Immediately Available from IPP
Ethylene Dichloride (EDC) PLANT
100,000 tons/year
Introduction
 The purpose of the EDC plant is for the production of ethylene
dichloride (or dichloroethane) from direct chlorination of ethylene
followed by the subsequent drying and purification of the crude
product in a reactor.
 The plant is a Krebs design cycle and was commissioned in 1998.
Improvements
The following improvements have been made to the Krebs cycle:
 Detection and emergency stop systems (“Triconex” redundant triple
circuits) that affect the reaction, purification, thermal oxidation and
storage/discharging of ethylene.
 Fire control system in the ethylene discharge.
 Reactor raw material injection system: (8) Hastelloy-C spargers (2004).
 Thermal oxidation water pH control, with in-process preneutralization
using NaOH (2007).
Process Description Overview
The process is divided into the following sections:
1. Reaction Section




Reaction
Acid Wash
Alkaline Wash
Storage of the Crude Product
2. Azeotropic Drying Section
3. Purification Section
 First Purification
 Second Purification
4. Raw Material Storage Section
5. Product Storage Section
6. Effluent Treatment Section
7. Auxiliary Services Section
EDC Production Diagram
Reaction Section
Overview
Ethylene Dichloride (EDC) is obtained by injecting chlorine gas and ethylene
gas into a liquid phase reactor. This reaction is cooled by means of
recirculation of the EDC mass in the reactor, then is cooled in an external
exchanger that dissipates the heat from the reaction generated in the reactor.
The reaction takes place at low temperature and pressure, catalyzed by
ferrous chloride traces.
The production capacity of this section is 100,000 tons/year (crude EDC).
EDC ETHYLENE COMPRESSORS
ITEM
-ETHYLENE COMPRESSOR:
C-18-811
-Manufacturer: SIAD Machine Impianti
-Liquid: ETHYLENE
-Aspiration/discharge pressure: 0.1 kg/cm2.
-Flow: 0.2 m3/h.
-Start-up power: C.V.
-RPM compressor:
- Registered pressure: kg/cm2
-Type of cylinders:
-Action:
-Diameter/displacement:
-Motor:
-Make: Cemp
-Type: E 200 LB 4
-Volt./phases/frequency: 380 / 3PH/ 50
-Power: 30 kW
-R.P.M.: 1,475
- Form: B3
Reaction Section
Acid Wash
The EDC produced goes from the reactor to the acid wash section by simple
overflow to eliminate the traces of the catalyst (ferrous chloride), fed to the
reactor. The crude product is washed with acid water (5% HCl) in the acid
washing tank and the EDC is separated by phases from the water used in the
process.
EDC REACTOR
TECHNICAL SPECS
CAPACITIES
Manufacturer: CRYOSER BOILERS
- Type: VERTICAL
Specifications:
-Liquid: EDC
Size:
- Service pressure: 0.2 kg/cm2
- Design pressure: 1.5 kg/cm2
- Working temperature: 55º C
- Design temperature: 100º C
- Geometric volume: 90 m3
Materials: Ferrule: A-515 Gr.60 (thickness
16 mm), Floors: A-515 Gr.60 (thickness 16
mm)
Skirt: A-285 Gr. C (thickness 8 mm)
Diameter: 3,300 mm (exterior)
Partial height: 9,877 mm
Total height: 14,348 mm
Accessories:
8 spargers, DN 150 / 80 material:
HASTELLOY C-276, fitted in the reactor,
and the same set of spargers in carbon steel in
the plant storage.
Supports:
Skirt anchored to the floor
Empty weight: 22,000 kg
Reaction Section
Alkaline Wash
The acid washing tank leads to the alkaline washing tank. This 5% Na (OH)
neutralizing wash before storage of the crude product is performed to
eliminate traces of acid to enable storage of the product in carbon steel
materials.
