Chapter 1 Introduction

· Objective & History of company

GHCL limited was incorporated on 14th October 1983, with the name of Gujarat Heavy
Chemicals Limited, as a public limited company. We are promoted in the joint sector by the
Gujarat Industrial Investment Corporation (GIIC) and Dalmia’s investment companies, as a soda
ash manufacturing facility in the state of Gujarat. In 2005, the entire stake of GIIC was bought
by private promoters. Over the last three decades, the Company spearheaded by its vision has
gradually established itself into an industrial conglomerate with a market capitalization of almost
5,200 Crores plus.
· objectives of company:
GHCL limited focuses on adopting sustainable solution based on ti,e tested practice. The core
element of GHCL business strategy include:
· Robust and profitable growth.
· Focus on value system.
· Sustainable inclusive growth.

· Company details
GHCL limited was incorporated on 14th October 1983 and then, it has established itself as a well-
diversified group with market capitalization of almost Rs.3000 Crores. It is ascertained its
footprints in chemicals textiles and consumer product segments.
In the chemical sector, the company manufactures soda ash (anhydrous sodium carbonate) a
major raw material for detergents, glass and ceramic industries and sodium bicarbonate (Baking
Soda). The company has Sudesh manufacturing plant at Sutrapada in Gujarat with an installed
capacity of 11 Lakhs MTPA And is in the process of expanding it by another 500 thousand
MTPA by the end of 2025. GHCL soda ash is available in two grades: Light and dense grade and
is marketed in India under the brand name of “LION”. GHCL Also produces around 65 thousand
MTPA of sodium bicarbonate which is important raw material for industries like Bakery,
Pharma, fire extinguisher and manufacturers, cleaning agent, etc.
Various units of company are located as below:
Table 1.1: Product list
Plant location Name of product
GHCL, sutrapada, Gir Somnath, Gujarat · Soda ash (light and dense)
(Inorganic chemical product) · Sodium bicarbonate
GHCL, Paravai & Manaparai Tamil Nadu · Dense end yarn (100% cotton)
(Textile pproduct) · Vortex yarn
 · TFO yarns
· Synthetic & synthetic blend ring spun
yarns
· Ring spun cotton yars
GHCL, Vedaranyam Tamil Nadu (consumer · Edible and industrial salts.
goods) · Honey.
· Spices.

· Quality Policy
GHCL limited Sutrapada follows quality management system in all its activities for “production
and sale of soda ash and sodium bicarbonate”.
GHCL is committed to:
· Archiving consumer delayed through serviceability and quality.
· Build GHCL as an effective team by practicing core values in nurturing entrepreneurship
among the people.
· Set up system and procedure meeting expectation of interested practise and satisfy
applicable recruitment.
· Continuously improve our business processes with the use of latest technology, product
and process innovation.
· Have a market driven approaches in all its endeavours.
· Upgrade our resources, infrastructure and work environment to support quality
objectives.
· Promote the use of process approach and risk-based thinking for sustainable growth.
GHCL also have sustainability policy for soda ash division:
· Climatic change policies.
· Deforestation policies.
· Biodiversity policies.

· Organization Structure:
Officer
Technician
Worker
Jr. Engineer
 Engineer
Sr. Engineer
Manager
Sr. Manager
Assistant GM
Dep. GM
General Manager
Fig 1.1 Organization structure
· Product range of company
· Soda ash (anhydrous sodium carbonate)
· Dense and light grade soda ash
· Refined sodium bicarbonate

· Overview of industry
GHCL Ltd ss engaged in primarily two segments consisting of Inorganic Chemical (mainly
manufacture and sale of soda ash) and Home textile division (Comprising of yarn manufacturing,
weaving, processing and cutting and sewing of home textiles products).
The company is the second largest manufacturer of soda ash in India with 25% market share and
11 Lakhs MTPA capacities. Eat also has a strong FMCG present in South India with edible salt,
honey and spices. GHCL Ltd Brands Sapan and i-FLO are well accepted among category A
stores in major Southern cities.
GHCL Ltd is also one of the largest integrated textile manufacturers and exporters in India.
It shares are listed with the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange
(BSE). The registered office of the company is located at GHCL Huse, oppo. Punjabi Hall, near
Navarangpura, Ahmedabad- 380009, Gujarat.
 Chapter 2 About Training Plant
2.1 Introduction
Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Limited has a huge plant for the soda ash production, which is situated
at Sutrapada, Gujarat.
The company manufactures soda ash (anhydrous sodium carbonate), a major raw material for
detergents, glass and ceramics industries and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). The company
has a soda ash manufacturing plant at Sutrapada, Gujarat installed with a production capacity of
11 Lakhs MTPA and is in the process of expanding it by another 500 thousand MTPA by end
with the year of 2025. GHCL soda ash is available in two grades: light and dense grade and is
marketed in India under the brand name “LION”.
GHCL also produces around 65 thousand MTPA of sodium bicarbonate which is an important
raw material for industries like bakery, pharmaceuticals, fire extinguisher, cleaning agents, etc.
Historically, it was extracted from the ashes of plants growing in ‘sodium rich’ soil, because of
the ashes of the sodium rich plants were noticeably different from the ashes of wood (once used
to produce “potash”), chloride and limestone by Solvay process.

