REACTOR DESIGN PROPOSAL OF FORMALDEHYDE

GLOPPITY GLOP INC. May 10, 2013 Authored by: Raymond Feng

FORMALDEHYDE PRODUCTION

Objective

The objective of Gloppity Glop Inc. is to design a reactor for the production of formaldehyde. While designing the reactor, the company will use the most efficient method while considering the companys budget and the impact on the environment.

Background
Formaldehyde or methanal, CH 2 O, is a colorless, carcinogenic, strong odorous, water-soluble, and toxic gas. A highly reactive aldehyde gas is formed by oxidation or incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons.

FORMALDEHYDE PRODUCTION | 5/10/13

In solution, it has a wide range of uses: in the manufacture of resins and textiles, as a disinfectant, and as a laboratory fixative or preservative. Formaldehyde can be derived from oxidized methyl alcohol and is more desirable to be used than other compounds because although it exhibits the chemical properties found in most aldehydes, it is more reactive. Formaldehyde is found to be a good electrophile and is used various

reactions such as electrophilic aromatic substitution. It is considered a foundation in the synthesis of many compounds that has industrial significance. The main manufactured products formed from glues, resins, and products in home furnishing. Glues, a worldwide product, use formaldehyde as a building block and are exceptional bonding agents. Formaldehyde-based resins are used to manufacture composite products used mostly in cabinetry, furniture, shelving, stair systems, flooring and many other household furnishings. These items are extremely economical due to the superior bonding properties and efficient production.

Reactor Design Scheme

The company decided that the reactor used in the proposed design is a Packed Bed Reactor (PBR)

FEED Methano l Air

PRODUCTS Formaldehyd e Water Carbon Dioxide RECYCLE Methanol

FORMALDEHYDE PRODUCTION | 5/10/13

REACTOR

SEPARATOR

Synthesis of Formaldehyde
The company decided to produce formaldehyde through the industrial method of oxidizing of methanol rather than the method of hydrogenation of carbon monoxide. The formation of formaldehyde is produced through the organic reaction of oxidizing a primary alcohol, which forms an aldehyde. The reaction can be written as the following reaction:

Common starting catalysts that are used in these reactions are iron molybdenum oxide and silver oxide. The process must be performed at a certain temperature and will be maintained through heat exchangers. The system will be maintained because the reaction is exothermic. The desired and the undesired reaction will be used in the reaction process:

Process Design/Calculations
For the production of formaldehyde, a packed bed reactor will be used. A packed bed reactor contains catalyst particles arranged within the reactor. The general design equation for a PBR is as follows;

FORMALDEHYDE PRODUCTION | 5/10/13

The rate of reaction and rate constants for the desired and undesired reactions, respectively, is given by;

( ( ) )

If A is methanol, B is oxygen, C is water, D is formaldehyde the desired product, and U is the undesired product CO, then the specific design equations are; From research, this operation is usually performed in the range of 250-400C. As a result I will operate at the average temperature, 598 K. The reaction is exothermic and the temperature for this process will increase as the reaction proceeds. However, we will take this to be an isobaric operation and operate at constant atmospheric pressure. Our goal is to produce 50,000 tons per year of formaldehyde. ( )( )( )( )( )( )
FORMALDEHYDE PRODUCTION | 5/10/13

From this calculation, due to its 1 to 1 stoichiometric ratio, the flow rate of methanol needed to produce 50,000 tons of formaldehyde per year is 53 mol/s. We will use oxygen in excess so an exact flow rate is not needed. Using a MATLAB program to solve the ordinary differential equations, a graph with weight of catalyst, W, vs. flow rate, F is obtained. If a 99% conversion is to be achieved, we need to find the weight of catalyst needed at the maximum flow rate of formaldehyde. From MATLAB and the graph, the weight of the catalyst is 1300 kg of iron

molybdenum oxide. The density of the catalyst is approximately 5 g/m3, so the volume of the catalyst needed is;

If a porosity of 0.6 is assumed, which is a reasonable approximation for a densely packed bed, then a the volume of the reactor can be calculated;

With this reactor volume, many different pipe sizes can be designed. A pipe of 0.1 m in diameter and 2.06 m in length can be made. Also, a pipe of 0.2 m in diameter and 1.03 m in length can be made.

Environmental and Health Concerns

The health risks of formaldehyde and methanol exposures are known to be highly carcinogenic, skin irritants, and extremely detrimental to the central nervous system. Additionally, the emissions from the reactions are harmful to the environment as they prove to be toxic and contributors to the global warming. Formaldehyde dissolves easily in water, and eventually decomposes. In air, formaldehyde decomposes relatively quickly (within 24 hours) to form formic acid and carbon monoxide. According to the National
FORMALDEHYDE PRODUCTION | 5/10/13

Pollutant Inventory formaldehyde is highly toxic to animal and aquatic life leading to shortened life spans, reproductive issues, and or changes in appearance or behavior. To address these concerns the design implemented will reduce emissions by sealing each tube and pump so that leaks are minimized. Additionally, engineers assigned to the reactor plant will perform diagnostics and make corrections and adjustments as needed or on a weekly basis. As the major source of formaldehyde emissions is industrial, it is important to reduce emissions as it poses a serious threat to the environment and human health.

Economics

Expenses Material Reactor Vessel Methanol Catalyst Maintenance Labor Energy Total Expenses Profits Formaldehyde 50,000 tons ($650/ton) Net Profit + $32,500,000 + $12,192,100
FORMALDEHYDE PRODUCTION | 5/10/13

Amount 1 reactor 53,600 tons ($354/ton) 1300 kg ($170/kg) 1 Process Engineer 2 employees

Cost -$ 7500 -$18,974,400 -$221,000 -$55,000 -$50,000 -$1,000,000 $20,307,900

Conclusion
With the given task, producing 50,000 tons of formaldehyde would generally generate a profit. Based on the economics table displayed above, a profit of $12,192,100 will be attained. However, this is without considering the up streams and down streams. For the full operation of this process, a separator, pump, heat

exchanger, etc. will be needed. This will probably take a few more million dollars, still leaving us with a profit. Many parameters can be altered in this design, yielding either a larger or smaller profit. Using less catalyst and a smaller reactor volume would lower our cost estimate. Many factors must also be taken into account regarding the environmental effects. This process design is flexible and a few changes can probably be made in order to make the operation more efficient.

FORMALDEHYDE PRODUCTION | 5/10/13

Bibliography