A

PROJECT REPORT ON

INDSUTRIAL PRODUCTION OF

ETHYLENE DICHLORIDE (EDC)

PREPARED BY

TEJ PRAKASH MALI (U15CH029)

MOHAMMAD RAGIB (U15CH092)

B. TECH IV
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Guided by:
Dr. Jignasa V. Gohel

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Dept. of Chemical Engineering,
SVNIT, Surat.
 Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology
Surat-395 007, Gujarat, INDIA.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the B. Tech. IV (7th Semester) PROJECT REPORT
entitled ETHYLENE DICHLORIDE presented & submitted by Candidate Tej
Prakash Mali bearing Roll No. U15CH029 and Mohammad Ragib Bearing Roll No.
U15CH092 in the partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of degree B.Tech. in
Chemical Engineering.

He has successfully and satisfactorily completed his Project Exam in all respect. We,
certify that the work is comprehensive, complete and fit for evaluation.

Dr. Jignasa V. Gohel

Project Guide __________________

Assistant professor

PROJECT EXAMINERS:
Examiner Signature with date
Examiner 1 __________________
Examiner 2 __________________
Examiner 3 __________________

DEPARTMENT SEAL
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We take this opportunity to express our gratitude and indebtedness to Dr. Jignasa V. Gohel
of the Chemical Engineering department, S.V.N.I.T, Surat for her valuable guidance and
encouraging attitude at all times. We would also like to thank the head of the department Dr.
Mausumi Mukhopadhyay. for giving us a chance to do a Project on the given topic. We are
also thankful to S.V.N.I.T Surat and its staff for providing us this opportunity which helped us
a lot in our quest for gaining knowledge and going a long way in making this Project report
successful.

Sign: __________________
Name: Tejprakash Mali

Sign: _________________

Name: Mohammad Ragib

 INDEX

Chapter Title Page No.

No.
1 Introduction 05

2 Demand & Supply of product 10

3 Process selection and description 12

4 Health & Environment effect 14

5 Available process 16

6 Material Balance 23

7 Energy Balance 25
 INTRODUCTION:
The chemical compound 1,2-dichloroethane commonly known as ethylene dichloride (EDC),
is a hydrocarbon. Th most common use of 1,2-dichloroethane is in the production of vinyl
chloride, which is used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes, furniture and automobile
upholstery, wall coverings, housewares, and automobile parts. 1,2-Dichloroethane is also used
generally as an intermediate for other organic chemical compounds and as a solvent. It
forms azeotropes with many other solvents, including water (boiling point 70.5
chlorocarbons.

Ethylene Dichloride is a clear, colourless, oily, synthetic, flammable liquid chlorinated

hydrocarbon with a pleasant chloroform-like smell that emits toxic fumes of hydrochloric
acid when heated to decomposition. Ethylene dichloride is primarily used to produce vinyl
chloride. Inhalation exposure to this substance induces respiratory distress, nausea and
vomiting and affects the central nervous system, liver and kidneys. It is mutagenic in animals
and is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.

1, 2-Dichloroethane is a solvent used in food processing. The chemical compound 1, 2-

dichloroethane, commonly known by its old name of ethylene dichloride (EDC), is a
chlorinated hydrocarbon, mainly used to produce vinyl chloride monomer
(VCM, chloroethene), the major precursor for PVC production. It is a colourless liquid with
a chloroform-like odour. 1, 2-Dichloroethane is also used generally as an intermediate for other
organic chemical compounds, and as a solvent.