GHCL has wide range of royal customers including

Hindustan Zinc, Virchow, Hindustan Unilever Ltd., Gujarat Borosil Ltd., Detergent, etc.
Fig 2.1 Soda Ash Structure
2.2 Product and raw materials with their properties
Table 2.1 Product and raw materials
Product Raw material
Na2CO3 · Salt
· Limestone
· Ammonia
NaHCO3 Sulfamic acid
· Product properties
· Soda ash
Table 2.2 Properties of soda ash
Formula Na2CO3
IUPAC Name Sodium Carbonate
 State Solid
Odour Odourless
Molecular weight 105.988 g/mol
Specific Gravity 1.047 g/ml
Melting Point 851°C
Boiling point 1600°C
Density 2.54 g/cm3

· Sodium bicarbonate
Table 2.3 Properties of Sodium bicarbonate
Formula NaHCO3
IUPAC Name Sodium Bicarbonate
State Solid
Odour Odourless
Molecular Weight 84.00066 g/mol
Specific Gravity 1.1-1.3 g/ml
Melting Point 50°C
Boiling Point 851°C
Density 2.2 g/cm3
· Raw material properties
· Salt
Table 2.4 Properties of salt
Formula NaCl
IUPAC Name Sodium Chloride
Colour White
State Slid
Molecular Weight 58.44 g/mol
Melting Point 801°C
Boiling Point 1413°C
Specific Gravity 2.165 g/cm2
Solubility Soluble in water
Flammability Non-flammable
· Limestone
Table 2.5 Properties of limestone
Grain size Very small
IUPAC Name Calcium Carbonate
Fracture Splinter
Streak White
Porosity Less porous
Lustre Dull to pearly
 · Sulfamic Acid
Table 2.6 Properties of Sulfamic Acid
Formula H3NSO3
State Solid
IUPAC Name Sulfamic Acid
Molecular Weight 97.1 g/mol
Density 2.15 g/ml
Melting Point 205°C
Boiling Point 215-225°C
· Ammonia
Table 2.7 Properties of ammonia
Formula NH3
State Gas
IUPAC Name Azane
Colour Colourless
Odour Pungent smell
Molecular weight 17.031 g/mol
Specific gravity 0.59
Melting point -77.73°C
Boiling point -33.3°C
Density 0.86 kg/m3
Viscosity 10.07µpas (25°C)
Flash point 132°C
Critical point 132.4°C
2.3 Specification of product
The Solvay process or ammonia-soda process is the major industrial process for the production
of sodium carbonate (soda ash). The ammonia-soda process was developed into its modern form
by the Belgian chemist Ernest Solvay during the 1860s. The ingredient for this are readily
available and inexpensive: salt brine (from inland sources of sea) and limestone (from quarries).
The worldwide production of soda ash in 2005 has been estimated at 42 million metric tons,
which is more than six kilograms per year for each person on the Earth. Solvay-based chemical
plants now produce roughly three-quarters of this supply, with the remaining being mined from
natural deposits. This method superseded the Leblanc process.
2.4 Application of product
Industrial applications: Being a highly soluble substance, soda ash is used for numerous chemical
reactions. It’s mostly used as ingredient in the manufacture of dyes and colouring agents,
synthesis detergents and fertilizers. It is also an important chemical agent used in enamelling and
petroleum industries.
Environmental application:
Sodium carbonate is used to improve and treat the alkalinity of leaks that have been affected by
rain, it is also used to reduce the acidity of emissions being generated from power plant.
Food industries:
Soda ash is widely used in the food industry as an acidity regulator, anti-caking agent and as a
stabilizer.
Soap and detergent industry:
Soda ash is an important ingredient for soap and detergents. Therefore, it functions as a builder
in the formulation of soap and detergent, to achieve the desired level of soil removal. It is also
beneficial as an agglomerating aid, as it acts as the carrier for surfactants.

