ACETALDEHYDE MANUFACTURING PLANT

Group members: Neil Bryan Closa, Sheena Mae Maranan, John Henry De Chavez

Feed: Ethylene

Output: Acetaldehyde

Acetaldehyde is a mobile, low-boiling, highly flammable liquid with a pungent

odor. Acetaldehyde is an important intermediate in the production of acetic acid, acetic

anyhydride, ethyl acetate, peracetic acid, butanol, 2-ethylhexanol, pentaerythritol,

chlorinated acet-aldehydes, glyoxal, alkyl amines, pyridines, and other chemicals.

When heated above 420oC acetylaldehyde decomposes into methane and

carbon monoxide.

There are many raw materials that may be used to produce acetaldehyde such

as Ethanol, Acetylene, Ethylene, lower hydrocarbons, Carbon monoxide and hydrogen,

and Methanol. The proponents aim to design a plant which will use Ethylene as its feed.

The major processes that are involved in the production of acetaldehyde are 1)

Reaction 2) Oxidation 3) Crude Distillation 4) Degassing; and 5) Final Distillation

(Encyclopaedia of Chemical Technology). The proponents will design series of process

diagrams to obtain acetaldehyde as the result.

The equipments that will be used in the in the production of acetaldehyde are

Reactors, Flash Towers, Pumps, Separators, Scrubbers, Containers, Heaters, Coolers,

and Condensers.

The proponents aim to design a plant that will produce the acetaldehyde by

basing it on the chemical reaction discovered by Wacker Chemie which is called the

Wacker Process. The proponents will transform this process to a large-scale production

plant that would supply industrial demands while taking into consideration the economic

and environmental viability in the design.

A flow chart showing the process flow diagram for the Wacker Process for creation of

acetaldehyde.