Fig .01: 2D structure of EDC

 Fig.02: 3D structure of EDC

Exposure to low levels of ethylene dichloride can occur from breathing ambient or workplace
air. Inhalation of concentrated ethylene dichloride vapor can induce effects on the human
nervous system, liver, and kidneys, as well as respiratory distress, cardiac arrhythmia, nausea,
and vomiting. Chronic (long-term) inhalation exposure to ethylene dichloride produced effects
on the liver and kidneys in animals. No information is available on the reproductive or
developmental effects of ethylene dichloride in humans. Decreased fertility and increased
embryo mortality have been observed in inhalation studies of rats. Epidemiological studies are
not conclusive regarding the carcinogenic effects of ethylene dichloride, due to concomitant
exposure to other chemicals. Following treatment by gavage (experimentally placing the
chemical in the stomach), several tumour types were induced in rats and mice. EPA has
classified ethylene dichloride as a Group B2, probable human carcinogen.

As a good polar aprotic solvent, 1,2-dichloroethane could be used as degreaser and paint
remover but is now banned from use due to its toxicity and possible carcinogenity. As a useful
'building block' reagent, it is used as an intermediate in the production of various organic
compounds such as ethylenediamine. In the laboratory it is occasionally used as a source
of chlorine, with elimination of ethene and chloride.
Via several steps, 1,2-dichloroethane is a precursor to 1,1,1-trichloroethane, which is used
in dry cleaning. Historically, 1,2-dichloroethane was used as an anti-knock additive in leaded
fuels to scavenge lead from cylinders and valves preventing build up.

Nearly 20 million tons of 1,2-dichloroethane are produced in the United States, Western
Europe, and Japan.[7] Production is primarily achieved through the iron(III) chloride-catalysed
reaction of ethene (ethylene) and chlorine.

H2C=CH2 + Cl2 2 2Cl

1,2-dichloroethane is also generated by the copper(II) chloride-catalysed oxychlorination of

ethylene:

2 H2C=CH2 + 4 HCl + O2 2 2Cl + 2 H2O

In principle, it can be prepared by the chlorination of ethane and, less directly, from ethanol.

1,2-Dichloroethane is toxic (especially by inhalation due to its high vapour pressure),

highly flammable, and possibly carcinogenic. Its high solubility and 50-year half-
life in anoxic aquifers make it a perennial pollutant and health risk that is very expensive to
treat conventionally, requiring a method of bioremediation. While the chemical is not used in
consumer products manufactured in the U.S., a case was reported in 2009 of moulded plastic
consumer products (toys and holiday decorations) from China that released 1,2-dichloroethane
into homes at levels high enough to produce cancer risk. Substitutes are recommended and will
vary according to application. Dioxolane and toluene are possible substitutes as
solvents. Dichloroethane is unstable in the presence of aluminium metal and, when moist,
with zinc and iron.

ETHANE :

Ethane is an organic chemical compound with chemical formula C2H6. At standard

temperature and pressure, ethane is a colorless, odourless gas. Like many hydrocarbons, ethane
is isolated on an industrial scale from natural gas and as a petrochemical by-product
of petroleum refining. Its chief use is as feedstock for ethylene production.

Related compounds may be formed by replacing a hydrogen atom with another functional
group; the ethane moiety is called an ethyl group. For example, an ethyl group linked to
a hydroxyl group yields ethanol, the alcohol in beverages.
After methane, ethane is the second-largest component of natural gas. Natural gas from
different gas fields varies in ethane content from less than 1% to more than 6% by volume.
Prior to the 1960s, ethane and larger molecules were typically not separated from the methane
component of natural gas, but simply burnt along with the methane as a fuel. Today, ethane is
an important petrochemical feedstock and is separated from the other components of natural
gas in most well-developed gas fields. Ethane can also be separated from petroleum gas, a
mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons produced as a by-product of petroleum refining. Economics
of building and running processing plants can change, however. If the relative value of sending
the unprocessed natural gas to a consumer exceeds the value of extracting ethane, ethane
extraction might not be run, which could cause operational issues managing the changing
quality of the gas in downstream systems.

Ethane is most efficiently separated from methane by liquefying it at cryogenic temperatures.

