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Background
General information
BDO is an organic chemical with the molecular formula
. It is also a diol
with its two hydroxyl groups located at the terminal carbons. BDO has a boiling
point of 235 degrees C and is therefore a colorless liquid at standard temperatures
and pressures (Nicnas.gov.au).
There are many precursors that petrochemical synthesis of BDO uses. The
commonality between all of the precursor acids is that they are hydrogenatable. In
replacement of one of these petrochemical precursors, our team has been tasked
with the challenge of deriving BDO from the bio-based precursor succinic acid.
This catalyzed reaction will take place in the presence of hydrogen as the
hydrogenating component shown below:
As described in the above reaction, there will need to be at least 4:1 stoichiometric
ratio of hydrogen gas to succinic acid. Two moles of water will also be produced
along with each mole of BDO. This reaction is exothermic, which requires the
reactor to be continuously cooled to maintain our reactor temperature. There are
also side products that are produced which include tetrahydrofuran (THF) and butyrolactone (GBL); however, thanks to catalyst selectivity these byproducts are
produced in small quantities.
Market analysis
Butanediol has a quickly expanding market due to new technological evolutions
and its growing use as a chemical intermediary in advanced materials. With
biological routes being optimized, the potential of biomass-derived chemicals is
tremendous. The global demand of BDO was estimated at 1.5 million metric tons in
2011 and is projected to grow at an annual rate of 4.5% for the next several years
(Nexant.com). Unlike other chemical products, BDOs profitability and
attractiveness to producers lies in its downstream potential. Figure 1 below
demonstrates several potential downstream products that can be directly or
indirectly synthesized from BDO. The largest of these contributors include THF and
GBL.
Process alternatives
1,4-butanediol is traditionally made from petroleum-derived feedstocks in a variety
of processes (Ingram and Le, 2013). Recently, because of the continually high
price of crude oil and the desire to be environmentally-conscious, there has been a
push toward the use of feedstocks derived from biomass. Several companies are
currently implementing bio-routes of producing butanediol. Genomatica is using a
bioengineered microorganism to convert sugar feedstocks directly to BDO via
fermentation (Burk et al., 2011), but most companies are instead using
microorganisms to convert sugar to succinic acid. The bio-succinic acid can be
easily used in the Davy process as a substitute for maleic acid to form the end
product, which is the path that most are choosing, although research is being
conducted on alternative pathways (Chung et al., 2013).
Process overview
The newly proposed plant can be divided into four stages: pre-reactor, reactor,
post-reactor and distillation. Each section is an integral part to the overall process
and demands close attention. See the complete process flow diagram in Figure 2.
the separator and is therefore pumped to the reactor jacket for the reaction cooling
mentioned previously. After running through the reactor jacket, the stream enters
the separation processes.
Distillation
The first distillation column, T-101, is a 10 stage column whose primary purpose is
separating the THF from the product feed. Due to THFs lower boiling point, the
byproduct comes off of the top of the column with mostly water. This distillate is
sent to the plant's THF waste storage tank that has the capacity of two weeks. The
bottoms of the column is sent to the subsequent distillation column that separates
the BDO from the GBL and water. The relatively close boiling points of BDO and
GBL, 235oC and 204oC, respectively, create a difficult separation that requires a
15 stage column. The distillate of the column is approximately 23% GBL with
balance water. This stream is sent to a storage tank with similar sizing parameters
as the THF storage tank. The bottom stream is the final 99.5wt% BDO product.
This stream is sent to the final product tank, S-104. Depending on our customer
demands and the plant location we have the ability to barge, rail or pipe our
product to its final destination. Due to low purity of the byproducts, future iterations
are needed to optimize either purifying byproducts or selling impure byproducts.
There is definitely an available market for these byproducts that should be
researched more extensively to increase profit.
Mass and energy balances
Using an Aspen HYSYS simulation we were able to record the material and energy
streams going in and out of the process system. As expected, the material and
energy totals for the inlet and outlet streams add together to equal 0. This proves
that our system is mathematically prudent and thermodynamically feasible. The
total mass flow of the system is 15,639 kg/h and the total energy in and out of the
system is 1.41e8 kJ/h.
