Abstract
This paper reports the results from the application of various methodologies to generate and analyse process flowsheets with novel separation units. Novel separation processes in this paper include supercritical extraction (SCE), melt crystallization (MC) and gas adsorption (GA). Application of a newly developed process synthesis technique has allowed the identification of processes where mixtures to be separated show azeotropic behaviour and, therefore, are candidates for a SCE-based process. Design and optimization studies have revealed the feasibility of ‘pressure-swing’ distillation as well as SCE-based separation as promising alternatives for these separations. In the case of MC, processes requiring separation/purification of compounds having specified limits of viscosity and melting point have been identified as candidates for MC-based separation. In the case of GA, a knowledge-based analysis is currently being developed for identification of potential candidate adsorbents and the corresponding gas-separation systems. Melt crystallization could be identified as a substitute for distillation in acrylic acid production. In acrylic acid production distillation resulted in an energy demand of 2.659 × 10 6 kJ/ton acrylic acid. Six different cases of incorporation of melt crystallization as a partial or total substitute for distillation were analysed, and melt crystallization gave energy reductions in the range from 7.7 × 10 4 to 1.86 × 10 6 kJ/ton acrylic acid. In a phenol production plant [9], the energy consumption may be reduced from 8.68 × 10 6 kJ/ton phenol to 8.00 × 10 6 kJ/ton phenol by employing melt crystallization as a substitute for distillation. For methylacetate production, novel separation schemes reduce the energy costs 1.4 times compared to the conventional separation schemes [9].
Published Version
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