Various refrigeration strategies exist: the most economical process presently in wide use
employs a turboexpander, and can recover more than 90% of the ethane in natural gas. In this
process, chilled gas is expanded through a turbine
mperature, gaseous methane can be separated from the liquefied ethane
and heavier hydrocarbons by distillation. Further distillation then separates ethane from
the propane and heavier hydrocarbons.

Properties of ethane:

At standard temperature and pressure, ethane is a colourless, odourless gas. It has a boiling

in several modifications. Cooling under normal pressure, the first modification to appear is
a plastic crystal, crystallizing in the cubic system. In this form, the positions of the hydrogen
atoms are not fixed; the molecules may rotate freely around the long axis. Cooling this ethane
below ca. 89.9 space
group P 21/n). Ethane is only very sparingly soluble in water.

Chlorine:

Chlorine is a chemical element with symbol Cl and atomic number 17. The second-lightest of
the halogens, it appears between fluorine and bromine in the periodic table and its properties
are mostly intermediate between them. Chlorine is a yellow-green gas at room temperature. It
is an extremely reactive element and a strong oxidising agent: among the elements, it has the
highest electron affinity and the third-highest electronegativity, behind only oxygen and
fluorine.

Elemental chlorine is commercially produced from brine by electrolysis. The high oxidising
potential of elemental chlorine led to the development of
commercial bleaches and disinfectants, and a reagent for many processes in the chemical
industry. Chlorine is used in the manufacture of a wide range of consumer products, about two-
thirds of them organic chemicals such as polyvinyl chloride, and many intermediates for the
production of plastics and other end products which do not contain the element. As a common
disinfectant, elemental chlorine and chlorine-generating compounds are used more directly
in swimming pools to keep them clean and sanitary..

Properties of chlorine:

Chlorine is the second halogen, being a nonmental in group 17 of the periodic table. Its
properties are thus similar to fluorine, bromine, and iodine, and are largely intermediate
between those of the first two. Chlorine has the electron configuration [Ne]3s23p5, with the
seven electrons in the third and outermost shell acting as its valence electrons. Like all
halogens, it is thus one electron short of a full octet, and is hence a strong oxidising agent,
reacting with many elements in order to complete its outer shell.[29] Corresponding to periodic
trends, it is intermediate in electronegativity between fluorine and bromine (F: 3.98, Cl: 3.16,
Br: 2.96, I: 2.66), and is less reactive than fluorine and more reactive than bromine. It is also a
weaker oxidising agent than fluorine, but a stronger one than bromine. Conversely,
the chloride ion is a weaker reducing agent than bromide, but a stronger one than fluoride.
DEMAND AND SUPPLY OF PRODUCT:

Ethylene dichloride (EDC) is used primarily for the production of vinyl chloride monomer
(VCM), which is itself used mainly in the polymerization manufacture of polyvinyl chloride
(PVC). EDC is also used as an intermediate in the manufacture of chlorinated solvents and
ethyleneimines, and as a solvent in the textile, metal cleaning, and adhesive industries.

In 2016, 98% of EDC consumption was for VCM production. Western Europe, China, and the
United States have the most significant EDC consumption for non-VCM uses primarily for
chlorinated solvents, ethyleneimines, and vinylidene chloride.

The following pie chart shows world consumption of ethylene dichloride:

Ethylene dichloride is made principally by the direct chlorination or oxychlorination of

ethylene. Most EDC plants are integrated with VCM plants. The VCM process generates
considerable quantities of hydrogen chloride (HCl), which is then recycled in the
oxychlorination unit to generate more EDC; the cycle continues, allowing the complete
conversion of input chlorine. VCM is then purified and sent to storage.
VCM can also be made by the hydrochlorination of acetylene, using HCl as a chlorine source.
This process is used mainly in China, where integrated coal chemical sites are still under
development. Even though the acetylene process for VCM production is energy intensive in its
first stage the production of calcium carbide there is strong motivation to pursue this route
in provinces with large coal resources. However, with the recent drop in crude oil prices,
expansion of acetylene-based technology in China has slowed; the ethylene/EDC route to VCM
has become more competitive and is more environmentally friendly and sustainable.