Chemical industries:
Light soda ash is used in the production of many chemicals. It is a source of sodium ions in the
production of sodium phosphates, sodium carbonate, chrome chemicals and photographic
chemicals.
Other applications:
Soda ash is used as an electrolyte as it is a good conductor and hence can be used in electrolysis.
It is also used in small scale dyeing industries. It ensures chemical bonding of the dye to the
cellulose fibres.
2.5 Various section of plant
Section 800
Sodium bicarbonate manufacturing
Section 700
Product handling section
Section 600
Densification of light soda ash
Section 500
Filtration, calcination, transportation of Na2CO3 to product handling section
Section 400
Compression and carbonation
Section 300
Lime grinding and dissolving
Section 200
Limestone and coke handling
Section 100
Salt handling and dissolving

Chapter 3 Process details

3.1 Types of process technology in soda ash
· Le Blanc processes
· Trona purification process
· Dual process
 · Solvay process
3.2 Selection of process
· The process in which we can use low grade brine.
· The process which consumes less electricity.
· The process in which we face less corrosion problems.
· The process which has no co-products to disposal off.
· The process which does not require ammonia plant investment.
From the overall observations, Solvay process is used for soda ash manufacturing.
3.3 Chemistry of process
The Solvay process or ammonia-soda process is the major industrial process for the production
of sodium carbonate (soda ash). The ammonia-soda process was developed into its modern form
by Belgian chemist Ernst Solvay during the 1860s. The Solvay process results in soda ash
(Na2CO3) and from limestone as a source of calcium carbonate (CaCO3).
3.4 Process description
3.4.1 Section:100
Section 100 deals with the handling of salt, dissolving pure salt and purification of brine for
preparing brine at concentration of 5.3mol/lit (310g/lit NaCl) for making Soda Ash.
Salt handling and dissolving:
Solar salt comes to the plant which is partly purchased and partly from captive salt fields located
at Port victor, Jaffarabad, Bherai, etc. The solar salt purchased from outside is stored in piles, in
the salt yard and when required, is fed to the dissolver with the help of belt conveyors.
Salt dissolution:
The salt crystals are fed to salt dissolver. In dissolver, there is a constant level of salt bed which
is in fluidized state. The fluidization is always kept alive by pumping water to the dissolver. The
dissolver contains notches around its periphery which are connected to the pipes. The notches
collect the saturated raw brine which overflow from the dissolver and send it to raw brine
collection tank through discharge pipe.
Source of water:
· Water from nano plant
· Sea water
· Fresh water from nearby Hiran Dam
Brine purification:
The raw brine contains dissolved salts of “calcium” (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg) as impurities
which must be removed to prevent scale and sludge formation in the pipelines and equipment in
the process sections. To remove these impurities, raw brine is reacted with the milk of
lime(Ca(OH)2) and soda ash (Na2CO3) solution.
“Magnesium” is removed by treating raw brine with milk of lime according to the following
reaction:
Mg++ + Ca(OH)2 Mg(OH)2 + Ca++
“Calcium” is removed by treating raw brine and milk of lime with carbonate from soda ash
solution according to the following reaction:
· Ca++ + Na2CO3 CaCO3 + 2NaMilk of lime and soda ash are added in the
excess to remove all Ca+
++
and Mg++ impurities.
· The settling velocities of Mg(OH)2 and CaCO3 are increased by adding flocculent to the
settler.
Normal operation:
The purification process of brine consists of 4 reactors and 4 settlers which are in operation
continuously. Raw brine from dissolution is collected in raw brine tank having capacity of
2000m3. Raw brine pump us used to pump raw brine in the reactor. The normal flow rate is
around 600-700 m3/hr which can be controlled and measured. Soda ash solution from section 500
is stored in tank having capacity of 340m3. The treated brine flows to the settler by gravity of
operating a gate valve. The settler is insulated with thermocole to prevent sudden temperature
changes and turbulences which disturb stable operating conditions without using flocculants. If
the rate of settling is need to increased, flocculants are needed to be added. They are added in
controlled quantity in the settler. The amount of flocculants that are needed to be added depends
on the type of flocculants used and the settling characteristics of the material. A scrapper is used
to remove the pump to recover salt by washing. The purified brine flows to the purified brine
tank. From here, it is pumped to the filter gas scrubber. Some quantities are also pumped to
flocculent dissolving tank.
Flocculent
Purge liquor
Soda solution
Raw brine
Figure 3.1 Process flow diagram section 100
Milk of Lime
To settler for washing
Purified brine tank

Settler
Reaction tank

Reaction tank
Flocculent tank
Soda solution
Raw brine tank