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GLYCOL

Ethylene glycol is a chemical commonly used as antifreeze and coolant that is produced via the hydrolysis of ethylene oxide. In this process, ethylene oxide reacts with water in a plug-flow reactor to form ethylene glycol, but some also reacts with the glycol to form diethylene glycol. To maximize the yield of glycol, 20 moles of water are added for every mole of ethylene oxide. Various distillation columns are then used to separate and purify the ethylene glycol product from the water and other byproducts. This process typically yields around 90% ethylene glycol.

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Ashnab Zahid Khan
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88 views3 pages

GLYCOL

Ethylene glycol is a chemical commonly used as antifreeze and coolant that is produced via the hydrolysis of ethylene oxide. In this process, ethylene oxide reacts with water in a plug-flow reactor to form ethylene glycol, but some also reacts with the glycol to form diethylene glycol. To maximize the yield of glycol, 20 moles of water are added for every mole of ethylene oxide. Various distillation columns are then used to separate and purify the ethylene glycol product from the water and other byproducts. This process typically yields around 90% ethylene glycol.

Uploaded by

Ashnab Zahid Khan
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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PRODUCTION OF ETHYLENE GLYCOL

BACKGROUND
Ethylene glycol is a chemical commonly used in many commercial and industrial applications
including antifreeze and coolant. Ethylene glycol helps keep your car’s engine from freezing in
the winter and acts as a coolant to reduce overheating in the summer. Ethylene glycol also is used
as a raw material in the production of a wide range of products including polyester fibers for
clothes, upholstery, carpet and pillows. The global production of Ethylene glycol is 7 x 106
tons/annum.Ethylene glycol can be obtained by Ethylene carbonate process, union carbide syngas
process and many other processes but the most important process is hydrolysis of Ethylene oxide.

DESCRIPTION OF FLOWSHEET

Each mole of Ethylene oxide reacts with a mole of water to give rise to one of Ethylene Glycol.
But the product Ethylene Glycol formed reacts with Ethylene Oxide to give rise to
Diethyleneglycol. The reactions are as follows.

𝐶2 𝐻4 𝑂 + 𝐻2 𝑂 −→ 𝐶2 𝐻6 𝑂2
𝐶2 𝐻4 𝑂 + 𝐶2 𝐻6 𝑂2 −→ 𝐶4 𝐻10 𝑂3

In order to increase the yield of Ethylene Glycol 20 moles of water is fed to the reactor for each
mole of Ethylene glycol entering. However, a maximum of around 90 % yield of Ethylene glycol
is only obtained by non-catalytic reaction/ process. The Ethylene oxide limiting reactant and
undergoes complete conversion in plug-flow reactor.
Therefore the reaction mixture consists large amounts of water which is mostly removed by
employing multiple effect feed forward evaporators. The pressure decreases in the forward
direction . The concentrated solution contains % of Glycols and rest water. Therefore water is
mostly removed in multi-stage plate distillation column. The Ethylene glycol is finally removed
in the next distillation which is also a multi-stage plate column.
RESULT

EO WAT MSTR-037 MSTR-038 MSTR-039 units

Temperature 453.15 453.15 334.0617 388.5132 430.84 K

Pressure 202650 202650 19323.3 5066.25 5066.25 Pa


0 0
Mass flow 1.6739 4.872 11.50 2.2058 0.0212 kg/s

Molar flow 38 270.44 637.2 34.7995 0.2 mol/s

MOLAR 1 0 4.5350E-106 8.0754E-114 2.60819E-123


FRACTION(MIXTURE)
/ ETHYLENE OXIDE

MOLAR 0 1 0.99 0.0038 5.3866E-11


FRACTION(MIXTURE)
/
WATER
MOLAR 0 0 0.000765 0.962 0.0025
FRACTION(MIXTURE)
/
ETHYLENE GLYCOL
MOLAR 0 0 8.2609E-08 0.0337 0.99
FRACTION(MIXTURE)
/
DIETHYLENE
GLYCOL
REFERENCE
Ullman’s, Encyclopedia of Industrial chemistry, Vol. A10, 101-113.
CHEMTECH, August 1984, 504-511.
AIChE Journal, January 1999, Vol. 45, No.1, 51-54.

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