Topic 1 - Introduction Mechanical Operations

Mechanical Operations
Introduction
Dr.G.Uday Bhaskar Babu

Email:udaybhaskar@nitw.ac.in
Department of Chemical Engineering
National Institute of Technology, Warangal
General Introduction
 Role of chemical Engineer?
=>Chemical Engineering in Everyday Life

What does a chemical engineer do? What does he manufacture?
 The product manufactured by chemical engineers can be found in

variety of items used by common man beginning with
tooth paste, soap, shampoo, hair oil, the detergent, petrol, diesel,
ink in your pen, electronic chips used in computer and other
electronic gadgets are manufactured by chemical engineering
principles
 The chemical engineer, not only manufacture of compounds but also

improve the quality.
 Hence, a chemical engineer ask themselves what are the properties

required of end product they are manufacturing.
 This helps to design new processes to improve quality of existing

processes.
=> Role of chemical Engineer
 Chemical Engineering in Everyday Life
Fir example: LPG (LIQUIFIED PETROLEM GAS), mixture of propane an

butane. It is a clean fuel and does not adversely impact the environment.
When fuel combustion is complete and no unconverted hydrocarbons are
releases into atmosphere.
Ascompared to kerosene and stoves and coal based stoves, incomplete

combustion and release of these into atmosphere, and effect health
In addition, chemical engineers are also actively involved in fertilizer,

pharmaceutical, bio technology, bio-chemical, fossil fuels, bio fuels,
renewable sources of energy like solar, wind energy etc.,
A chemical must learn how to manufacture these products

-> In an economical way
->in a safer way
-> in an environmentally friendly way

The chemist or product engineer identifies a feasible route or mechanism

to obtain the end product
Chemists: Design reaction pathways to produce a chemical from raw

material.
Chemical Engineer: Design process to scale the chemist process to mass

produce the product.
A chemical engineers develop, design and operate processes that are vital
to our society.

The process engineer takes the idea developed at laboratory and scale it
up form production phase.
The transformation from a concept in the laboratory to process in

commercial plant (increasing from few grams per hr to few tons per hr is
one of the challenge faced by chemical engineer.
 Chemical Engineer and chemical engineering profession
 Chemical Engineering profession is relatively young profession
 In the early days, mechanical engineers with a good knowledge of

industrial chemistry were responsible for the operation of plants.
 The knowledge of the mechanical engineer was restricted to processes.

He did not have the foundation or basic knowledge or training which
could give him confidence to work in the other plant.
 The focus in the early days was focus on individual technologies and not
on unification of principles.
 The Birth of Chemical Engineering
 George Davis (1850-1906) is considered father of chemical engineer.
 Worked in chemical industries around Manchester.
 Before he became as consultant, he held various positions – one as an

inspector for alkali act of 1863.
 During the course of these visits he found several similarities in the

processes occurring in various units of different plants
 He made a comprehensive study of dif processes in these plants and

highlighted fundamental principles on which these processes are based.
 The Birth of Chemical Engineering
 The observation of the fundamental similarity in the difference process

in the various plants led to the introduction of concept of unit operation
 Ex: Distillation
 Consider separation of (i) Ethyl benzene (ii) concentration of Sulphuric

acid
 These two processes at the outlook completely difference the

separation technique exploiting the difference in boiling points
 They are based on same principle.

o u
k Y
a n
T h
CHEMICAL PROCESS INDUSTRIES
INTRODUCTION
Chemical industry ----- providing basic needs of humankind - food,

shelter and clothing have become an indispensable part of our life.
Figure 1. illustrate the role of chemical industry in daily life. It is one of

most diversified of all industrial sectors covering thousands of products.
INTRODUCTION


Chemical Industry
Food
Figure .1: Role of Chemical Industry

INTRODUCTION


Chemical Industry
Food
Fertilizer & Agrochemical

INTRODUCTION


Chemical Industry
Food
Clothing

INTRODUCTION


Chemical Industry
Food
Clothing
Synthetic fibers, Dyestuffs, Textiles, Auxiliaries, Specialty Chemicals