EDC plants are usually integrated upstream to chlor-alkali units and downstream to VCM units.
To achieve even better economics, fur
desirable. Most vinyl companies follow the ethylene route, using ethylene and chlorine as the
main building blocks, and are balanced in chlorine so their direct chlorination capacity is
roughly equal t by-
product anhydrous HCl from other operations. Producers in the United States, Western Europe,
and South Korea oxychlorination a large volume of by-product HCl streams from isocyanate,
fluorocarbon, and silicone operations. By expanding oxychlorination capacity, South Korea
has reduced the need for virgin chlorine production for direct chlorination.

Occidental Chemical (Oxy), Formosa Group, Westlake, Shin-Etsu, and INOVYN are the top
five EDC producers in the world, together accounting for more than one-third of the total global
capacity in 2016.

Global consumption of EDC is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 2.0% over the
next five years.
PHYSICAL SELECTION AND DISCRIPTION:
Chemical formula CH2ClCH2Cl

CAS no. 107-06-2

Names: Ethylene dichloride,1,2-dichloro ethane, sym-dichloroethane, ethylene chloride, EDC,

Dutch liquid, Dutch oil

Elemental composition;

Carbon 24.27%

Hydrogen 4.07%

Chlorine 71.66%

FLASH POINT

Open cup 18

Closed cup 12.85

Index of refraction 1.4421 at 25

Freezing point -35.66

Explosives limits in air 6-16%

Flash Point: 992)

Lower Explosive Limit (LEL): 6.2 % (NTP, 1992)

Upper Explosive Limit (UEL): 15.9 % (NTP, 1992)

Autoignition Temperature:

Melting Point: -

Vapor Pressure:

Vapor Density (Relative to Air): 3.4 (NTP, 1992)

Specific Gravity:

Boiling Point:
Molecular Weight: 98.96 (NTP, 1992)

Water Solubility:

Ionization Potential: 11.05 eV (NIOSH, 2016)

IDLH: 50 ppm; A potential occupational carcinogen. (NIOSH, 2016)

HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT EFFECT:

Health Effects:

Inhalation:
Overexposure to vapours may result in dizziness, drowsiness, depression, headache, nausea,
mental dullness, loss of coordination, or in extreme cases, death. Overexposure can damage
the liver and kidneys.
Eye Contact:
If liquid EDC is splashed in the eyes, it may result in pain, irritation, and watery eyes. If it is
promptly removed by washing, no significant injury should occur. If not removed, serious
damage may be the result.

Skin Contact:
When EDC is left on the skin, severe irritation can occur. Prolonged exposure of the skin to
EDC will the affected area to become red, rough and
dry and can lead to contact dermatitis.
Ingestion:
Accidental ingestion of EDC may result in irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, nausea,
vomiting, diarrhoea, unconsciousness and even death. Death may occur due to central nervous
system and cardiovascular system depression. EDC is a liver and kidney poison.
Cancer Studies:
Cancer has been observed in studies of rats and mice that were fed large quantities of EDC. In
other studies, in which rats and mice were exposed to EDC vapours, no specific type of tumour
increase was noted. The doses that were administered to the laboratory animals were much
higher than the amounts to which humans are exposed in manufacturing facilities? Also, the
inhalation route of exposure is more relevant for human exposure. EDC vapor has not been
associated with cancer in humans.

Reproductive Studies:
Based on rodent studies, EDC is not expected to effect fertility. There are no conclusive data
to suggest that EDC is a reproductive hazard.
Developmental Studies:

Overall, the available information does not indicate that EDC is a developmental toxicant in
animals at doses below those that cause other toxic effects. There are no conclusive data to
suggest that EDC is a developmental hazard.

