CCB 3024

Process Plant Design

Assignment 1
Production of Sulphuric Acid
(Double Absorption Contact Process)
May 2015
Group

Group Members

A6
DINESHKUMAR

A/L

RAMACHANDRAN
MUHAMMAD FAKHARUDIN BIN
SHAHARUDIN
KONG KAH SHIN
MUHAMMAD AZAM BIN ABDULLAH
FAULIYANA BINTI MOHD FAUDZI

Lecturer
Date of Submission

:
:

DR RAJASHEKHAR PENDYALA
22/06/2015

G. 1679
9
1755
6
1747
8
1757
1
1921
8

Introduction
Sulphuric acid is a very important commodity chemical in the industries
nowadays. Its global production in the year of 2004 was about 180 million
tonnes, which can be distributed as follows: Asia 35%, North America (including
Mexico) 24%, Africa 11%, Western Europe 10%, Eastern Europe and Russia
10%, Australia and Oceania 7%, South America 7%. This chemical is indeed
useful in most of the chemical industries. For instances, a major amount of the
sulphuric acid produced are used in fertilizers production. It also can be used in
detergents, synthetic resins, dyestuffs, pharmaceuticals, petroleum catalysts,
insecticides and antifreeze, as well as in various processes such as oil well
acidizing, aluminium reduction, paper sizing and water treatment.
It is known that sulphuric acid is very useful and has high economic
potential which allow lots of successful businesses, hence, nowadays there are
many chemical process plants manufacturing the sulphuric acid which can
provide enough resources for the application of the sulphuric acid in the
market. There are two main ways to produce sulphuric acid, which are the
double adsorption contact process and the wet sulphuric acid process.
However, in major sulphuric acid manufacturing plant, double adsorption
contact process is used. It is believed that this process is more economical and
suitable for large production.
Flow Sheet
A typical process flow sheet for the double adsorption contact process are as
follow:

a)
d)
b)

c)

Process description
a) DRYING TOWER (making sulphur dioxide)
Burn the sulphur in excess air
S(s) + O2(g) -> SO2(g)
b) SULFUR FURNACE and CONVERTER (converting sulphur dioxide to sulphur
trioxide)
Its a reversible reaction and exothermic.
2SO2(g) + O2(g) <-> 2SO3(g)
This process require V2O5 as catalyst, temperature range of 400C-450C
and pressure range
of 1-2 atm for it to occur.
c) PRIMARY ABSORPTION TOWER (Converting the sulphur trioxide into sulphuric
acid)
This is where sulphur trioxide is first dissolved in concentrated sulphuric
acid
H2SO4(l) + SO3(g) -> H2S2O7(l) (Oleum)
d) SECONDARY ABSORPTION TOWER (reacting oleum with water to produce
sulphuric acid)
H2S2O7(l) + H2O(l) -> 2H2SO4(l)
12 Factors of Plant Location To Setup a Sulphuric Acid Plant

1. Raw materials availability

Kemaman,Terengganu
Pasir Gudang,Johor
Seremban,Negeri Sembilan
2. Markets
Sulphuric Acid is been used in every industry even for daily usage. Therefore
there is no specific buyers for sulphuric, people from all over Malaysia are
buyers for sulphuric acid.
3. Energy availability
Traditionally, energy production in Malaysia has been based around oil and
natural gas. Malaysia currently has 13GW of electrical generation capacity.
Power generation capacity connected to the Malaysian National Grid is 19,023
MW, with a maximum demand of 13,340 MW as of July 2007 according to
Suruhanjaya Tenaga.Total electricity generation for 2007 is 108,539 GWh with
a total consumption of 97,113 GWh or 3,570 kWh per capita. The generation
fuel mix is 62.6% gas, 20.9% coal, 9.5% hydro and 7% from other forms of fuel.
In 2007, the country as a whole consumes 514 thousand barrels (23.6 million
tonnes) of oil daily against a production of 755 thousand barrels (34.2 million
tonnes) per day.

However, Malaysia only has 33 years of natural gas reserves, and 19 years of
oil reserves, whilst the demand for energy is increasing. Due to this the
Malaysian government is expanding into renewable energy sources. Currently
16% of Malaysian electricity generation is hydroelectric, the remaining 84%
being thermal. The oil and gas industry in Malaysia is currently dominated by
state owned Petronas, and the energy sector as a whole is regulated by
Suruhanjaya Tenaga, a statutory commission who governs the energy in the
peninsula and Sabah, under the terms of the Electricity Commission Act of
2001.
4. Climate
Set just to the north of the equator, Malaysia enjoys a tropical monsoon
climate. It's pretty much hot and humid with a bit of rain throughout the year.
Even in the middle of dry season don't be surprised to get a sudden, often very
heavy downpour, but it's likely to be gone as quickly as it arrived.
Split between Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak (on Borneo), each
area remains under the sway of the southwest and northeast monsoons, while
a transitional period between the two delivers less rainy conditions. It's worth