INTRODUCTION


Chemical Industry
Food
Clothing
Shelter

INTRODUCTION


Chemical Industry
Food
Clothing
Shelter
Polymer composites, Coating, New Performance Materials

INTRODUCTION


Chemical Industry
Food
Clothing
Shelter
Health Care

INTRODUCTION


Chemical Industry
Food
Clothing
Shelter
Health Care
Pharmaceuticals, Polymers, Synthetics, Detergent

INTRODUCTION


Chemical Industry
Food
Clothing
Shelter
Health Care
Quality of Life

INTRODUCTION


Chemical Industry
Food
Clothing
Shelter
Health Care
Quality of Life
Transportation, Education, Fuel, Electricity, Energy, Water supply,
Management, Communication, Polymers & Industrial Chemicals

Table1. Major Products of Chemical Industries and their Area of Application
Plastics and Polymers: Agricultural water management, packaging,

automobiles, telecommunications, health and hygiene
Synthetic rubber: Transportation Industry, Textile, Industrial equipment

lining
Synthetic fiber: Non-oven and woven fibre in automobile, textile
Soap and Synthetic detergents: Health and hygiene domestic as well as

industrial
Industrial chemicals: Drugs & pharmaceuticals, pesticides, explosives, dyes,

chemicals, paints
Sugar & Alcohol: Food, Alcoholic Brewages, Chemical Feed Stock, biofuel
Pulp & Paper: Writing & Printing Paper, Culture Paper, News Printing Paper,
Tissue Paper, Packaging Paper
Fertiliser: Agriculture, Chemical industry(ammonia and urea) Agrochemicals

Pesticides Mineral acids Chemical industry- organic and inorganic
Sources: Mall, 2007
CHEMICAL INDUSTRY AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT IN
CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
Technological Development -
changing societal requirements and
changing raw material availability and
environmental issues.
Some of the major technological development in chemical industry are
 Leblanck process to Solvay and modified Solvay process

 Lead chamber to Contact process
 Diaphragm process to Mercury and Mercury to Membrane
 Wet to Dry cement Process
 Coal chemicals to petroleum based chemicals and vice versa
 Wood based paper to agro-based and waste paper based
 Pulping to bio pulping
 Stone ground wood pulping to thermo mechanical pulping
 Chlorine to oxygen bleaching and enzymatic bleaching
 Sulphur to pyrite based sulphuric acid plant
GLOBAL AND INDIAN CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES
Segments of the Indian Chemical Industry
Basic Chemicals ( 49.05%): Market value:32.78USD
 Inorganic chemicals:(Caustic chlorine, soda ash, sodium bicarbonate,
carbon black, titanium oxide, sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid etc.)
 Organic chemicals (acetic acid, acetic anhydride, acetone, phenol,
methanol,formaldehyde, nitrobenzene, ethyl acetate etc.
 Petrochemicals (Olefins, aromatics-benzene, toluene, xylenes, fibre,
methanol, LAB, polymers, synthetic fibre, etc)
 Fertilizers ( Nitrogenous and Phosphatic)
 Other industrial chemicals
Specialty Chemicals (24.69%): Market value:16.50USD
 Paints and varnishes,
 Textile chemicals
 Dyestuffs and intermediates
 Catalysts
 Knowledge Chemicals (26.6%): Market value:17.55USD
 Pharmaceuticals
 Biotechnology
 Agrochemicals
Source: [Lokhapare, 2011]
TYPICAL ISSUES FOR CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES
UNIT PROCESSES AND UNIT OPERATIONS IN
How to produce Chemicals ?
Two steps involves:
Step1.
Design a reactor to produce a chemical from raw material (Unit process)
Step2:
To isolate the compound that exists in combination with other substances
means (Unit operations)
UNIT PROCESSES AND UNIT OPERATIONS IN CHEMICAL PROCESS
INDUSTRIES – Urea Production process
Red – UNIT PROCESSES Blue - UNIT OPERATIONS

In summary:
Chemical process is combination of unit processes and Unit operation.
Unit process: Useful chemical transformations with or without physical

changes occurs in the chemical industries are called unit process.
Eg. oxidation, nitration, alkylation
Unit operations involve the physical separation of the products obtained

during various unit processes
Chemical Process Industries = Unit Operation + Unit Process

In this subject, we deal with Step2 i.e., Unit Operations but not all unit
operations
To isolate the compound that exists in combination with other substances

means separation process (Unit operations)
=> Why Unit Operations ?
Purify raw materials

Purify products
Purify & separate unreacted feed
To meet the desired end properties (depends on market conditions and
environment)
Basically unit operations involves Separation
=>How do we perform separation (Unit Operation)?