Environmental Effects:

If released to land, EDC is expected to have high mobility in soil, and it may travel to
underground water sources. Volatilization from moist surfaces is expected to be an important
fate process. The potential for volatilization from dry soil surfaces also exists based on the
vapor pressure. Biodegradation is not expected to be an important environmental fate process
in soil based on a variety of degradation tests.
When EDC is released to surface water, its primary loss will be by volatilization. The half-
lives for a model river and a model lake are 4 hours and 4 days, respectively. Hydrolysis is not
expected to be an important environmental fate process because EDC lacks functional groups
that hydrolyse. Chemical and biological degradation is expected to be very slow. Adsorption
to suspended solids and sediment is not expected.
When released to air, EDC will exist as a vapor in the ambient atmosphere. It will degrade by
reaction with hydroxyl radicals that are formed photochemically in the atmosphere. The half-
life is estimated to be 63 days.
EDC has exhibited moderate toxicity in fish. This compound is not expected to bioconcentrate
in fish due to its low octanol/water partition coefficient (1.48). The measured log BCF in
bluegill sunfish is 0.30
AVAILABLE PROCESS:
Ethylene dichloride is manufactured in the United States by direct chlorination of ethylene,
oxychlorination of ethylene, or a combination of these methods. In the direct chlorination
process ethylene is treated with chlorine in the presence of a catalyst to produce EDC. Either
vapor- or liquid-phase reactions may be used, but undesirable side products are obtained unless
conditions are controlled carefully. In one vapor-phase procedure, product yields of 96 to 98

ethylene dibromide, which acts as a catalyst. Other direct chlorination procedures exist that
differ primarily in reaction conditions and catalyst. Catalysts mentioned most often in the
patent literature include ferric, aluminium, cupric, and antimony chlorides. In 1974 the direct
chlorination of ethylene accounted for 58 percent of the U.S. production of ethylene dichloride.
Ethylene dichloride is also manufactured commercially by treating ethylene with anhydrous
hydrogen chloride and oxygen (or air) in a fluidized bed of finely divided particles containing
cupric chloride. Typically, the reactive pressure and temperature are maintained at 20 to 70 psi

Where EDC is produced for use in the manufacture of vinyl chloride, the oxychlorination and
direct chlorination processes are often used together in what is known as the balanced process.
In the balanced process, EDC is synthesized by the direct chlorination process and is then
dehydrochlorinated, resulting in the production of vinyl chloride monomer and byproduct HCl.
Manufacturers take advantage of the byproduct HCl by using it in the oxychlorination process
to produce more EDC.

Ethylene dichloride is used primarily as a chemical intermediate in the synthesis of other

compounds. The current uses of EDC are listed in figure, along with the percentage of the total
product devoted to each use. Synthesis of vinyl chloride accounts for 81 percent of the annual
United States consump- ion of EDC while the synthesis of methyl chloroform(1,1,1-
trichloroethane), ethyleneimines, perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene, and vinylidene chloride
(1,1-dichloroethene) accounts for another 14 percent of consumption. Ethylene dichloride is
also used as a scavenger for lead in gasoline. The EDC decomposes during combustion, with
the chlorine atoms binding to the lead in the gasoline to form gaseous lead species. Thus, engine
fouling with lead oxides or other solid lead species is prevented. The use of EDC as a lead
scavenger in gasoline accounted for about l percent of then1980 production. However, this use
declined by 30 percent in 198O and is expected to decline further because of the decreasing
production of leaded gasolines.

