DESIGN PROJECT MEMO [2]

Date: 7th September 2017

To: Dr.John Lau
From: Adam James Ho Wei Jie, Dalilah Binti Ismail, Lai Wei Chean,
Lavania Sugu, Cho Wai Howe
Re: Direct Route to Phenol from Benzene

Summary
This memo consists of a complete PFD and the ASPEN simulation along with labels and optimisation.
The specifications of the major utilities and a preliminary equipment schedule of equipment items and
their details are also included. Preliminary sizing and specifications of piping and a plant layout of the
production site was produced along with environmental impact assessment in addition to a HAZOP
analysis.
1.0 Process Flow Diagram
The process flow diagram is shown in Figure 1 and 2 in the Appendix. Section 1 oxidises benzene to
phenol through hydrogen peroxide using two trains of reactor in parallel. Each train has three CSTRs
in series. In each reactor, benzene reacts with 70% hydrogen peroxide in presence of catalyst to form
phenol and water. Vapor and liquid effluents are combined from each train and sent to Section 2 and 3.
Methane is used as fuel in vapor streams to prevent benzene concentration to reach upper flammability
limit. Pumps are all on ground level used to pressurize feeds and recycle streams. Control valves ensures
control safety during process disturbance. Section 2 involves removing undesired gases in streams and
condensing vapours to merge with liquid effluent separation in Section 3. Compressor C-201
compresses the gas to high pressure to go through the whole separation process. Flash Vessel F-201
removes oxygen from vapour reactor effluent by flashing. Heat exchangers help cool and condenses
streams for preparation of streams entering next equipment. Section 3 is the separation of phenol from
water. To prevent expensive liquid-liquid extraction, removal of water from phenol is done in the first
column, keeping phenol at bottom stream. Vapor distillate containing oxygen and impurities are
recycled back to F-201. Liquid distillate is fed to decanter to remove water from remaining components.
Section 4 is for further purification of product and waste streams and providing source for recycle
streams. Stripper is utilised with cooled bottoms and fed to waste water treatment. Section 5 regenerates
catalyst used in Section 1. The furnace FR-501 receives catalyst-slurry for re-calcination. Phenol is
vaporised to a flare with nitrogen vapour while solid catalyst leaves at S-504.

2.0 ASPEN Plus Results

The ASPEN simulation of the entire process is seen in Figure 3 and 4.
3.0 Specifications of Major Utilities
The specifications of major utilities required are included in Table 1 in Appendix to ensure smooth
operation of the plant. Chilled water, cooling water, steam, natural gas and electricity were used in the
operating plant.
4.0 Process Optimization and Energy Integration
Optimization was performed to obtain maximum profit, optimizations for flowsheet and energy
consumption. In addition to achieve product purity of 99.8% and minimum water production.

5.0 Preliminary Equipment Schedule and Listing of Major Equipment Items

There are 5 major equipment used in the proposed process, namely constantly-stirred tank reactors,
stoichiometric reactors, distillation columns, flash vessels, furnaces, and decanter. The preliminary
labels, function, material of construction and operating conditions of the major equipment are stated in
Table 2. The materials used for these units are stainless steel and carbon steel. According to Towler
and Sinnott (2013), low carbon steel is the most used engineering material due to being cheap, can be
easily worked and welded, has good tensile strength and ductility and is suitable for use with most

Page 1 of 14
organic solvents. Stainless steel is used as it is the most frequently used corrosion resistant material in
the chemical industry (Towler & Sinnott, 2013).

6.0 Preliminary Sizing and Specifications on Piping

Preliminary piping sizing and specifications for streams connected to the major equipment are stated in
Table 3.

7.0 Plant Layout

The layout of the entire process plant for phenol production is proposed as such in Figure 5. Each
equipment has their dimensions and distance between each other for safety reasons are specified. The
scale used was 1:1000, where 1 mm = 1 m throughout the layout.
8.0 Preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment
A preliminary environmental impact assessment is carried out to evaluate the effects of project
operations on environment aspects. Table 4 presents the preliminary environmental impact assessment
together with the mitigation plans to reduce the risks involved. Process materials hazards and safety
review of the production plant are listed in Tables 5 and 6. The initial HAZOP analysis for major
equipment is found in Table 7.

References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. 2014. Toxicological Profile for Benzene. United States Government.
Accessed August 28, https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/.

Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology. 2008. Emergency and Continuous Exposure Guidance Levels on Selected
Submarine Contaminants. United States of America: The National Academic Press.