Classify separation processes (Unit operations) based on some principles

& Molecular property
->Types of Separations based on principle

Fluid dynamics: Principles of momentum (Flow of fluids, flow in pipes,
motion of particles in fluid, flow of fluids through granular bed)
Heat Transfer: Principles of energy (Shell & Tube heat exchanger)
Mass Transfer: Principles of mass (Distillation, absorption etc.,)

-> Types of Separations based on Property

Molecular property Separation process
Boiling Distillation
Freezing Point Crystallization
Particle size Filtration
Density Centrifuge
The above separation will be gain can be classify based on
mechanical physical forces (Filtration, Centrifuge, Screening etc.,)

and
molecular or chemical forces and diffusion (Distillation, Crystallization etc.,).
Classification of Mechanical-Physical separation processes:
The separation will be accomplished using mechanical physical forces and

not molecular or chemical forces and diffusion.
The mechanical forces include gravitational and centrifugal, actual

mechanical & Kinetic forces arising from flow.
Here, we concentrate on Mechanical-Physical separation process
and not molecules or chemical and diffusional forces.
Hence the subject name –
Mechanical Operations / Mechanical Separations

Properties and Handling of Particulate Solids – Size reduction : The above classification
involves operation of particulate solid particles. To understand and importance of solid
particles is necessary before get into the mechanical separation process. The solid
particles are broken mechanically into smaller particles and separated according to size
(size reduction)
Mechanical Separations:
Screening: Method of separating particles according to size alone.
Filtration: The general problem of the separation of solid particles from liquids can be
solved by using wide variety f methods, depending on type of solids, viscosity of
solution and other factors.
Settling & Sedimentation: In this particles are separated from fluid by gravitational
forces acting on the various size and density of particles
Centrifugal settling & Sedimentation: Particles are separated from fluid by centrifugal
forces acting on various size and shape
Centrifugal Filtration: Similar to ordinary filtration where a bed or cake of solids builds
upon screen, but centrifugal force is used to flow instead of a pressure difference.
Agitation and mixing: Important operation in chemical process industries.