HYSYS simulation
The HYSYS simulation was performed using the NRTL ideal fluid package. After
using AspenPlus to verify that the HYSYS package had the appropriate vaporliquid equilibrium information between THF and water, and between GBL and
water, we concluded it was feasible to proceed with that fluid package. The
simulation consists of a reactor, a gas-liquid separator, 2 pumps, 3 heaters, a
valve, and 2 distillation columns (see Figure 3). The simulation successfully
converted the succinic acid feed into the desired products. Also, the combination of
the two distillation columns was able to effectively separate the BDO to obtain a
99.5% pure product with 99.5% recovery. In addition, a set was made between the
energy required to heat stream 12 and the energy required to cool the reactor so
that these values were made equal. Lastly, the condenser and reboiler duties were
used in four heat exchangers in order to determine the appropriate size of this
equipment as well as the necessary utility flow rates.
As shown in the above table, the chemicals that this facility will be dealing with will
be relatively mild and non-life threatening. Regardless of their perceived threat,
chemicals should always be handled with care especially when they are at high
temperatures and pressures.
Safety procedures
Fire. There are many flammable materials that will be included in this process;
therefore, fire safety is imperative for all employees. There are countless possible
causes of ignition and care should be taken while handling any flammable material
whether in the lab or in the field.
In case a fire is present on, the following protocol should be implemented:
Spills. Process chemical spills will eventually occur in a plant of this scale. Small
spills are likely to occur in a laboratory setting. Large spills could be a result of loss
of containment in the system. We must ensure that all personnel are aware of
proper spill mitigation protocol.
Small spill: Dilute with water and mop or absorb with inert dry material.
Dispose of in proper receptacle.
Large spill: Keep away from sources of ignition and heat. Prevent rundown
to any drains or sewers. Call for assistance on disposal. Absorb material with
DRY earth or other non-combustible materials.
If spill is due to a loss of containment in the system, quickly consult the PLC
and shut any valves to prevent further loss.
Exposure. We must ensure that our employees are aware of the possible toxicity
levels of each substance and how to handle exposure. The chemicals that are
being used in this process are known chemical irritants to the eyes, skin, and
throat. Safety measures must be in place to acknowledge this hazard. Due to the
possibility of high pressure releases, we will have 2-minute emergency oxygen
masks placed strategically throughout the plant to ensure the safety of any
operator in the presence of a large release.
If exposed to the process chemicals, find nearest eye wash station or safety
shower immediately and flush exposed skin for at least 15 minutes. Remove any
contaminated clothing. Seek medical attention immediately.
Storage. Store chemicals in segregated and approved areas. Any closed
containers for laboratory purposes should be placed in cool, well-ventilated areas.
The calculated capital costs from Aspen Economic Analyzer are reported in Table 2
for all process equipment. The size of the reactor was calculated from the liquid
hourly space velocity given in the 2011 ISP patent (Bhattacharyya and Manila,
2011) and a void fraction estimate of 0.4. Storage tanks were sized to contain up to
two continuous weeks of material. The number of distillation trays in each tower
and the flow rates through pumps, vessels, and the flare were calculated in
HYSYS. Heat exchange areas were given in Aspen Energy Analyzer or from
HYSYS.
In addition to the above equipment, our plant will require an ion exchanger to
produce deionized process water from the municipal water. This is estimated to
cost $42,000 in capital cost.
Cash flow analysis
Summarizing the important takeaways from the economic analysis, this process
will return a revenue of 144 MM$ annually. Offset by production costs, the yearly
cash flow is approximately 2.7 MM$, except for in the years in which the catalyst
must be reinstalled (approximately every 5 years). At a cost of 2.5 MM$, the cash
flows in those years decrease to approximately 0.2 MM$. This analysis assumes
the plant will take 2 years to construct, and will operate at 50% in its first year.
Furthermore, an interest rate of 10% was assumed with a tax rate of 38% (the
maximum for corporate gains taxes). Using the 7-year MACRS depreciation
method, the 20 year NPV for the project is 4.3 MM$. With an IRR of 15.1%, which
is greater than the assumed interest rate, this project looks to be profitable. Further
optimization techniques should be used in future iterations to further increase
profitability. See Tables 3 and 4 for key economic information.
Sensitivity analysis
As seen in Figure 4, the economic evaluation of this process is influenced the most
by changes in the sales price and feed cost. A 20% increase in sales price will
result in an approximate 120 MM$ increase in NPV whereas a decrease of the
same percentage will result in over a 120 MM$ decrease in NPV. Inversely, a 20%
increase in feed cost will result in a 115 MM$ decrease in NPV and a 20%
decrease in feed cost will result in a 60 MM$ increase in NPV.
byproduct, recycling process water, and further optimizing utility streams for the
distillation tower.
