Aspen Simulation for Production of Formaldehyde from Methanol

The reaction scheme involved in the process is expressed below,

1
C H 3 OH + O2 HCHO+ H 2 O
2

C H 3 OH HCHO + H 2

The Aspen simulation is used for computing performance collected from the reaction
scheme in literatures used most widely in industries.

The four major unit operations are involved in the simulation process starting with
evaporator followed with PFR, absorption/stripping column finally with distillation for
yielding high pure formaldehyde.

In first methanol and recycled methanol from process are fed in mixer is fed to
evaporator for conversion of liquid methanol to vapour and we are doing this process to yield
high conversion rate as the oxygen (air) is involved in the process hence the conversion of
liquid methanol to vapour is the first and foremost step in achieving the process in-pace. The
temperature in evaporator is tried to main above 120 C for achieving complete conversion of
liquid phase methanol to vapour phase.

From the evaporator the vapour phase methanol is fed in to compressor along with air
so the methanol and air combination yields liquefied formaldehyde conversion on feeding to
the plug flow reactor. The PFR is preferred as it give more contact surface area in tube passes
for reaction of methanol vapour with air and also along the tube pass the pressure drop
favours the lowering of temperature results in liquefaction of the mixture yield of
formaldehyde. In order to favour the state conversion gas to liquid a small amount of water is
added along the PFR pass for achieving 100% liquefaction.

The third processing unit stripping column is used for removing the water used in
PFR hence the stripper helps in removal of water a negligible amount in vapour state and the
unreacted methanol in vapour which are connected with feed mixture. This process is
followed with distillation column where the methanol free formaldehyde product is achieved
by bubble column distillation unit where the smaller amount (or) traceable methanol are
vaporised is fed back to the feed mixture and the bottom liquid of distillation yields near 99%
pure formaldehyde.