Prominent unit-operations and unit-processes in
chemical industry
 A detailed summary of various prominent unit operations/processes
and their functional role in the chemical plant are summarized in
the Table below.
Category Unit Operations/Processes Functional role
Fluid operations a) Centrifugal pump a) To pressurize liquids and
b) Reciprocating pump gases.
c) Compressor b) To depressurize gases
d) Expander
d) Expander
Solid operations a) Crusher a) To reduce the size of
b) Grinder solids
d) Expander
b) Grinder solids
Solid-fluid a) Cyclone separator a) To separate solid particles
separators b) Centrifuge from solid-liquid/gas
c) Electrostatic precipitator mixtures
d) Classifier & Thickener
e) Liquid-liquid separator
d) Expander
b) Grinder solids
Solid-fluid a) Cyclone separator a) To separate solid particles
separators b) Centrifuge from solid-liquid/gas
c) Electrostatic precipitator mixtures
d) Classifier & Thickener
e) Liquid-liquid separator
Heat exchangers a) Shell & Tube heat a) To either remove or add
exchangers heat to process streams so as
b) Fired heaters and to meet desired conditions in
furnaces other units.
c) Coolers b) Either utilities or other
process streams are used to
carry out heating/cooling
requirements.
Mass transfer a) Phase separation a) To separate a feed into
units b) Distillation products with different
c) Absorption compositions.
d) Stripping b) A third agent (heat or
e) Adsorption compound) is usually used
f) Extraction to carry out separation.
g) Leaching
h) Crystallization
i) Membrane
Mass transfer a) Phase separation a) To separate a feed into
units b) Distillation products with different
c) Absorption compositions.
d) Stripping b) A third agent (heat or
e) Adsorption compound) is usually used
f) Extraction to carry out separation.
g) Leaching
h) Crystallization
i) Membrane
Reactor units a) Continuos stirred tank reactor a) To carry out reactions in
(CSTR) homogenous fluids
b) Plug flow reactor (PFR) (gases/liquids).
c) Packed bed reactors (PBR) b) To carry out catalytic
d) Slurry & Trickle bed reactors and multi-phase reactions.
-A pictorial representation of various unit processes and operations
that
are often encountered in chemical process flow sheets is presented in
the following Table.
that
-Along with these figures, their function role in the process
technology is
also presented.
that
technology
Unit is
Processes/operations Functional role
also presented.
Reactors - Central and most important process technology
a) CSTR in process flow sheets
b) Batch Reactor - Carry out desired reactive transformations
c) PFR
d) Packed bed reactor
e) Trickle bed reactor
f) Fluidized bed reactor
that
technology
Unit is
Processes/operations Functional role
also presented.
Reactors - Central and most important process
a) Continuous Stirred Tank technology in process flow sheets
Reactor - Carry out desired reactive transformations
b) Batch Reactor
c) Plug Flow Reactor (PFR)
d) Packed bed reactor (PBR)
e) Fluidized bed reactor (FBR)
a) Continuous Stirred Tank - Well mixed reaction system set alignment
Reactor - Homogenous liquid/gas phase reaction
(CSTR) - Most easy configuration
- Temperature control through Jacket
- Reactant instantaneously reaches lowest
concentration
- Most inexpensive to design and operate
Unit Processes/operations Functional role
b) Batch Reactor -Has a simple design, with the
requirement of very little supporting
equipments
- Ideal for small scale experimental
studies on reactor kinetics
- Can be used industrially for
treatment of very small quantities of
materials.
b) Batch Reactor -Has a simple design, with the
requirement of very little supporting
equipments
- Ideal for small scale experimental
studies on reactor kinetics
- Can be used industrially for
treatment of very small quantities of
materials.
c) PFR - Homogenous liquid/gas phase
reaction
- Reactant gradually reaches low
concentrations
- Good control over temperature
- Temperature control through jacket
(not shown)
d)Packed Bed Reactor (PBR) - Heterogeneous reaction
- Packing to act as catalyst
- Packing packed in tubes
- Shell fed with cooling/heating fluid
(optional) set alignment
- continuous sentence
f) Fluidized bed reactor ?
Separators: - Most important process technology
a) Batch distillation - Provides desired separation between phases
b) Continuous distillation and streams
c) Absorption - Located next to the reactor as 100 %
d) Stripping conversions are very rare in industrial practice
e) Liquid-liquid extraction
f) Leaching
g) Crystallization
h) Drying
i) Flash separator
j) Membrane separator
k) Packed bed contactor
Separators: - Most important process technology
a) Batch distillation - Provides desired separation between phases
b) Continuous distillation and streams
c) Absorption - Located next to the reactor as 100 %
d) Liquid-liquid extraction conversions are very rare in industrial practice
f) Leaching
g) Crystallization
h) Drying
i) Flash separator
j) Membrane separator
k) Packed bed contactor
a)Batch distillation column -Used to separate a liquid mixture based on

relative volatility (differences in boiling points)
- Operated in batch mode
b) Continuous distillation (Fractionators) - The most important separation
technology in process flow sheets
- Provides very pure products
-Differences in boiling points is the
working principle
-Energy intensive operation
b) Continuous distillation (Fractionators) - The most important separation
technology in process flow sheets
- Provides very pure products
-Differences in boiling points is the
working principle
-Energy intensive operation
c) Absorption column - Used to absorb components from

gaseous stream
- Solvent is used
- Usually followed with stripper to re-
generate the fresh solvent
-Operated at low temperature and
moderate/high pressure
-
e) Liquid Liquid extraction - Used to separate components from a