Second, we would like to investigate recycling the 2300 kg/h of water produced in
the reaction. Our succinic acid enters the reactor as a 50 wt% solution in water, so
we should look into replacing some of this with the product water. Not only will this
decrease our water bill, but it will also lower the cost of ion exchange.
References
Bhattacharyya A, Manila MD, inventor; ISP Investments Inc., assignee. Catalysts
for maleic acid hydrogenation to 1,4-butanediol. United States Patent US 7935834
B2. 2011 May 3.
Burk MJ, Stephen J, Dien SJV, Burgard AP, Niu W, inventor; Genomatica Inc.,
assignee. Compositions and methods for the biosynthesis of 1,4-butanediol and its
precursors. United States Patent US8067214 B2. 2011 Nov 29.
Chung SH, Kim MS, Eom HJ, Lee KY. Hydrogenation of Succinic Acid Using
Ruthenium Nanoparticles Embedded Catalysts. Proceedings of 2013 AIChE
Annual Meeting; 2013 Nov 6; San Francisco, USA.
Icis.com. Chemical industry awaits for bio-succinic acid potential [Internet]. Surrey:
Reed Business Information Limited; c2015 [cited 2015 Feb 26]. Available
from:http://www.icis.com/resources/news/2012/01/30/9527521/chemical-industryawaits-for-bio-succinic-acid-potential/.
Ingram A, Le B. 1,4-butanediol/tetrahydrofuran (BDO/THF) [Internet]. Wheaton:
Nexant Inc.; c2011- [updated 2013 Apr; cited 2015 Feb 28]. Available
from:http://thinking.nexant.com/sites/default/files/report/field_attachment_abstract/2
01304/2012_3_abs.pdf.
Nexant.com. Is Bio-Butanediol Here to Stay [Internet]? Wheaton: Nexant Inc.;
c200015
[cited
2015
Feb
28].
Available
from: http://www.nexant.com/about/news/bio-butanediol-here-stay.
DISEO S2
Ttulo: Produccin de 1,4-butanodiol
Autores: Nick Pinkerton, Karen
Schmidt, y James Xamplas
Fecha Presentado: 14 de marzo 2014
Introduccin
Alternativas de proceso
La planta recin propuesto se puede dividir en cuatro etapas: prereactor, reactor, post-reactor y de destilacin. Cada seccin es una parte
integral del proceso global y exige mucha atencin. Vea el diagrama de
flujo del proceso completo en la figura 2.
Pre-reactor
Destilacin
Salud y seguridad
Propiedades qumicas
Fuego
Hay muchos materiales inflamables que se incluirn en este proceso; por
lo tanto, la seguridad contra incendios es imprescindible para todos los
empleados. Hay un sinnmero de posibles causas de ignicin y se debe
tener cuidado al manipular cualquier material inflamable ya sea en el
laboratorio o en el campo.
En caso de un incendio est presente en el siguiente protocolo debe
aplicarse:
Pequeo incendio: Utilizar polvo qumico SECO.
Gran incendio: Utilizar espuma de alcohol, agua pulverizada o niebla.
Convocatoria de copia de seguridad si no se puede controlar.
ponerse en contacto inmediatamente con el personal supervisor y de
emergencia en el lugar.
Evacuar a distancia de seguridad en caso de incendios alrededor de
cualquier material peligroso o recipientes a presin.
Derrames
Costo de equipos
Los costos de capital calculadas de Aspen Analizador Econmico se
presentan en la Tabla 2 para todos los equipos de proceso. El tamao del
reactor se calcula a partir de la velocidad espacial horaria del lquido
dado en la patente ISP 2011 (Bhattacharyya y Manila, 2011) y una
estimacin de la fraccin de huecos de 0,4. Se dimensionaron Los
tanques de almacenamiento para contener hasta dos semanas
continuas de material. Se calcularon el nmero de bandejas de
destilacin en cada torre y las tasas de flujo a travs de bombas, vasos,
y la bengala en HYSYS. Zonas de intercambio de calor se dan en Aspen
Energa analizador o desde HYSYS.
Anlisis de sensibilidad