000 TONNE/YEAR)

Europe BASF 140

Butachimie 468

US Invista 240
Solutia 300

Asia Asahi Kasei 41

8
 CURRENT MARKET PRICE
OF PRODUCTS

The price will

continue to
From Greenbo increase at a
Ten Years slow rate as
Manufacturing
from Shaanxi,
RM12.68/kg the demand
of the
China adiponitrile
and the
supplier is still
not sufficient

9
 SUPPLY & DEMAND

Adiponitrile plant build cover about

1.5% of the world demand which is
30,000 metric ton/years of production

Cover Asia-Pacific area (China & India)

The demand for this Asia-Pacific area is

high and the opportunity to supply the
ADN is quite good due to their previous
supplier that mostly came from US that
quite far from their country
10
 GENERAL
SITE
CONSIDERATION
 3 main things to be considered:

• Plant location and site selection

• Site layout
• Plant layout
General Site
Provision must be made for the:
Consideration
• ancillary buildings
• services needed for plant operation
• the environmentally acceptable disposal
of effluent.
 PLANT &
SITE
SELECTION
 Plant Location and
Site Selection
1. Location, with respect to the marketing area
2. Raw material supply
3. Transport facilities
4. Availability of labor
5. Availability of utilities: water, fuel, power
6. Availability of suitable land
7. Environmental impact, including effluent disposal
8. Local community considerations
9. Climate
10. Political and strategic considerations.
 Location
• Cost of the product per metric ton is
relatively low; produced in bulk
quantities
• Cement
• mineral acids
• Fertilizer
• Plant should be located close to the
primary market.
 Raw Material
Supply
• Plants that produce bulk chemicals are best
located close to the source of the major raw
material
• as long as the costs of shipping product
are not greater than the cost of shipping
feed.
For example;
1. Palm oil mill located near to palm tree estate
2. Tasek Cement Factory located near to the
limestone hill (limestone as its raw material)
 Transport
• Should be selected that is near to at
least 2 major forms of transportation
• Road
• Rail
• Waterway (canal or river)
• Sea port
Availability
1.Labour
• Accommodation
• Accessibility
2.Utilities
• Water
• Power
• Fuel
3. Suitable Land
• Sufficient land must be
available for the proposed land
and for future expansion
Environmentally Impact &
Effluent Disposal
• The disposal of toxic and harmful effluent will be
covered by local regulation
• The appropriate authorities must be consulted during
the initial site survey to determine the standards that
must be met (DOE)
Climate
• How climate would affect plant and process

Local Community Consideration

• Acceptance of the local community

Political & Strategic Consideration

• Capital grants, tax concessions, and other inducements
are often given by governments to direct new
investment to preferred locations, such as areas of high
unemployment.
• The availability of such grants can be the overriding
consideration in site selection.
Answer the following question?
(based on map)
1.What is the raw material and
it source for the following
water treatment plant?
River, Linggi River

2. Labour availability?
Kg. Jerlang, Kg.Bukit Kubot
and Kg Dato Wong Seng Chau

3. Marketing area?
Nearby Residential
 Site
layout
 OBJECTIVES ADVANTAGES
➢ To maximize efficiency of ➢ Increasing productivity and
operations safety

➢ To create a project with a ➢ Reducing area needed for

good work environment temporary construction

➢ To give most economical ➢ Maximizing utilization

flow of materials &
personnel around the site
 GENERAL SITE RULES
❑ Process unit will be sited first to give a smooth flow of materials
through the various processing steps
❑ Process units should spaced at least 30 m apart for hazardous
process.
❑ Location of the principal ancillary buildings should be arranged to
minimise the time.
❑ Administration offices & laboratories should be located well away
from hazardous processes.
❑ Control rooms should be located adjacent to the processing units
at safer distance due to hazardous.
❑Siting of main process units will determine the layout of the plant roads,
pipe alleys and drains.

