ABC Corporations Phenol Production Plant:

Design and Economic Evaluation for 300,000 tons/yr

Group 21: Laura Bertrand, Brandon Burns, Amiel Kirtikar, Brandon Lorentz

Economics

Design Objective
ABC Corporation is looking for a cost-effective method of attaining 300,000 tons of phenol
per year as a raw material for their downstream resin production. Currently, phenol is
purchased at $0.64 per pound. Cumene, a raw material in phenol production, can be
obtainable internally for $0.60 per pound. Our technical assignment included designing a
phenol plant, estimating the production cost of phenol per pound, and making an
economically feasible decision for ABC Corporation

Process Overview

Capital Costs

Continuous Process Emissions:

Total Capital Investment (TCI): $271 MM

Total Installed Equipment Cost, MM $

Unit

Coolers, $7.6

Misc, $15.1

Oxidation Reactor
Vent

Reactors, $13.4

Waste
Phase

Waste Flow and Composition

Treatment
(lbmol/hr) (mole %)
Treatment Emission Disposal
Total: 4080

Gas

4%_Oxygen, 96%_Nitrogen

Trace Amounts:

Burning as fuel

Acetone, Cumene,

credit

Carbon Dioxide

Vent to
Atmosphere

Hydrogen

Exchangers, $36.6

Columns, $25.9

Streams of compressed air and pure cumene are fed into oxidation reactors where the
cumene is oxidized to cumene hydro peroxide (CHP) and a by-product di-methyl benzyl
alcohol (DMBA). Cumene in the vent from the reactors is recovered and recycled back into
the process.
Unreacted cumene, CHP and DMBA are then sent to a distillation column where cumene in
the distillate stream is recycled back to the oxidation reactors. In the bottoms, CHP, DMBA,
and any remaining cumene is then sent to a cleavage reactor. CHP is cleaved to form Phenol
and Acetone and DMBA reacts with the sulfuric acid catalyst in the cleavage reactor to form
alpha-methyl styrene (AMS) and water.
Acetone, water, cumene, AMS, and phenol are then sent through a separation train of
distillation columns to isolate each component. Isolated cumene is recycled back into the
oxidation reactors. AMS is hydrogenated back into cumene, which is also recycled back to
the oxidation reactor. The water stream is sent to a wastewater treatment facility. The byproduct acetone is cooled and stored for sale, and the final phenol product is cooled and
sent to the resins plant.

Column T-100
Partial Condenser
Vent
Hydrogenation
Reactor Vent
Cleavage Reactor
Catalyst and
Organic Waste
Column T-104
Bottoms Waste

Compressor, $16.9

Operating Costs

Total: 23
Gas

Trace Amounts:

Nitrogen

86%_Nitrogen, 12%_Cumene, Phenol, Acetone

Vent to

Atmosphere

2%_Oxygen

Total: 5
Gas

98%_Hydrogen, 2%_Cumene

Trace Amounts:

Burning as fuel

Water, Carbon

Vent to

AMS

credit

Dioxide

Atmosphere

Not Simulated
Solid

Aqueous Sulfuric and Organic

Water-Treatment Salts

Bacterial

process

Digestion

Acid Salts with Sodium Phenolate

Total: 44
Liquid

98%_Water, 2%_Cumene

Trace Amounts:

Water-Treatment Cooling Water

Acetone

process

Total Annual Operating Costs: $483 MM/year

Production Costs, MM$/year

Misc
,$38.6

BTCF,
$91.4

Major Safety Considerations

Utility Costs, MM$/year

Cooling Water,$3.7

Reactions

Misc, $2.3

Cleavage Reactor:
-Rapid CHP decomposition causing a
Runaway Exothermic Reaction

Refrigerant,$0.4

Hydrogenation Reactor:
-Flammability of Hydrogen resulting in explosion

Electricity,$3.5

Oxidation Reactor

Cleavage Reactor

(Main Reaction)

(Main Reaction)

(Side Reaction)

Health & Environment

(Side Reaction)

Utilities,
$46.7

Raw
Materials
(Cumene &
Hydrogen,
$306

Minor Safety Considerations

Steam,$36.9

Oxidation Air Compressor:

-Compressed Air Temperature below 600 F to prevent auto ignition of cumene

Economic Decision
Final Production Cost of Phenol: $0.73 per pound

CHEAPER to BUY Phenol

High Pressure Steam Reboiler:

-600 psi steam used in AMS/Phenol Distillation Column Reboiler
Oxidation Reactor Vent Composition:
-Oxidation reactor vent LOC with cumene is less than 6 mol %

Commercial Uses and Supply Chain of Phenol

Hydrogenation Reactor

Phenol is used in various products:

Simulation:

Epoxy Resins paint coatings

Polycarbonate plastics CDs and domestic electrical appliances
Nylon and Polyamide plastics carpets, nets, and clothing
Antioxidant in rubber manufacture
Intermediate to herbicides and insecticides
Manufacture of surfactants, detergents, and emulsifiers
Precursor to pharmaceuticals aspirin and chloraseptic

Yield of Phenol: 99 %
Benzene

Specifications:
Pressure of oxidation reactor = 80 psia
Temperature of oxidation reactor = 212F
Pressure of cleavage reactor = 14.7 psia
Temperature of oxidation reactor = 176F
Pressure of hydrogenation reactor = 110 psia
Temperature of oxidation reactor = 194F
99.9 % Purity of Acetone
99.99% Purity of Phenol
Various pressures for distillation columns

Phenolic Resins

Naphtha

Cumene

Propylene

Air

Propane

Natural gas

Naphtha

Crude Oil

Phenol

Hydrogen

Air
Water

Crude Oil