can you see the equations below

/ + 9
5

lol
2

69
962
IGNORE THIs
ssues to address
reactor 2 :
O2 reacted is currently only based on main reaction but not side reaction, although side
reactions use a small amount of oxygen. Insignificant but still an issue
Absorber:
1% assume is fine but confirm?
Need realistic water input.
Solvent extraction column:
Recycle stream based on solvent recovery column and waste tower? possibly solved from
iteration]
Solvent flow rate needs to be more realistic. At least above the total feed of acids going in?
Separation of water is an assumption. Is it realistic?
Solvent recovery column:
Water assumption for recycle stream in solvent extraction carries forward in this.
0.5% for Acids go to top stream. Is it realistic?
Waste tower:
Water and solvent problems from solvent extraction carried forward. Where separation of
both needs a more realistic
Water split between top and bottom product needs to be more realistic?
Acid tower:
Literature values for purity don't add up. The values are insignificant but maybe then can be
improved?

Over all reaction

C3H6 + 1.5 O2 C3H4O2 + H2O (1)
Desired production rate of acrylic acid is 100,000 tonnes per year
so 11415 kg/hr
1 to 1 ratio.
But overall conversion about 70% propylene Acrylic Acid
Moles of Propylene =

11415
1
x 42 x 1 x
72
0.7

=9512.5 kg/hr=226.29 kmol/hr

Reactor 1
CH2=CHCH3 +O2 CH2=CHCHO +H2O
Propylene+Oxygen Acrolein water
Propylene to Acetic and propylene to acrylic acid is a 1:1 ratio.
reactor 1
input

Kg/Hr

kmol/hr

Propylene

9512.5

226.49

Air

52545.24

1811.9

water(Steam)

16307.14

905.95

O2

12176

380.5

nitrogen

40079.33

1431.4

Sum

7.81E+004

2.94E+003

Output

Kg/Hr

kmol/hr

acrolein

8887.85

158.54

Acrylic acid

1793.79

24.91

water(steam)

19160.89

1064.49

O2(input-reacted)

4928.38

154.01

Acetic Acid

1292.06

21.52

CO2

946.72

21.52

N2

40079.33

1431.4

sum

7.71E+004

2.88E+003

Constants

propylene

air

steam

Feed ratio

Conversion propylene to 0.7

acrolein
Conversion propylene to 0.11
acrylic acid
propylene to products
conversion

0.19

Propylene is fed in. Amount of air and steam input is based on the ratio 1:8:4
The by products are Acetic acid and CO2 and it is assumed they are produced in equal quantities.

Reactor 2
reactor 2
input

Kg/Hr

kmol/hr

Acrolein

8887.85

158.54

O2

4928.38

154.01

N2

40079.33

1431.4

water( Steam)

19160.89

1064.49

Acrylic acid

1793.79

24.91

Acetic acid

1292.06

21.52

CO2

946.72

21.52

sum

7.71E+004

2.88E+003

Output

Kg/Hr

kmol/hr

Acrylic acid + Reactor 1

12923.41

179.49

O2(input O2 -reacted )

2455.13

76.72

N2

40079.33

1431.40

CO2

1121.12

25.48

Acetic Acid

1530.07

25.48

water

19160.89

1064.49

sum

7.73E+004

2.80E+003

Conversion to acrylic acid(also applied to O2

reacted)

0.98

by products conversion

0.03

CH2=CHCHO + O2CH2=CHCOOH
Acrolein +Oxygen Acrylic Acid
Acrolein to Acrylic acid 1:1 ratio

Absorber
absorber
input

Kg/Hr

kmol/hr

Acrylic Acid

12923.41

179.49

Acetic Acid

1530.07

25.48

CO2

1121.12

25.48

O2

2455.13

76.72

N2

40079.33

1431.41

water(steam)

19160.89

1064.49

Water for absorption of acids 13282.17

737.90

Sum

90600.00

3540.00

Output

Kg/Hr

kmol/hr

c02

11.21

0.25

n2

400.79

14.31

o2

24.55

0.77

acrylic acid

1.29

0.02

acetic acid

0.15

0.0025

water(new feed)

30526.9714285714

1695.9428571429

water(Steam)

1916.0892857143

106.4494047619

acrylic acid

12794.1766071429

177.6968973214

acetic acid

1514.7679520089

25.2251116071

Sum

9.06E+004

3.54E+003

Top

Bottom

top by product impurity

0.01

Steam condensation

0.9

amount of steam left

0.1

All gases plus an insignificant amount acetic and acrylic acid leave through top stream.
Water absorbs the Acids.
Steam condenses to water.
Amount of water required to ensure proper absorption of acids is about: 3.6 x the amount of acids.