5% CAUSTIC SODA TANK
TECHNICAL SPECS
CAPACITIES
Manufacturer: MAYMO
Type: VERTICAL
Specifications:
- Liquid: CAUSTIC SODA
- Design pressure: 510 mmWC
- Test pressure: 637 mmWC
- Working temperature: AMBIENT
- Design temperature: 60º C.
- Geometric volume: 17.8 M3.
Materials: Ferrule: A-516 Gr. 60 (thickness 8
mm)
Floor: A-516 Gr. 60 (thickness: 8 mm) Ceiling:
A-516 Gr. 60 (thickness: 10 mm)
Size:
Diameter: 2,600 mm (internal)
Partial height: 3,200 mm
Total height: 3,640 mm
Supports:
12 anchoring points to the floor
Empty weight: 2,245 kg
Reaction Section
Storage of the Crude Product
This section consists of a single storage tank. This tank feeds the drying and
purification sections. The storage capacity provides operational independence
for several days between the reaction section and the drying and purification
processes, depending on the plant operation load.
CRUDE EDC TANK TK - 151
TECHNICAL SPECS
CAPACITIES
Manufacturer: FELGUERA
Type: API-650
Specifications:
- Liquid: CRUDE EDC
- Design pressure: ATM
- Test pressure: WATERTIGHTNESS
- Working temperature: AMBIENT
- Geometric volume: 761 M3.
Materials:
Ferrule: A-283 Gr. C (thickness: 5/6 mm)
Floor: A-283 Gr. C (thickness: 8 mm)
Ceiling: A-283 Gr. C (thickness: 5 mm)
Size:
Diameter: 9,000 mm (internal)
Partial height: 12,000 mm
Total height: 12,760 mm
Supports: Anchoring to the floor
Empty weight: 26 t.
Azeotropic Drying Section
Overview
The drying tower is normally fed by the crude EDC storage tank (TK-151) at
the height of the tower. In the drying tower, the moisture is extracted from the
product to values of less than 50/100 ppm, measured at the bottom of the
tower. At the top of the tower, the moist EDC vapor (Azeotrope) is condensed
and separated by phases in the condensing tank. The EDC phase is recovered
as reflow in the tower itself and the water phase is sent by siphon to the acid
washing section. The vapor is fed to the boiler which operates by means of
thermo siphon with the bottom of the tower. After analysis, the dry EDC is fed
from the bottom of the drying tower to the product purification section.
DRYING TOWER T - 211
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
CAPACITIES
Name: Drying tower
Manufacturer: CRYOSER
Year of manufacture: 1997
Type: filling
Filling material ralu-ring, 38/04 mm in AISI316 L
Fill volume 12 m3
Insulation: yes
Filling:
3 Ralu Ring SS 1 ½” ring modules
Accessories:
-Two DN 40/ DN 50 distributor pipes.
- Three support plates (type SP2 C.S.)
-One distributor plate (type DR2 C.S.)
-Two distributor plate (type RP2 C.S.)
- Three distributor plates (type HH2 C..S.)
Empty weight: 8,800 kg
Specifications:
- Liquid: EDC+ WATER
- Capacity: 14,700 litres
- Design pressure: +1 / -1 bar
- Test pressure: 1.5 bar
- Design temperature: 120º
-Materials:
Ferrule: A-515 Gr. 60 (thickness: 8/10/12/14/18 mm)
Top floor: A-515 Gr. 60 (thickness: 8 mm)
Bottom floor: A-515 Gr. 60 (thickness: 18 mm)
Skirt: A-515 Gr. 60 (thickness: 18 mm)
Purification Section
First Purification Section
Once moisture values at the bottom of the drying tower have been obtained, the
tower feeds the middle of the 1st purification tower. In this tower, the product
at the head of the column is condensed to the reflow tank and the
uncondensed gas phase is sent to thermal oxidation.
In the pure product tank, the analysis is performed and sent on to the
production tower, or alternatively sent from the tower to the crude EDC tank.