Minor uses of ethylene dichloride are in textile cleaning and processing, in formulations of
acrylic-type adhesives, as a product intermediate for polysulfide elastomers, as a constituent of
polysulfide rubber cements, in the manufacture of grain fumigants, and as a cleaning and
extraction solvent. Of the estimated consumption of EDC by minor uses, about 28 percent is
used in the manufacture of paints, coatings, and adhesives. Extracting oil from seeds, treating
animal fats, and processing pharmaceutical products account for 23 percent. An additional 19
percent is consumed in cleaning textile products and polyvinyl chloride manufacturing
equipment. Nearly 11 percent is used in the preparation of polysulfide compounds. Grain
fumigation requires about 10 percent. Then remaining 9 percent is used as a carrier for amines
in leaching copper ores, in the manufacture of colour film, as a diluent for pesticides and
herbicides, and for other miscellaneous purposes.
Method of manufacturing:

1. Direct chlorination

Chemical reaction:

-CH2-CH2-Cl

Fig: Direct Chlorination Process

Ethylene dichloride (EDC) Is produced from ethylene and chlorine by direct chlorination, and
from ethylene and hydrogen chloride (HCl)by oxychlorination. At most production facilities,
these processes are used together in what is known as the balanced process. This section
discusses EDC emissions from this process.

The direct chlorination process generally is used wherever EDC and vinyl chloride monomer
(VCM) are produced at the same facility. As noted, in Section 1, about 81 percent of the EDC
produced domestically is used in the manufacture of VCM. In VCM production, EDC
dehydrochlorinated to yield VCM and byproduct HCl. In the process, byproduct HCl from
VCM production via the-direct chlorination/dehydrochlorination process is used in the
oxychlorination/dehydrochlorination process.

The balanced process consists of an oxychlorination operation, a direct chlorination operation,

and product finishing and waste treatment operations. The raw materials for the direct
chlorination process are chlorine and ethylene. Oxychlorination involves the treatment of
ethylene with oxygen and HCl. Oxygen for oxychlorination generally, is added by feeding air
to the reactor, although some plants use purified oxygen as feed material. Basic operations that
may be used in a balanced process using air for the oxychlorination step are shown in Figure.
Actual flow diagrams for production facilities will vary.

The process begins with ethylene being fed by pipeline to both the oxychlorination reactor and
the direct chlorination reactor. In the oxychlorination reactor the ethylene, anhydrous hydrogen
chloride, and air are mixed at molar proportions of about 2:4:1, respectively, producing 2 moles
of EDC and 2 moles of water. T
either a fixed-bed or fluid-bed reactor. A mixture of copper chloride and other chlorides is used
as a catalyst.

PROCESS DISCRIPTION

C2H4 and Cl2 are mixed and sent to the liquid phase reactor.

Here, the feed mixture bubbles through the ethylene dichloride product medium.

2 atms.

The reaction is exothermic. Therefore, energy is removed using either cooling jacket or
external heat exchanger.

To facilitate better conversion, circulating reactor designs are used.

FeCl3 traces are also added to serve as catalyst.

The vapour products are cooled to produce two products namely a vapour product and a liquid
product. The liquid product is partially recycled back to the reactor to maintain the liquid
medium concentration.

The vapour product is sent to a refrigeration unit for further cooling which will further extract
ethylene dichloride to liquid phase and makes the vapour phase bereft of the product.

The liquid product is crude ethylene dichloride with traces of HCl. Therefore, acid wash is
carried out first with dilute NaOH to obtain crude ethylene dichloride. A settling tank is allowed
to separate the spent NaOH solution and crude C2H4Cl2 (as well liquid).

The crude ethylene dichloride eventually enters a distillation column that separates the
ethylene dichloride from the other heavy end products.

The vapour phase stream is sent to a dilute NaOH solution to remove HCl and produce the
spent NaOH solution. The off gases consist of H2, CH4, C2H4 and C2H6.
2. oxychlorination
Chemical reaction:

-CH2-CH2-Cl + H2O

Fig: Oxychlorination Process

The products of reaction from the oxychlorination reactor with water, cooled, and sent to a
knockout drum, where EDC and water are condensed. The condensed stream enters a decanter,
where crude EDC is separated from the aqueous phase. The crude EDC is transferred to in-
process storage, and the aqueous phase is recycled to the quench step. Nitrogen and other inert
gases are released to the atmosphere.