noting that Malaysia sees a fair amount of rain year round and it's not at all
unusual to see a heavy downpour in the middle of what would be considered
"dry season", so the wet season often seems to just be a slightly wetter dry
season. The exception to this is the east coast of the peninsula, which sees
considerably wetter conditions during the northeast monsoon.
The southwest monsoon runs from roughly May to October, while the northeast
runs from November to March. Adding to the mix is typhoon season in the
Western Pacific from April to November, which can see inclement weather
hitting Sabah and Sarawak at random intervals.
When the southwest monsoon hits from May to October, it brings rain to the
lowlands on the west coast of the peninsula and particularly the southwest
coast between the capital of Kuala Lumpur and Melaka. To the northern end of
the west coast of the peninsula, around Penang and Langkawi, the rain can be
especially heavy in September and October.
While the west coast is getting heavy rain, the east coast of the peninsula is
bathed in sunshine and dry weather. This changes however when the northeast
monsoon blows in between November and March, bringing with it torrential rain
and often flooding along the east coast of the peninsula. At this time most
resorts on the islands along the east coast of the Malaysian peninsula close up
till the rains ease.
Sabah and Sarawak are affected slightly differently. As with the east coast of
the peninsula, the northeast monsoon brings with it extremely heavy rain,
delivering over half of Sarawak's rainfall for the entire year. While the entire
period from October to March is, well, damp, January in particular is a very wet
time in both Sabah and Sarawak. The region is less affected by the southwest
monsoon but they still see a fair amount of rain through the rest of the year.
5. Transportation facilities
Malaysia is served by an excellent transport system. Once you are in the
country there is always transport available to you to even remote areas.
Traveling by road in peninsula Malaysia is popular as it has well- developed
network of roads. Once you are in the country there is always transport
available to you to even remote areas. There are various options available as to
how you might wish to get to a destination. Generally it depends convenience
and affordability and whats the best way to see the sights as you travel.In
Sabah and Sarawak, traveling by four-wheel drive is recommended on unpaved
roads, and many remote areas can only be reached by air or river-boats.
Traveling by rail is also highly recommended as you get to see the countryside.
Naturally the main transportation hub is from its capital, Kuala Lumpur.

 BY AIR :Getting to Malaysia is easy with over 40 airlines, including Malaysias own
carrier, Malaysia Airlines. All flights arrive and depart at the new state-of-theart Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) located at Sepang, about 50 km or
an hour's drive south of Kuala Lumpur, the countrys capital. From KLIA, visitors
can take connecting flights to most major cities and towns in Malaysia as well
as to Sabah and Sarawak. The airport is well equipped with the latest facilities
and services to cater passengers either arriving into the country or on a transit
to other destinations. Meanwhile, the old international airport, the Sultan Abdul
Aziz Shah Airport in Subang, about 45 minutes by road west of Kuala Lumpur,
caters only domestic air services. The national carrier, Malaysia Airlines (MAS),
currently flies to more than a hundred destinations worldwide. There is also a
small but growing number of domestic airlines serving popular tourist
destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Terengganu, Pulau Tioman, Pulau
Perhentian, Pulau Pangkor, Taman Negara, Kuantan, Ipoh, Penang, Malacca and
Langkawi. These airlines are Air Asia, Transmile Air and Berjaya Air.
BY ROAD :Buses are an inexpensive way to travel in Malaysia. Most, if not all buses in
Kuala Lumpur (KL) are air-conditioned but there are still non-air-conditioned
buses in smaller towns around the country. Buses plying routes within towns
and cities typically charge fares according to the distance covered while
interstate buses have fixed rates. Taxis in major cities are usually fitted with
meters. In KL, the rate is currently RM2 for the first two kilometres and 10 sen
for every subsequent 200 metres. However, a surcharge of 50% will be levied
between midnight and 6am. Interstate and smaller town taxis charge a fixed
rate and its best to settle on a price before getting into the taxi.

BY RAIL :It is possible to travel by rail within and to Peninsular Malaysia via Thailand and
from Singapore. Malayan Railways or Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTM)
connects all major towns in the Peninsular. First, Second or Economy Class airconditioned coaches are available. The northbound Ekspres Langkawi departs
nightly from Kuala Lumpur to Arau in Kedah. Arriving in the morning, it then
proceeds to Hatyai, Thailand before returning back to Arau in the evening.
Senandung Malam is a KL-Butterworth-KL and KL-Singapore-KL sectional nightly
service. Sleeping berths are provided in the first and second class coaches.All
express services have a restaurant coach serving local and continental cuisine.