Once the quality values are obtained, it is sent to production and stored in the
(2) plant storage tanks (TK–911 A/B) for quality control analysis before being
sent to the final storage for dispatching. The plant also has a loading station
for tanker trucks.
1st PURIFICATION TOWER
TK-311
TECHNICAL SPECS
CAPACITIES
Manufacturer: CRYOSER
Year of manufacture: 1997
Type: plate.
Specifications:
- Liquid: EDC
- Capacity: 22,000 litres
- Design pressure: +3 / -1 bar
- Test pressure: 4.5 bar
- Design temperature: 125 ºC.
- No. of plates: 25
Materials:
Size:
Diameter: 1,300 mm (internal)
Ferrule height: 16,500 mm
Total height: 21,014 mm
Empty weight: 7,500 kg
Accessories:
25 plates per plans KOCH 905203-E-01
Insulation: yes
Ferrule: A-515 Gr. 60 (thickness: 8/10 mm)
Top flr: A-515 Gr. 60 (thickness: 8 mm)
Bottom flr: A-515 Gr. 60 (thickness: 10 mm)
Skirt: A-515 Gr. 60 (thickness: 10 mm)
Purification Section
Second Purification Section
A continuous amount of product is extracted from the 1st purification tower to
maintain the concentrations of heavy materials at adequate levels, which are
sent to the 2nd tower. In this tower the heavy materials and the tars/carbon
from the thermal decomposition of products produced in the
drying/purification line boilers are concentrated and flushed manually so that
the heavy material traces in the “technical EDC” are not more than 50% pp. of
the end product from the tower bottoms.
The end tars are pumped from the bottom of the 2nd purification tower to the
technical EDC storage for sale.
2ND PURIFICATION TOWER
TECHNICAL SPECS
Name: Purification tower II
Manufacturer: CRYOSER
Type: filling
Specifications:
- Liquid: EDC
- Capacity: 3,000 litres
- Design pressure: +2 / -1 bar
- Test pressure: 3 bar
- Design temperature: 110º C.
-Materials:
Ferrule: A-515 Gr. 60 (thickness: 8 mm)
Top cap: A-515 Gr. 60 (thickness: 36.5 mm)
Bottom floor: A-515 Gr. 60 (thickness: 8 mm)
Insulation: yes
CAPACITIES
Filling:
2 Ralu Ring SS 1” ring modules
Accessories:
-Two DN 50 distributor pipes.
- Two support plates (type SP2 C.S.)
-One distributor plate (type DR2 C.S.)
-One chimney plate (type RP2 C.S.)
- Two distributor plates (type HLI C.S.)
Empty weight: 2,250 kg
Raw Material Storage Section
Overview
This section consists of a cryogenic liquid ethylene storage sphere. The
effective capacity is 300 tons of liquid ethylene. The ethylene is transported in
cryogenic tanker trucks, which are both unloaded and degassed at the plant.
The degassed product from the storage unit is sent to the first stage reaction
and thermal oxidation, in the event of stoppage in the reaction.
The ethylene gas is fed directly from the storage sphere, or gasified to the
reactor.
LIQUID ETHYLENE STORAGE
SPHERE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
Manufacturer: CRIOSER
Year of manufacture: 1997
Type: horizontal
Specifications:
- Liquid: ETHYLENE (liquid)
- Design pressure: 5.8 bar
- Test pressure: 7.3 bar
- Working temperature: (-90 ºC)
- Design temperature: (-103º C)
- Geometric volume: 600 m3
Materials:
Spherical casing: A-240 Gr.Tp 304
(thickness: 12 mm)
CAPACITIES
Size:
Diameter: 10,470 mm
(internal)
.
Partial length: 12,047 mm
Total length: 12,650 mm
Supports: six columns
Empty weight: 87,762 kg
Storage of Finished Product Section
Overview
The plant storage facility consists of two tanks of pure EDC with a capacity per
tank of 900 tons of product. From this storage facility, the product is sent to
final storage for sale in the port or at the plant’s tanker loading station.