❑Access roads will be needed to each building for construction, and for
operation and maintenance

❑Utility buildings should be sited to give the most economical run of pipes
to and from the process.

❑Main storage areas should be placed between the loading and

unloading facilities and the process units they serve.

❑Storage tanks containing hazardous materials should be sited at least

70 m (200 ft) from the site boundary.
EXAMPLE
 SITE LAYOUT ELEMENTS
1. • Storages for raw materials and products

2. • Maintenance workshops

3. • Stores, for maintenance and operating supplies

4. • Laboratories for process control

5. • Fire stations and other emergency services

6. • Utilities (steam boilers, compressed air, power generation)

7. • Effluent disposal plant

8. • Offices for general administration

9. • Canteens and other amenity buildings (medical centre)

10. • Car parks

 PLANT
LAYOUT
 PLANT LAYOUT

• Designed before actual installation.

• Arrangement of physical facilities such as
machines and equipment in such manner to
have quickest flow of materials and lowest cost.
• Optimize the workflow of people and product
 IMPORTANCE

• Provide comfort to worker

• Giving good and improved working condition
• Minimize delays in production
• Making efficient use of the space available
• Easy supervision and better production control
• Greater flexibility for changes in product design
and future expansion
 PRINCIPAL FACTORS
COST
• Minimize cost of production by giving the shortest run of
piping or least amount of steel work but not necessarily
gives best arrangement

PROCESS REQUIREMENT
• Consider process to improve the operation. E.g elevate
the base column to gives necessary suction head to the
pump
OPERATION
• Equipment needs to be located convenient to control room
• Instruments should be easy to access with sufficient height
and position

MAINTENANCE
• To make sure all maintenance and service purposes can be
done efficiently
• Vessels require frequent replacement should be located
outside of building
SAFETY
• At least 2 escape routes provide for operators in each
buildings
• Blast wall is needed to isolate potential hazardous equipment
and confine the effects of explosion

PLANT EXPANSION
• Equipment should be locate at conveniently tied place for
future expansion.
• Leave space for pipe alley for future needs.
 MODULAR
CONSTRUCTION
Advantages:
▪ Improved quality control.
▪ Reduced construction cost.
▪ Less need for skilled labour on site.
▪ Less need for skilled personnel on
overseas sites.

Disadvantages:
▪ Higher design costs.
▪ More structural steel work.
▪ More flanged connections.
▪ Possible problems with assembly, on
site.
UTILITIES
 UTILITIES
Compare the electricity tariff
ELECTRICITY
using the most economical fuel
STEAM available; water tube boiler
- Natural and forced-draft cooling towers are
generally used
- water can be drawn from a convenient river
COOLING WATER or lake in sufficient quantity
- Sea water, or brackish water, can be used at
coastal sites (more expensive materials for
HE)

- taken from the local mains supply

WATER
- Cheaper sources; river, lake, well.
 UTILITIES
COMPRESSED AIR needed as pneumatic controllers

needed for processes that require

REFRIGERATOR temperatures below those that can be

economically obtained with cooling water

Suitable effluent disposal without

EFFLUENT DISPOSAL
creating a public nuisance
 ENVIRONMENT
CONSIDERATIONS
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION

GASEO
US

AQUEO 1. WASTE LIQUID

US MANAGEMENT

SOLID
 pH can be adjusted by the addition of acid or alkali

Suspended can be removed by settling

AQUEOUS solid

WASTES reduce the toxicity to acceptable levels by

Toxicity
dilution

BOD support aquatic life

 2. NOISE
• Noisy equipment should, as far as practicable, be sited well away from the site
boundary
• Earth banks and screens of trees can be used to reduce the noise level

3. VISUAL IMPACT
• Minimise the visual impact
• Large equipment, such as storage tanks, can be painted to blend in with, or
even contrast with, the surroundings

4. ENVIRONMENTAL AUDITING
• systematic examination of how a business operation affects the environment
• include all emissions to air, land, and water
THANK YOU