Table Of Content

Chemical Process Simplification Chemical Process Simplification Improving Productivity and Sustainability Girish Malhotra, PE A JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC., PUBLICATION Copyright © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. Published simultaneously in Canada. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as per- mitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 750-4470, or on the web at www.copyright.com. 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TP155.7.M355 2011 660'.28—dc22 2010031080 Printed in Singapore. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 21 To Indu my known and unknown friend Contents Preface xiii Process Simplification: Basic Guidelines 1 Application Areas 4 References 7 Process Solutions 9 Examples of Problem Solving 10 Mass Balance 10 Monitoring Plant Operations 11 Filter Feed Pump 12 Ester Manufacturing Process 12 Simplification of a Product Solution Process 14 Process "On Stream Time" 15 Inventory Management and Process Repeatability 16 Sampling and Size 17 Antioxidant Production 17 Novolac Resin 19 Alkyd Resins 20 Paint Making 21 Continuous-Process Latex Polymer 22 Waste Paint 22 Wastewater Treatment 24 Electroplating Chemicals 24 Specialty Surfactant Manufacture 25 Decanter 26 Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients 27 API Intermediates and Pollution 30 Solving Process Problems 31 Maintaining Pump Prime 31 νιιι CONTENTS Problem 31 Degas the Ammonia 32 Take out Torque 32 Problem 32 Slowly Add Fine Powder 32 Stop Solvent Losses 32 Problem 32 Cut Back the Mixing Time 33 Choose a Pump Wisely 33 Problem 33 Try a Rotary Disk Pump 33 Know When the End is Near 34 Problem 34 Use an Inline Viscosity Measuring Device 34 Vanquish Material Variations 34 Problem 34 Choose Monitoring Point Carefully 34 Fend off Reboiler Fouling 35 Problem 35 Remove the Fatty Oil First 35 Prevent Heat Exchanger Plugging 35 Problem 35 Recycle Concentrated Solution 36 Making Sense of Temperature Sensing 36 Problem 36 Poor Mixing 36 Boost the Reliability of a Solvent Supply Pump 37 Problem 37 Use Eccentric Reducers 38 Uncovering the Cause of Solid Buildup 38 Problem 38 Look at the Material Balance 38 Consider Options for Automation 40 Problem 40 Automation can also Boost Morale 41 Sticky Valve 41 Problem 41 Focus on Heat-Tracing Failure 41 Quick Fix Needed! 42 Problem 42 Eventually, Do a Redesign 43 Clarify a Clogged Caustic Conundrum 44 CONTENTS ιχ Problem 44 Try Recirculation 44 Succeed through Thick and Thin 44 Problem 44 Maintain the Temperature 44 Quell a Quality-Control Confrontation 45 Problem 45 Improve the Design 45 Get out of the Soup 46 Problem 46 Use an Eductor 46 KAYO a Cascade Control Complication 47 Problem 47 Redesign the Process 47 Use of Azeotrope to Improve a Process 47 Problem 47 Alternate Process 48 Use of Heat Exchanger in the Manufacture of Coatings 50 References 50 Commonalities of Businesses 53 Products Produced by Reactions 54 Examples 55 Simplification Strategy 58 Amines and Other Products 59 Emulsion Polymerization 60 Formulated Products 61 Method of Production 61 Surface Coating Manufacturing 62 Architectural Coatings 63 Continuous Paint Processing 64 Cosmetic Ingredients 68 Equipment Commonalities 69 Tanks, Reactors, and Vats 69 Dispersers 70 Similarities in Coatings 72 Use of Architectural Coatings in Paper Manufacture 72 Surplus Paint in Other Applications 73 Ink-Jet Printing for Cheaper Solar Cells 74 References 75 4 Laboratory Process Development 77 Laboratory Development 77 X CONTENTS Mass Balance 78 Chemicals Produced by Reaction 79 Examples 81 Considerations for the Development of a Continuous Process85 Solvent Selection 86 Solvent Separation 90 Phase Separation 91 Azeotropic Distillation 92 Kinetics 92 Chemical Blending Operation 92 References 93 5 Mass and Heat Balance 95 Mass-Balance Uses 95 Mass Balance for Blended Products 97 Mass Balance for Reactive Processes 99 Examples 100 USP 7,227,024 100 USP 6,875,893 and 7,057,069 103 Heat Balance 107 Financial Value of Mass and Heat Balance 108 References 109 6 Reaction Kinetics 111 Reaction Rate and Variables 111 Concentration 111 Physical State 112 Temperature 112 Heat of Reaction 112 Order and/or Method of Addition 112 Rate of Additon 113 Other Parameters 113 Applications 113 Diazotization 114 Reactant as a Solvent 114 Other Considerations 115 Production of Benzimidazole Compound 115 Use of Physical and Thermodynamic Properties 119 Equipment 120 References 121 7 Physical Properties 123 Physical State 124 CONTENTS χι Density 125 Melting/Freezing Point 125 Boiling Point 125 Azeotrope Characteristics 126 Solubility 126 Heat of Reaction 127 Heat Capacity 127 Viscosity 127 Combined Value of Physical Properties 127 Evaluate Alternate Routes 131 References 133 8 Combination of Heat, Mass Balance, and Physical Properties 135 Technical Operating Manual 135 Process Description 137 Unit Charge and Material Recovery Sheet 137 Raw Materials Specification and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) 137 Process Chemistry 137 Heat and Mass Balance 144 Process Conditions and Effects of Variables 150 Equipment Description and Process and Instrumentation Diagram 152 Suggested Operating Procedure 153 Laboratory Synthesis Procedure 154 Additional Critical Notes 154 Analytical Methods 154 Thermodynamic and Physical Properties Data 154 Troubleshooting Guide 156 Process Design Manual 156 References 158 9 Cross-Fertilization of Technologies 159 Regulatory Challenge and Creative Competition 160 Home-Repair Products in Food Packaging 160 Specialty Chemicals vs. Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients 161 Liquid Blending Processes 166 Labeling 167 Hot-Melt Extrusions 167 Miniaturization/Size reduction 168 Alternate Energy 168 References 169 XU CONTENTS 10 Scale-up to Commercialization 171 Reaction Scale-Up/Commercialization 172 Process Outline 173 Laboratory Process Review 173 Alternative Process Stoichiometry 178 Other Process Options 179 Potential Continuous Process 179 Commercialization of Fluorochemical Products 181 Monomer Laboratory Preparation 182 Monomer Scale-Up 183 Polymer Laboratory Preparation 183 Polymer Scale-Up 184 Polymer Derivatives Laboratory Preparation 184 Polymer Derivative Scale-Up 185 Blending Scale-Up 186 Scale-up Information Benefits 187 References 187 Appendix A: Ideas and Observations from the Author 189 Appendix B: Related Articles by the Author 231 Index 279