PURE EDC STORAGE TANKS
TK – 911 B / TK – 911 A
TECHNICAL SPECS
CAPACITIES
Manufacturer: FELGUERA
Type: API-650
Specifications:
- Liquid: EDC
- Design pressure: ATM
- Test pressure: WATERTIGHTNESS
- Working temperature: AMBIENT
- Geometric volume: 761 M3.
Materials:
Ferrule: A-283 Gr. C (thickness: 5/6 mm)
Floor: A-283 Gr. C (thickness: 8 mm)
Ceiling: A-283 Gr. C
Size:
Diameter: 9,000 mm
(internal)
Partial height: 12,000 mm
Total height: 12,760 mm
Supports:
Anchoring to the floor
Empty weight: 26 t.
Effluent Treatment Section
Overview
The effluent treatment section consists of two units: the first to treat liquid
effluents, by stripping the waters with EDC in the contaminated waters tank,
and the second, an incinerator unit for gaseous effluents from the process and
the product and raw materials storage.
CONTAMINATED WATER
STRIPPER
TECHNICAL SPECS
CAPACITIES
Name: Liquid effluent
separator/treatment tower.
Manufacturer: DE DIETRICH
Type: filling, 1.5” PVDF rings
Specifications:
- Liquid: acidic effluent water
contaminated with EDC
- Capacity: 550 litres
- Design pressure: 1 bar
- Test pressure: 1.5 bar
Size:
Diameter: 400 mm (internal)
Ferrule height: 3,400 mm
Total height: 5,036 mm
- Design temperature: 150 ºC.
-Materials:
Ferrule: A-106 Gr. B (thickness: 9.5 mm)
(GLAZED)
Top floor: A-285 Gr. C (thickness: 10 mm)
(GLAZED)
Bottom floor: A-285 Gr. C (thickness: 10 mm)
(GLAZED)
Currently the body is PVDF.
Lined with FRP. This material IS IN THE TEST
PERIOD
Effluent Treatment Section
Liquid Effluent
All the water from equipment washing and the process is recycled to a water
collection tank for treatment. This tank is fed from the stripper tower, which
removes remains of EDC in the water of amounts of up to < 2 ppm.
The waters treated in the stripper are analyzed and sent to the end tank. The
maximum water treatment capacity is 6 m3/h.
The system has two preparation tanks for diluted caustic soda and
hydrochloric acid for the treatment in the acid and alkaline washes, and in the
final neutralization of liquid effluents in the end water tank.
CONTAMINATED WATER
TANK
TECHNICAL SPECS
Manufacturer: PLASTICOS HUELVA
Year of manufacture: 2005
Type: VERTICAL
Specifications:
- Liquid: Water contaminated with EDC
- Design pressure: +150 mmWC./ 50 mmWC.
- Test pressure: WATERTIGHTNESS
- Working temperature: 30º C.
- Design temperature: 60º C.
Materials:
Ferrule: PVDF+FRP (thickness: 3/8 mm)
Floor: PVDF+FRP (thickness: 3/10 mm)
Ceiling: PVDF+FRP (thickness: 3/8 mm)
CAPACITIES
Size:
Diameter: 2,900 mm (internal)
Partial height: 4,600 mm
Total height: 5,142 mm
Geometric volume: 30 M3.
Supports:
4 anchoring points to the floor
Empty weight: 1,500 kg
Effluent Treatment Section
Gaseous Effluent
The effluent gases from the process are taken from the plant to the thermal
oxidation section by two independent gas collectors. In the oxidation section,
the gases undergo combustion at a temperature of over 1,150ºC. The
separation of the dry gases from the reactor and the gases from the rest of the
plant are possible as the latter contains a degree of moisture.
The effluent gases from the reactor have a line analyzer which measures the
O2 and ethylene content. The O2 levels are kept below the explosiveness level
at all times by adding N2 gas to the reactor. The gas EDC is condensed and
recovered by sending the non-condensable gases to the thermal oxidation
section.