liquid with a liquid solvent
- Consists of a series of mixers and
separators
- Produces extract (rich with solvent and
components extracted) and raffinate
(product with lean extractants)
f) Leaching - A liquid solvent extracts
components from a solid
-High interfacial area between
solid/liquid is required to enhance
extraction capability
f) Leaching - A liquid solvent extracts
components from a solid
-High interfacial area between
solid/liquid is required to enhance
extraction capability
g) Crystallization - Used to crystallize solids from a

slurry/super-saturated solution
-Fine crystals added to serve as
nucleating agent
h) Spray drier - Liquid slurry is sprayed in the form of
droplets
- Hot gas (air) dries the solid
-Enables very good control over the
product particle size
droplets
i) Rotary drier - Through rotation, an agitated liquid

film is dried to obtain the dried solid.
droplets
i) Rotary drier - Through rotation, an agitated liquid

film is dried to obtain the dried solid.
j) Flash separator - Very common technology to separate

liquid streams at high pressure and
lower temperatures.
- Upon pressure reduction/heating, low
boiling components separate as vapor
phase and yield a liquid phase.
k) Membrane separation -A semi-permeable barrier
(membrane) is used to separate feed
streams based on concentration set
alignment difference/pressure
difference.
- Various types of processes available
- New technology in process
industries.
k) Membrane separation -A semi-permeable barrier
(membrane) is used to separate feed
streams based on concentration set
alignment difference/pressure
difference.
- Various types of processes available
- New technology in process
industries.
Heat exchange equipment - Very prominent equipment to heat/cool
a) Shell & Tube heat exchanger process fluids
b) Fired heater - Include steam/power generation as well!
c) Multiple effect evaporator
d) Quenching
d) Quenching
a) Shell & Tube heat exchanger - Most common equipment in process
industries
- Tube fed with a fluid and shell is fed
with another fluid
- Process heat is transferred across the
tube
-No mixing of tube fluid and shell fluid
allowed
d) Quenching
a) Shell & Tube heat exchanger - Most common equipment in process
industries
- Tube fed with a fluid and shell is fed
with another fluid
- Process heat is transferred across the
tube
-No mixing of tube fluid and shell fluid
allowed
b) Fired heater - Used to heat streams to extremely high

temperatures
- High temperatures generated by burning
fuel oil/fuel gas
- Complicated design for maximum heat
c) Multiple effect evaporator - Common equipment to concentrate a
solid-liquid stream from low concentration
to high concentrations. set alignment
-Steam utility is optimized by adopting
process intensification method.
c) Multiple effect evaporator - Common equipment to concentrate a
solid-liquid stream from low concentration
to high concentrations. set alignment
-Steam utility is optimized by adopting
process intensification method.
d) Quenching - Direct heat transfer equipment

- Involves cooling/heating a fluid with
direct contact with a stream
-Commonly used for streams emanating
with very high temperatures from
reactions/furnaces.
Solid-fluid process technology - Used for separating solids from solid-
a) Cyclone separator liquid or solid-gas mixtures
b) Centrifuge
c) Electrostatic separator
d) Thickener
e) Liquid- liquid separator
f) Filter press
b) Centrifuge
d) Thickener
f) Filter press
a) Cyclone separator - Separates fine solid particles from a gas-
solid mixture
-Uses centrifugation as working principle.
b) Centrifuge
d) Thickener
f) Filter press
a) Cyclone separator - Separates fine solid particles from a gas-
solid mixture
- Uses centrifugation as working
principle.
b) Centrifuge - Separates solids from solid-liquid

mixture
- Uses the principle of centrifugation for
separation
-Very good separation of solid and liquid
possible
c) Electrostatic separator - Separates solids from solid-liquid
mixture
- Uses the principle of charged
surfaces to separate the solids
-Very common in process
technologies
c) Electrostatic separator - Separates solids from solid-liquid
mixture
- Uses the principle of charged
surfaces to separate the solids
-Very common in process
technologies
d) Thickener - Separates a slurry (solid-liquid) into

a sludge and clarified liquid
-Settling is adopted as working
principle.
f) Filter press - Separates a solid from solid-fluid

