Process Modeling and Simulation of Ethylene Oxide Production

Abstract

Most petrochemical processes require ethylene oxide as an initiator. It serves as a necessary ingredient in manufacturing several petroleum products like Ethylene glycol (primary element in antifreeze's), Poly oxirane, Monoethyl ether ethylene glycol, Amino derivatives, Surface active agents, Lubricants and Plasticizers. Our objective is Modeling and Simulation of the Ethylene oxide production process in Aspen plus software and energy optimization of the whole process using the Pinch technology. Ethylene oxide is commercially generated mainly in two ways. One is the ethylene oxidized with air and the second one is with oxygen. The difference between atmospheric and O2 industries with equal volume is also similar to catalysts because the O2 base method produces higher selectivity and requires less extraction. Air-based processes have high initial construction costs, but many small and medium-sized plants have a low operating cost. Oxygen-based processes require the stairs of releasing carbon dioxide, further stainless steel also other more costly metals. The study focused on ethylene oxide production by the air-based system and modeled and simulated the whole process in Aspen plus® using the SRK and PSRK thermodynamic models. By virtual experiments, we predict the behavior of the actual process. After process simulation, it has finally been concluded that control the oxygen concentration by controlling the airflow and controlling the reactor's temperatures. When the oxygen concentration increases, ethylene is oxidized completely and generates useless products such as carbon dioxide and water to enhance production. Ethylene must partially be oxidized that is generating our desired product, ethylene oxide. Energy optimization of ethylene oxide production process is completed through Pinch analysis and recover most of the valuable energy that's cause the use of external utilities low and save 18.27million $ per year which we consume in heating or cooling of streams.