The Industrial Manufacture of Chemical CompoundsStep-Up

Introduction• Welcome! • Personal Introduction• What today’s topic will cover…

Contents• What factors do we need to consider

in design of a plant?• Types of industrial processes• What factors are important in

running a plant?

Key design factors• What do we want to make?• In what quantities? (cost constraints / demand

constraints, competition already in this market)• How will we manufacture? (Differences in

processes)• Where do we locate the facility?• How can we ensure safe production?• What environmental /local or national legislation

considerations are there?• What are the costs associated with start up?• What systems will be used to operate the facility

(people and shifts)?

What and how much do we want to make?• Will this plant make only one product or

many products?– Examples are sulphuric acid, sodium

hydroxide, dyestuffs, perfumes• How much will we make?

– 10g, 10kgs or 10,000T

The answers to these questions will determine how we will manufacture

Key Business Decision• How are we going to make the

product? - We need ‘Know-how’ - We need a production ‘blueprint’ - We need to decide on the equipment that is is needed - We need a strategy – decide on our method of making the product

Examples of Processes• Single unit production process –

Single Job production e.g. manufacture of a hand-made detailed /complex piece of furniture

• Mass production – using machines and people to repeat simple production tasks to quickly build many of the same products e.g.Cars

Manufacturing processes• Batch process - A process that is not in

continuous or mass production; operations are carried out with discrete quantities of material or a limited number of items (1T of X and 2T of Y)

• Continuous process -Industrial process that continuously receives raw materials and processes them through to completed units (1T/h of X and 2T/h of Y)

Batch Production  

                                                                                                                                                                                 

   

                                                                                                                                                                                 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                 

 

Continuous Processing 

                                                                                                                                                                                 

   

                                                                                                                                                                                 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                 

Manufacture of Aspirin – batch process

Pronunciations: Salicylic:Sally-sillic

Examples of batch processes

• Pharmacuticals (substances with medicinal properties)

• Agrochemicals (pesticides, fertilizers, fungicides)

• Dyestuffs (food dyes, clothing dyes, industrial dyes)

• Food additives(preservatives, enhancers, the ‘E’s in food)

• Perfumes• Vitamins• Pigments

Advantages of batch processes• Good for small amounts of speciality

chemicals• Make a range of products using same

equipment• Can schedule maintenance & inspections

to equipment in between batches• Good for developing new products• Easier to scale up from lab scale• Generally cheaper set up costs• Employees understand the process well

Disadvantages of batch processing• Frequent start up and shutdown of

equipment – DOWNTIME!!• Cleaning time between batches• May be batch to batch variability• Not good for bulk chemical

production

Examples of Continuous Processes• Sulphuric acid production• Sodium hydroxide production• Ammonia• Petrol• Chlorine• Methanol

Advantages of Continuous Processing• Good for large volumes (bulk

chemicals)• Fewer start up and shutdowns –

UPTIME!!• Potentially greater yields • Potentially easier to maintain quality

or spot out of specification product sooner

Disadvantages of Continuous Processing• Requires periodic shutdown of whole

plant for inspection and maintenance• May rely on critical pieces of

equipment which have the potential to stop production on whole plant

• Higher initial costs• Employees knowledge of the

process is limited

Short Discussion : Synthetic Rubber Production

Designing in Safety• Sets of legal and business standards to which

plants must comply• Process Safety Management• What if?• Risk assessment

Key at the design stage is to review proposed design, identify hazards and engineer them out. If the hazard cannot be eliminated then the risk must be reduced using various means.

Examples of Safety Devices – hierarchy of control• Relief Valves • Rupture discs• Conservation vents• Failsafe logic• Process Interlocks• Alarms, monitoring of process conditions• Physical barriers• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)• Training of personnel

Key Environmental Considerations• International/national laws • Governmental conditions (licence to

operate)• Again key is to eliminate or minimise

at design stage.• If can’t eliminate then must look at

containment and treatment.

What will this Cost?• Fixed Capital investment – Total

cost of the plant ready for start up.• Working Capital investment –

additional investment required over and above fixed capital to start the plant up and operate it to a point where income is generated.

Types of Costs

Fixed Capital Investment

1. Concrete and steel

2. Equipment

3. Piping

4. Instrumentation

5. Buildings for process and other eg offices

6. Storage facilities

7. Utilities provision

8. Design and engineering costs

9. Contractors fees

Working Capital Investment

1. Start up

2. Initial catalyst charges

3. Raw materials

4. Finished Product Inventories

Non Capital Investment

1. People involved in start up

2. Travel

3. Training

How will we run the plant?

