History

The production of acetone is majority manufactured through dehydrogenation of

isopropyl alcohol process. Isopropyl alcohol (or propan-2-ol) is also sometimes
called isopropanol it is produced by either direct hydration of propene with water, indirect
hydration of propene with sulphuric acid or hydrogenation of acetone. In 1920, Standard Oil first
produced isopropyl alcohol by hydrating propene. Its major use at the time was not rubbing
alcohol but for oxidation to acetone, whose first major use was in World War One for the
preparation of the smokeless propellant, cordite.

Process Description

The feed which includes i-propyl alcohol and water with the recycle stream at the
beginning of the process are mixed in the feed drum. The mixtures stream phase are changed to
vapour by sending it to the vapourizer. The mixture is then heated to the reaction temperature
using a heater after leaving the vaporizer. Tubular flow reactor is used in this process. I-propyl
alcohol and water are released while acetone, hydrogen gas(H2) are generated. With the aid of
cooler, the mixture of acetone, hydrogen gas, i-propyl-alcohol and water are cooled and
transferred to the condenser. Flash unit receives the mixture through the condenser. The top
product obtained was hydrogen, acetone, i-propyl-alcohol and water. The top product was sent to
scrubber to remove hydrogen. The bottom product of the scrubber is mixed with the bottom
product formed by the four mixtures in the flash unit before the acetone column. Acetone is
obtained by the top product by 99 wt%. I-propyl-alcohol column receives i-propyl-alcohol, water
and 0.1% of acetone from the bottom product. The bottom product is released as wastewater
while the top product is sent to the feed column.
Process Flow

FEED DRUM

Recycle stream and feed stream are mixed using a tank called feed drum. Assumptions
are made that the recycle stream and the feed stream has the same concentration and the
temperature to the feed are assumed to be 25C at a pressure of 2 bar constantly. Recycle
streams temperature that was calculated is 111.5C while the leaving streams temperature is
32.89C by the energy balance around the feed drum.

VAPO RIZER

Molten salt was used for heating purpose in the vaporizer. The leaving streams
temperature is also the entrances temperature of the unit which is 32.89C. Bubble point
temperature is also the leaving temperature of the mixture which is 109.5C. Pressure of 2 bars
are assumed to be constant.

HEATER

A pre-heater was used as there is not enough temperature leaving the vaporizer. The
pressure still assumed to be 2 bars and are constant. The entrance and leaving temperatures are
109.5C and 325C respectively.

REACTOR

Calculations started at the reactor. The entering streams temperature found to be 325C
and the leaving stream is 350C. The reactor has to be heated in order for an endothermic
reaction to take place inside. Molten salt was also used for heating from the furnace. Pressure
was assumed to be constant at 1.8 bar.

COOLER

The etrance tempearture of the cooler is 350C and leaving is 94.7C. Water was used
for cooling purpose or a refrigerant can be used for a better result. As the cost to get refrigerent is
high, therefore water is used. The load can be seen more focused on the cooler rather than the
condenser but in reality it should be vice versa as the cooler should not cool that much. The
micture is cooled down to its dew point in this process. Pressure remains constant at 1.5 bar.
CONDENSER

The dew point is the temperature entering the stream while the bubble point is the
temperature leaving the stream. Water is used as a cooling material. The mixture contains
acetone, i-propyl-alcohol, water and hyfrogen gas. Hydrogen was neglected during calculations.
Hygrogen is not condensed in the condenser as it has low temperature and has no effect on the
bubble and dew point calculations. The leaving and entering temperatures are 94.7C and 81C
respectively.The pressure is 1,5 bar, and assumed to be constant.

FLASH UNIT

Flash unit operates isothermally, for this reason temperature was not changed. Entrance
and exit both are 81C. Pressure was constant at 1.5 bar. (V / F) value was found to be 0.2 by
trial and error. The (V / F) value will be higher if it was a dew point but in this case the bubble
point is the entrances temperature.

SCRUBBER

Scrubber operates adiabatically. Temperature of water entering was assumed to be 25C.

Off gas temperature which includes hydrogen and a small amount of acetone was assumed to be
40-50C.. The temperature of the leaving stream was found to be 28.1C. Acetone column
receives the mixtures of the stream leaving the scrubber and the flash unit. Pressure is constant at
1.5 bar. The temperature leaving the flash unit and scrubber are 81C and 28.1C.. The
temperature of the mixture was found to be 45CThis result was getting by using energy balance
around the mixing point.

ACETONE DISTILLATION COLUMN

Separation of the acetone from the mixture is carried out by using the acetone column.
The entrance temperature is 45C. The bubble and the dew points are 102.3 and 105C which are
also the top and bottom products. Acetone with 99wt% is the top product which includes acetone
i-propyl-alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol, water and a small amount of 0,1 %, acetone is discharged as
the bottom product. Pressure is constant at 1.1 bar.
ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL COLUMN

I-propyl-alcohol and water are separated at the distillation column. Entrance temperature
is 105C and the leaving temperatures for both top and bottom are 111.5C. Feed drum receives
the recycled top product. It has the same concentration as the feed stream. The bottom product is
thrown away as wastewater. It cannot be recycled to the scrubber as the temperature is too high.
A recycle can be used if the temperature is cold.

Figure 1
Process in the Reactor

The reactors reaction occurs in vapor phase. Isopropyl alcohol is vaporized and then
passed from the reactor. It is a continuous process. The temperature has to be maintained at
350C as the dehydrogenation of isopropyl alcohol is an endothermic reaction. Molten salt is
used for heating purpose. In a small scale furnace, the temperature is raised above 350C as the
molten salt is circulated and the heated molten salt is used to provide heat for the reaction during
the process. In order to heat the molten salt in the furnace, natural gas is burned in limited
amount and this amount is used to heat the molten salt in which provides heat to the reaction.

Figure 2
Detailed Cost

Capital cost details for this design are as follows.

Total Grass Roots Cost of Reaction Side: $1,006,000

Reactor Bare Module: $204,300

R-401 $204,300

Heat Exchanger Bare Module: $96,500

E-401 $39,700

E-402 $40,800

E-403 $16,000

Fired Heater Bare Module: $234,200

H-401 $234,200

Pump Bare Module: $73,100

P-401AB $26,400

P-402AB $46,700

Vessel Bare Module: $9,600

V-401 $9,600

Bare Module Cost of Reaction Side: $617,700

Catalyst $68,200

HiTec Salt N/A

Operation Cost details for this design are as follows. (Based on 350 days operation per year)

Total Yearly Operating Cost: $496,100

Labor: $273,800

Steam: $138,000

Natural Gas: $61,000

Cooling Water: $21,800

Electricity $1,500

Net Present Value of Expenditures: $6,382,000

(7% discount rate, 20 yr. project)

Advantages

1. Primary product is alcohol.

2. Coversion to acetone is high.
3. Purity of acetone is high.
4. Used worldwide.
5. Less separation process is needed
6. Low production cost.

Disadvantages

1. Assumption on the temperature may be wrong as many part in this reactor has to be
assumed.

P.S. Note

Couldnt really find any for disadvantages and also change in the process flow.