REACTOR O2
ANALYZER
TECHNICAL SPECS
Make: Servomex 1100
Measurement technique:
paramagnetism.
-Measurement range:
0-30% of O2
-Flow: 0.01-0.25 l/min.
-Sample line connection:
1/8” O.D.
-Filtration:
90% retention of 0.6 µm
-Assembly in cabinet
REACTOR ETHYLENE
ANALYZER
TECHNICAL SPECS
Make: Servomex 2500
Measurement technique:
IR absorption
-Measurement range:
0-20% of C2H4
-Flow: 0.2 – 5.0 l/min.
-Sample line connection:
1/4” O.D.
-Filtration: < 5 micras
-Assembly in cabinet
Effluent Treatment Section
Gaseous Effluent (continued)
The degassed products in the ethylene sphere are sent to the thermal oxidation
combustion chamber by a direct collector. The waters from the gas washing
and cooling in the thermal oxidation unit are neutralized with water and caustic
soda to be sent for treatment, together with the other waters from the plant.
The thermal oxidation output gases undergo analytical measurement to control
emissions and for the combustion control in the thermal oxidation furnace
burner, maintaining the O2 content in the gas outlet as an adjustment point in
the combustion air.
THERMAL OXIDATION UNIT
TECHNICAL SPECS
CAPACITIES
MANUFACTURER: Krebs (France)
Type: forced air with internal water cooling circuit.
Gas burner built in AISI – 3004 and Hastelloy C-276
Fuel: natural gas (100 kg/h)
Capacity:
Nominal:
1,200 kW
Maximum:
1,350 kW
Minimum:
150 kW
Temperature/pressure
Operation: from 1,250 to 1,280 ºC
Pressure: -50 mmWC
Furnace: chamber refractory insulation, sheet
insulating brick and plastic foam (85% high
aluminium type, Al2O3).
Natural gas to burner 100 kg/h
Draughts to burn:
1.Reactor vents: 484 kg/hour.
2.Washing, drying and purification
section vents: 45 kg/hour
3.Ethylene storage vents: 70 kg/hr max
Combustion air BLOWER:
Capacity: 1,600 Nm3/h
Service pressure: 0.04 bar
Auxiliary Services Section
Overview
The Auxiliary Services Section Includes:
 Cooling Water Tower
 Power Transformer and Motor Control Center
COOLING WATER TOWERS
TECHNICAL SPECS
CAPACITIES
Manufacturer: TORRAVAL/MARLEY
Year of manufacture, 1997
Type: OC series
Design data:
- Dissipated heat: 12,600,000 k Cal./h.
- Water flow: 1,800 m3/h.
- Water per cell: 900 m3/h.
- Input temperature: 37º C.
- Output temperature: 30º C.
- Design moist temperature: 26º C.
Recirculation: 600/1200 m3/h
Selection:
1 2 OCPA-6060-49/11.5 CV (1,500/750 rpm)120PV cooling tower (polypropylene sheet
contact filling)
Size:
Inner cell: 6,050 x 6,050 mm.
External tower: 12,850 x 6,450 mm.
Top platform height: 10,250 mm
Diffuser height: 12,050 mm
Total tower height: 12,050 mm
Materials:
Pool: reinforced concrete
Structure: concrete
Diffuser: concrete or polyester
Wall: concrete
Filling: laminar polypropylene
Filling support: concrete beams
Drip separator: HIGH PERFORMANCE,
polypropylene sheet
Water distribution: polyester channels with
spattered plates
Contact Information
MICHAEL JOACHIM
DIRECTOR, PLANTS DEPT.
Tele: 609-838-5930 (direct)
Mobile: 609-516-9107
[email protected]
SANJEEV REGE
VP GLOBAL PLANT SALES
Tele: 609-838-5938 (direct)
Mobile: 609-510-2616
[email protected]