• Will it be 24/7 operation?• How many people?• What skills do they require

(operating technicians, maintenance technicians, engineers)?

• What support staff (HR, admin,finance, IT)?

An Oil Refinery

Photo courtesy Phillips Petroleum Company

http://science.howstuffworks.com/oil-refining.htm/printable

Fractional distillation of Crude Oil

Can be processed further to make other products

CHEMETICS

SulphateRemoval

Demin. Water

ChlorinePacking, Filling

Vaporization

HypoProduct

ChlorineStorage

BrineSaturation

PrimaryTreatment

SecondaryTreatment

BrineDechlorination

Electrolysis

Salt

DCRectification

AC Power Supply

Demineralized Water

HydrogenHandling

CausticStorage

ChlorineCompression

ChlorineDrying

HClStorage

ChlorineLiquefaction

CausticProduct

HClProduct

HypoProduction

HypoDestruction

ChlorineProduct

Sodium Sulphite

ChlorateDestruction

HypoStorage

HClProduction

CausticConcentration

Sulphuric AcidCarbon Dioxide

To HypoHCl

HCl

Sulphuric Acid

NaOH

NaOH

Chlor-Alkali

http://www.akerkvaerner.com/NR/rdonlyres/A078B10E-6369-48E5-9E2D-ECD2BFE2E628/12091/ProcessFigure1.PPT

Electrolysis

http://encarta.msn.com/media_461541587/Chloralkali_Electrolysis.html

Agrochemical Production

• Bulk chemicals production –how do you think you would manufacture?

• Fertilisers – what hazards exist in design and production?

Aim of Production

To make first time, first quality product, safely, with maximum yield

The Haber ProcessN2(g) + 3H2(g) → 2NH3(g) ΔHo = -92.4 kJ/mol

•Reversible Reaction

• Exothermic reaction – best yield obtained at lower temperatures but rate of reaction is too slow so increased temperature is used.

• Catalyst is used to help speed up the reaction rate

• Increased pressure increases yield

What do you think are the key variables to control during production?

Recent IncidentExplosion at Terra Nitrogen (UK) Ltd, Billingham

01.06.2006

Terra Nitrogen is the UK's largest manufacturer of nitrogen products used extensively in the chemical industry and agriculture and employs around

250 people on Teesside.

The incident happened on a pipe at the plant and led to a fire involving mixed gases including hydrogen, nitrogen and a small amount of ammonia which was extinguished automatically as the pipe depressurised. The exact

cause of the blast is not yet clear.

The HSE are currently investigating with the Environment Agency (EA).

http://www.buncefieldinvestigation.gov.uk/index.htm

Recent IncidentBuncefield Oil Storage Depot Explosion,

Hemel Hempstead – 11.12.2005

In the early hours of Sunday 11th December 2005, a number of explosions occurred at Buncefield Oil Storage Depot. At least one of the initial explosions was of massive proportions and there was a large fire,

which engulfed a high proportion of the site. Over 40 people were injured; fortunately there were no fatalities. Significant damage occurred to both commercial and residential properties in the vicinity and a large area around the site was evacuated on emergency service advice. The fire burned for several days, destroying

most of the site and emitting large clouds of black smoke into the atmosphere. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are leading a joint investigation with the Environment Agency (EA).

BBC News UK 09/05/2006 A storage tank at the Buncefield oil depot was overflowing for more than 40 minutes before it exploded, causing a 32-hour inferno, a report has said. Fuel was piped into the tank for 11 hours before the blasts on 11 December 2005. The HSE said that at 0520 GMT the tank was full, but gauges and safety devices did not work and 41 minutes later the tank exploded. How Tank Overflowed: Under normal circumstances, gauges monitor the level of the fuel in the tank as it fills from a pipeline. An automatic high level safety switch should trigger an alarm if the tank reaches its maximum capacity. This should result in shutdown. But on this occasion, automatic shutdown did not happen and when fuel continued to be pumped in, it overflowed through roof vents.

Key monitoring conditions

• Pressures• Temperatures• Flows• pH• Concentrations• Mixing rates

Running CostsFixed costs – Costs which are paid regardless of production rate

• Labour costs

• Maintenance costs

• Admin costs (insurances, rates, taxes)

Variable Costs – Costs related to production

• Raw materials

• Utilities

• Packaging

• Storage and distribution

Questions?