mixture
- Uses a fine mesh/cloth to separate
under pressure.
Fluid transport -Very important to achieve process
a) Centrifugal pump conditions desired in other important
b) Reciprocating pump processes such as reactors and
c) Steam jet ejector separators.
d) Compressor -Energizes liquids to moderately high
e) Expander pressure.
a) Centrifugal pump - Energizes liquids to moderately
high pressure.
a) Centrifugal pump - Energizes liquids to moderately
high pressure.
b) Reciprocating pump - Energizes liquids to very high

pressures.
c) Steam jet ejector - Used for providing vacuum (low
pressure) in various units
-Common in process flow sheets.
d) Compressor - Enhances pressure of gases to high

values.
d) Compressor - Enhances pressure of gases to high

values.
e) Expander - Reduces pressure of gas to lower

values
- Recovered energy used for shaft
work or power generation
(electricity).
Size Reducer: - Used for reducing size of solids and
a) Crusher enhance their surface area to facilitate
b) Grinder higher mass transfer and reaction
rates.
rates.
a) Crusher - Continuous operation
- Size control is very easy
rates.
a) Crusher - Continuous operation
- Size control is very easy
b) Grinder
- Batch operation
- Achieving size control is difficult.
Storage: - Used to store fluids and gases.
a) Storage tank
b) Pressurized spheres

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Mechanical Operations

Dr.G.Uday Bhaskar Babu

=>Chemical Engineering in Everyday Life

 The product manufactured by chemical engineers can be found in

 The chemical engineer, not only manufacture of compounds but also

 Hence, a chemical engineer ask themselves what are the properties

 This helps to design new processes to improve quality of existing

Fir example: LPG (LIQUIFIED PETROLEM GAS), mixture of propane an

Ascompared to kerosene and stoves and coal based stoves, incomplete

In addition, chemical engineers are also actively involved in fertilizer,

A chemical must learn how to manufacture these products

=> Role of chemical Engineer

The chemist or product engineer identifies a feasible route or mechanism

Chemists: Design reaction pathways to produce a chemical from raw

Chemical Engineer: Design process to scale the chemist process to mass

=> Role of chemical Engineer

The transformation from a concept in the laboratory to process in

 Chemical Engineer and chemical engineering profession

 Chemical Engineering profession is relatively young profession

 In the early days, mechanical engineers with a good knowledge of

 The knowledge of the mechanical engineer was restricted to processes.

 The Birth of Chemical Engineering

 George Davis (1850-1906) is considered father of chemical engineer.

 Worked in chemical industries around Manchester.

 Before he became as consultant, he held various positions – one as an

 During the course of these visits he found several similarities in the

 He made a comprehensive study of dif processes in these plants and

 The Birth of Chemical Engineering

 The observation of the fundamental similarity in the difference process

 Consider separation of (i) Ethyl benzene (ii) concentration of Sulphuric

 These two processes at the outlook completely difference the

 They are based on same principle.

Chemical industry ----- providing basic needs of humankind - food,

Figure 1. illustrate the role of chemical industry in daily life. It is one of

Chemical industry ----- providing basic needs of humankind - food,

Figure 1. illustrate the role of chemical industry in daily life. It is one of

Figure .1: Role of Chemical Industry

Chemical industry ----- providing basic needs of humankind - food,

Figure 1. illustrate the role of chemical industry in daily life. It is one of

Figure .1: Role of Chemical Industry

Chemical industry ----- providing basic needs of humankind - food,

Figure 1. illustrate the role of chemical industry in daily life. It is one of

Figure .1: Role of Chemical Industry

Chemical industry ----- providing basic needs of humankind - food,

Figure 1. illustrate the role of chemical industry in daily life. It is one of

Figure .1: Role of Chemical Industry

Chemical industry ----- providing basic needs of humankind - food,

Figure 1. illustrate the role of chemical industry in daily life. It is one of

Figure .1: Role of Chemical Industry

Chemical industry ----- providing basic needs of humankind - food,

Figure 1. illustrate the role of chemical industry in daily life. It is one of

Figure .1: Role of Chemical Industry

Chemical industry ----- providing basic needs of humankind - food,

Figure 1. illustrate the role of chemical industry in daily life. It is one of

Figure .1: Role of Chemical Industry

Chemical industry ----- providing basic needs of humankind - food,

Figure 1. illustrate the role of chemical industry in daily life. It is one of