Tickets may be purchased 60 days in advance from the date of travel. Children
aged from four to twelve are charged half the adult fare whilst those below four
travel free. Available to foreign tourists is the 30-day or 10-day Tourist Railpass
which provides unlimited travel on KTM during that period.
BY SEA :There are several ports of entry in Malaysia, namely Penang, Port Klang,
Kuantan, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. Coastal ferries sail frequently between
Penang and Butterworth, carrying both passengers as well as vehicles from the
mainland to the island. Apart from that, there are many ferry/ boat services
available for mainland-to-island and island-to-island travel around the country.
Fast boats and small river crafts are a popular way of getting about in Sabah
and Sarawak especially to the more isolated settlements. There are also sea
cruises and river-cruises run by local tour agents. For sea travel within the
country there are services available from Port Klang (Selangor) to Kuantan
(Pahang) and to Sabah or Sarawak. Besides that, there are also holiday cruises
that take passengers to neighbouring countries.
6. Water supply
Water resources in Malaysia are abundant and available throughout the year.
They are estimated at 580 km3/year (average 1977-2001), equivalent to more
than 3,000 cubic meters per capita and year. In 1995, total water withdrawal
was estimated at 12.5 km3, or less than 3 percent of available resources. 76
percent of water was used for agriculture, 11 percent for municipal water
supply and 13 percent for industries. Thus only less than 1% of available water
resources is used for drinking water supply.
Malaysia is geographically divided in Peninsular Malaysia and Eastern Malaysia.
Peninsular Malaysia is drained by a dense network of rivers and streams, the
longest being the Pahang River. Other major rivers in the peninsular Malaysia
are the Kelantan River, Terengganu River, Dungun, Endau River, Sedili Besar
River and Selangor River.The West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia is more
urbanized and industrialized than the sparsely populated and water-rich East
Coast.Major rivers in Eastern Malaysia include Malaysias longest river, the
Rajang River (563 km) in Sarawak.
7. Waste Disposal
A survey was conducted in West Malaysia regarding pollution matters and the
main concern is the pollution of the air and water. Air pollution occurs as the
plant disperses hazardous miscible particulate to the air without filtering it.
Water pollution is due to the dissolved inorganic and organic substances found
in domestic or industrial waters.

The OSHA standard is 1 mg/m3 of air at average of eight hours of work shift per
day. However, NIOSH recommended that the exposure limit is 1mg/m 3 at
average of 10 hours of work shift per day, 40 hours per week. Sulphuric acid is
hazard to humans health. Therefore, the waste of sulphuric acid production
should be handled and treated carefully.
In other for the waste is not polluting the environment, the facility is built with
water treatment and exhaust systems. For waste water treatment, the
company need to obey the Environment Quality (Sewage & Industrial Effluents)
Regulations 1979. Furthermore, the air emission facility is equipped such as
scrubber system, this is to avoid hazardous gaseous emitted to the air.
8. Labour Supply
The world is moving towards globalization changes. Through globalization,
capital moves within countries and companies manage businesses in the global
arena. Therefore, this will give impact to the labour market, which is the labour
supply. Labour supply plays a major role in economys growth. There are two
aspects of this factor is important, the quantity and quality of labour. Labour
supply is the number of population at the range age of 15-64 years old working
or seeking jobs at a particular time. The labour force participation rate (LFPR)
for the total economy was decreasing from 2001 to 2007. However, total
number of labour force in Malaysia was 11,566 thousand persons, which is
about one-third of Malaysian total population. Out of this, only 11,171
thousands are employed and the remaining is unemployed.
9. Taxation and Legal Restrictions
Under the Income Tax Act, 1967 a company is a body corporate and includes
people who established with a separate legal identity by or under the laws of a
territory outside Malaysia.
The qualifying expenditure (QE) includes the cost of the assets and the cost of
installation of machineries and plants. Based on the general rates of capital
allowance of the Malaysia 2014/2015 taxation, it is said that for general plant
and machines, about 20% of the initial income and 14% of the annual income.
Expenditure of assets with life span more than 2 years is allowed on
replacement basis. Any production industries in Malaysia should adhere the
Environmental Quality Act 1974 [Act 127] and the Environmental Quality (Clean
Air) Regulations 1978.

10. Site Characteristics

Malaysia can be divided into three main regions, the Peninsular Malaysia,
Sabah and Sarawak. The total area of Malaysia is 328,600 km 2. The
characteristic of Malaysia is said to be widespread of the coastal plains in the
east and west, hilly and mountain region in the central and undulating in other
parts of the peninsular. There are different types of forests can be found in
Malaysia and they can be classified into dipterocarp, peat swamp and
mangrove forests.
11. Flood and Fire Protection
The weather in Malaysia is divided into two monsoons, the Southwest Monsoon
(late May to September) and the Northeast Monsoon from November to March.
The Northeast Monsoon brings heavy rainfall especially to the east coast states
of Peninsular Malaysia (Kelanta, Terengganu and Pahang) and western Sarawak
while Southwest Monsoon signifies as a drier weather.
The most common nature disaster in Malaysia is the flood, when it happens
during the Northeast Monsoon season. Malaysia has only 189 water basins with
average rainfall of 2000-4000mm per year, therefore, Malaysia prone to
flooding. Due to the rapid development in major cities, flooding has become a
major concern in these decades.
12. Community Factors
Local community should be provided with facilities such as schools, banks,
housing areas, etc. They also should be consulted regarding the water
consumption and disposal of the waste products. This new plant construction
will be a job and economic sources to them. The risk of building plant
constructions must be taken full consideration of both parties.

A Sulphuric Acid Plant Layout