Solvent Extraction Column

Solvent extraction column
input

Kg/Hr

kmol/hr

Acrylic Acid

177.70

Acetic Acid

25.23

Water

1695.94

Recycle
Acrylic Acid

0.89

Acetic Acid

0.13

Water

1756.71

Totals
Acrylic Acid Total

12858.15

178.59

Acetic Acid Total

1522.341603184

25.35

Water Total

62147.7394498582

3452.65

Solvent

771.10

Sum

7.65E+004

4.43E+003

Output

Kg/Hr

kmol/hr

Acrylic Acid

12793.86

177.69

Acetic Acid

235.62

25.22

Water

1055.70

61.46

Top

Solvent

747.97

Bottom
Acrylic Acid

64.29

0.89

Acetic

7.57

0.13

water

61029.08

3390.50

Solvent
Sum

23.13
7.65E+004

4.43E+003
TOP

Bottom

Solvent Exaction (Acids extracted)

0.995

Solvent ratio top/bottom

0.97

0.03

water ratio top:bottom

0.0178

0.982

Solvent required(multiplied by amount of acrylic and acetic acid 3.8

Solvent extracts acids from mixture and stream goes to solvent recovery column(top stream).
Remaining water is sent to waste tower where water is purified(bottom stream).
Recycle input was found be iteration until convergence.

Solvent recovery column

Solvent recovery column
input

Kg/Hr

kmol/hr

Acrylic Acid

12793.86

177.69

Acetic Acid

1514.73

25.22

water

1106.23

61.46

solvent

747.97

Sum

15400.00

1010.00

Output

Kg/Hr

kmol/hr

Top
Solvent

747.97

Acrylic acid

63.97

0.89

Acetic Acid

7.57

0.13

water

1106.23

61.46

Acrylic Acid

12729.89

176.80

Acetic Acid

1507.16

25.10

Sum

1.54E+004

1.01E+003

Bottom

Top

Bottom

Acrylic Acid top( equal for acetic

0.005
acid)
Acids are removed from solvent. Acid can't be extracted to 100% so it is then recycled to the
solvent extraction column.

waste tower
waste tower
input

Kg/Hr

kmol/hr

acrylic acid

64.29

0.89

acetic acid

7.57

0.13

water

61029.08

3390.50

solvent

23.13

Sum

61100.00

3410.00

Output

Kg/Hr

kmol/hr

Overhead
solvent
water

23.13
30514.54

1695.25

water

30514.54

1695.25

acetic acid

7.57

0.13

acrylic acid

64.29

0.89

Sum

61100.00

3410.00

Bottom

water ratio top/bottom

0.5
0.5
Water and solvent is separated and recycled to solvent extraction coluumn.
Bottom stream is waste water.

Acid Tower
Acid Tower
input

Kg/Hr

kmol/hr

acrylic acid

12729.89

176.80

acetic acid

1507.16

25.10

Output

Kg/Hr

kmol/hr

acetic acid

1431.80

23.84

acrylic acid

90.35

1.25

acetic acid

53.09

0.88

acrylic acid

12666.24

175.92

Overhead

Bottom

Acetic
Top
Bottom
So bottom stream has purer acrylic acid composition
so
175.92 kmol/hr = 12266.24 kg/hr
so
1226.24 x24x365= 11092262.4 kg/year
=107 452 tons/year

Acrylic
0.95

0.05

0.005

0.995

Energy Balance
Integrated Cp equation
2

C2T
C3T C4T
C4T
CpL = C1T +
+
+
+
2
3
4
5
Reactor 1
Heat propylene
473

m (Hf ) cpdt
298

kmol
kj
kj
+
dt
hr
kmol kmol k