Design of a multiproduct reactive distillation system for DEC and EMC production

Abstract

Multiproduct processes are gaining interest as part of the development of intensified structures. In this work, an optimal design of a flexible diethyl carbonate (DEC) and ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC) multiproduct process is developed. DEC is a main product that is commonly produced through multi-reaction dimethyl carbonate (DMC) transesterification. However, EMC, an intermediate product, also has a significant market interest. This work explores the use of a multiproduct process that integrates a reactive and a separation column to produce either DEC or EMC. The design was obtained aided by a process optimization task with genetic algorithms tied to Aspen Plus rigorous simulations. The results show that a common design for the production of both products can be obtained, with total annual cost savings of 22% with respect to a base design taken from the literature. Additionally, an initial dynamic analysis shows that the multiproduct process can be controlled in the face of feed flow and composition disturbances.