The concentration of EDC in the vent stream is reduced by absorber and stripper columns or
by are frigerated condenser in the direct chlorination step of the balanced process, equimolar
amounts of ethylene (Stream 1) and chlorine (Stream 8) are reacted at a temperature of 38 to
commercial plants carry out the reaction in the
liquid phase in the presence of a ferric chloride catalyst. Products (Stream 9) from the direct
chlorination reactor are cooled and washed with water to remove dissolved hydrogen chloride
before being transferred to the crude EDC storage facility. Any inert gas fed with the ethylene
or chlorine is released to the atmosphere from the cooler (Vent B). The waste wash water is
neutralized and sent to the wastewater steam stripper along with neutralized wastewater
(Stream 13) from the oxychlorination quench area and the wastewater from the drying column.
The overheads from the wastewater steam stripper, which consist of recovered EDC other
chlorinated hydrocarbons, and water, are returned to the process by adding them to the crude
EDC (Stream 10) going to the water wash.

Crude EDC from in-process storage goes to the drying column, where water Is distilled
overhead and sent to the wastewater steam stripper. The dry crude EDC goes to the heads
column, which removes light ends for storage and disposal or sale. Bottoms (Stream 19) from
the head column enter the EDC finishingcolumn, where EDC goes overhead to product storage.
The tars from the EDC finishing column (Stream 21) are taken to tar storage for disposal or
sale.

Two domestic EDC producers use oxygen as the oxidant in the oxychlorination reactor. The
process details are considered to be
confidential by both producers. Although conceptual descriptions of such processes are given
in the literature, it is not known how the actual processes compare with those described in the
literature. One producer has released data showing that the plant is not truly balanced; that is,
the ratio of EDC from oxychlorination and direct chlorination differs from that of a balanced
plant. However, because both producers have direct chlorination, EDC purification and c
racking, and VCM purification steps at the same site, both plants probably can be considered
to have integrated processes. Another producer uses only the oxychlorination process and does
not use direct chlorination.

Figure shows basic operations that may be used in an oxygen-based oxychlorination process
as presented in the literature. For a balanced process plant, the direct chlorination and
purification steps are the same as those shown in figure, and, therefore, are not shown again in
Figure. Ethylene is fed in large excess of the amount used in the air oxychlorination process,
that is, 2 to 3 times the amount needed to fully consume the HCl feed Oxygen is also fed to the
reactor, which may be either a fixed bed or a fluid bed. After passing through the condensation
step in the quench area, the reaction products go to a knockout drum, where the condensed
crude EDC and water produced by the oxychlorination reaction are separated from the
unreacted ethylene and the inert gases from the knock out drums the crude EDC and water go
to a decanter, where waste water is separated from the crude EDC which goes to in-process
storage as in the air-based process. The wastewater Is sent to the steam stripper in the direct
chlorination step or recovery of dissolved organics. The vent gases from the knockout drum go
to a caustic scrubber for removal of HCl and carbon dioxide. The purified vent gases are then
compressed and recycled to the oxychlorination reactor as part of the ethylene feed. A small
amount of the vent gas from the knockout drum is purged to prevent build-up of the inert gases
entering with the feed streams or formed durin the reaction
MATERIAL BALANCE
BASIS

1. Total production = 210 ton/day

2. Working hours = 24 hours
3. Working days= 300 days
4. Production rate=8750 kg/hr

Process unit:

Fluidized bed reactor

Quench column

Water wash reactor

Distillation coloumn

Chemical reaction

-CH2-CH2-Cl

GIVEN DATA:

EDC Produced = 210 tons/day

M.W of C2H4 = 28 g/mol

M.W of CI2 = 71 g/mol

M.W of C2H4CI2 = 99 g/mol

OVERALL MATERIAL BALANCE:

Assumption - 100 % conversion

Input=output

Flow rate of EDC = 8750 kg/hr.

= 8750000 g/hr.

Moles of EDC is = 8750000/99

= 88383.83 mol/hr

One mol of EDC = 1 mol of C2H4

Weight of C2H4/28 = 88383.83 mol/hr.

Weight of C2H4 = 2774747.47 g/hr.

Weight of Cl2/71 = 88383.83 mol/hr.

= 62752521.93 g/hr

= 6275.257 kg/hr.

Input (C2H4+CI2) = Output (CH2CH2CI2)

(2474.74+6275.25) kg/hr = 8750 kg/hr

So, mass in = mass out.

ENERGY BALANCE:

-CH2-CH2-Cl

Accumulation of energy in system = input of system into system output of energy from
system

U+ Q-W

Name Ethylene Chlorine EDC

Molecular Formula C2H4 Cl2 C2H4Cl2

Molecular Weight 28.05 70.906 98.96

Normal B.P ( ) -103.8 -34.5 83.4

Critical 282.2 417 561

Temperature( )

Critical Pressure(Bar) 50.4 77 53.7

Critical 129 124 220

volume(c3/mol)

Liquid 577 (-110) 1563(-34) 1250(16)

density(Kg/m3)

Hn at nbp kJ/mol 13.553 20.432 32.029

Explosion limit in 2-36 None 6-16

air(%)
GIVEN DATA1:

Inlet temperature of C2H4 = 28

Outlet temperature of C2H4 = 40

Heat capacity of C2H4 = 1.5Kj/Kg k

Mass flow rate of C2H4 = 2474.4Kg/hr

Enthalpy of C2H4 = 52.4Kj/mol

Enthalpy of Cl2 = 121 Kj/mol

Enthalpy of C2H4Cl2 = -120.4Kj/mol

H (heat of reaction) = enthalpy of product enthalpy of reactant

= -126.4-52.4-121

=-299.8Kj/mol

It is an exothermic reaction

= 2474.74*12*1.5

= 44545.32kJ/hr
HTC Temp(deg Enthalpy(Kcal/hr) Temp(deg Enthalpy(Kcal/hr)
Section C) C)

Input Output

Ethylene to 28 17925 EDC 40 99192

HTC produced
reactors from HTC
Chlorine to 35 16105 Purge 125 5200
HTC from HTC
reactors Tarstil
Air to HTC 30 773.25 Condenser 4500000
Duty in
HTC
Steam to 185 Condenser 200000
reboiler 1530000 duty in
duty HTC
Tarstil
Steam to 185 143000 Vent -20 644
HTC gases
Tarstil duty from HTC
LE 50 1961700 EDC 225000
coloumn produced
bottom to cooler
HTC duty
Vaporise 180 352400 Chiller 28000
purge to duty in
HTC HTC
4021903 5058036
REFERANCES:
1.Method for heat recovery in ethylene dichloride in the structure composite
dichloroethane/vinyl chloride, and device suitable for same.

M Braun- US Patent 9,334,209,2016

2.Production of ethylene dichloride from a methane conversion process

JC Bricker, JQ Chen, PK Coughlin-US patent 9,308,513,2016

3.Process for the Manufacture of ethylene dichloride

GA Olah-US Patent 4,737,594,1988-Google Patents

4.https://developer.tizen.org/devguide/2.4/org.tizen.ui.practices/html/native/efl/edje_intro_n.h
tm

5. https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane

6. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/chlorine

7.https://www.oxy.com/ourbusinesses/chemicals/products/documents/ethylenedichloride/edc.
pdf

8. Jamie Clark, Qixiu Li, Greg Lilik, Nicole Reed, Chunmei Wang (Novel Design of an
Integrated Pulp Mill Bio refinery for the Production of Biofuels for Transportation),(2007).
9- Ohno, Y., ShikadaT.Ogawa, T.O, MMizuguchi, M., Preprints of Papers Presented at the
213th ACS National Meeting, Div. of Fuel Chemistry, (1997),705-709.