Environmental Quality (Scheduled Waste) Regulations 1989. (Laws of Malaysia)

https://www.env.go.jp/en/recycle/asian_net/Country_Information/Law_N_Regulation/Malaysia/Malaysia%20EQA%20Sche
duled%20Waste%202005.pdf

European Chemical Agency. 2017. Substance Information- Vanadyl Pyrophasphate.European Union. Accessed August 30,
https://echa.europa.eu/.

Factories and Machinery Act 1967, Section 10 (Laws of Malaysia) http://www.dosh.gov.my/index.php/en/list-of-

documents/acts/26-03-factories-and-machinery-act-1967-revised-1974-acts-139/file

New Jersey Department of Health. 2015. Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet - Phenol. Accessed August 29,
http://www.nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/1487.pdf.

Patra, Ronald, John C. Chapman, Richard P. Lim, Peter C. Gehrke, and Ramasamy Sunderam. 2015. Interaction Between
Water Temperature and Contaminant Toxicity to Freshwater Fish. Environemental Toxicology and Chemistry 34 (8): 1809-
1819. Doi:10.1002/etc.2990.

Pohanish, Richard. 2012. Sittigs Handbook of Toxic and Hazardous Chemicals and Carcinogens. Oxford: Elsevier Ltd.

Public Health England. 2016. Phenol: Health Effects, Incident Management and Toxicology. Department of Health.
Accessed August 29, https://www.gov.uk/.

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. 2012. Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System General Permit. Texas,
Austin: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. 2011. Hydrogen Peroxide. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/.

Towler, Gavin P., and R. K. Sinnott. Chemical engineering design: principles, practice, and economics of plant and process
design. Boston, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2013.

United States Environment Protection Agency. 2016. Acetonitrile IRIS Assessment. United States Government. Accessed
August 27, https://www.epa.gov/.

Page 2 of 14
APPENDIX

Figure 1: Process Flow Diagram

Methane
Section 1: Parallel
Feed
CSTR in Series
S-117 S-121
S-113
S-109 V-104 V-106 V-108

ST-101
Section 2: Vapour
S-137 Effluent Separation
R- R- R-
101A 102A 103A
S-138 P-111A/B P-112A/B
S-107 S-108 S-112 S-114 S-116 S-120

S-311
S-103 S-106

S-401
V-103 V-105 V-107
S-102 S-115 S-119
S-105 S-111
S-122

Benzene Catalyst Hydrogen

Feed Feed Peroxide
S-104 Feed S-205
S-101 S-110
P-101A/B P-102A/B P-104A/B P-105A/B
P-103A/B
Cooling
Water
S-215 Return

HX-202

S-206
S-139 Waste
S-126 S-130 S-134 C-201 S-402

V-110 V-112 V-114 S-201

S-212 S-209

S-309 S-204

HX-201
P-33 S-203 HX-203
S-202
R-101B R-102B R-103B
V-202
F-201 S-220
S-214 S-210
S-125 S-127 S-129 S-132
S-131 S-211
V-204

V-203 S-303
Hydrogen
V-109 V-111 V-113
Peroxide
Feed S-213
S-128 S-132
S-124 S-136

HX-204 S-219
S-218
V-205
S-222 Cooling
ST-102 S-207 S-217
S-123 P-107A/B P-108A/B S-221 Water
P-106A/B Return

S-141 S-216
P-202A/B P-201A/B P-203A/B

S-140
S-142
V-201
P-109A/B P-110A/B

Page 3 of 14
Figure 2: Process Flow Diagram
S-306
S-310 Cooling
S-311
Water
Colling S-401 S-417
V-303
Water S-402
V-304 V-305
V-404 S-416
V-405

S-307 V-302 C-401

HX-302 S-308
Cooling S-303 S-305 411
HX-403 S-409
Water S-414
Return

S-212
DC-301 HX-401
A-401
A-301
S-405 S-410 Waste
S-209 S-209
S-406 Phenol
S-309 HX-402 V-35
S-407 S-408
Steam V-402 Steam

Cooling D-402
S-415
D-301 Steam D-401 Water
Return

F-401

S-425 K-402
K-301 S-302 K-401 S-403 V-410
V-308 V-403 V-401
S-419
V-408 Waste
S-301 V-301
S-412 Steam
Waste
S-420 S-418 Cooling
Water
Aceton S-411
P-301A/B P-401A/B itrile
P-403A/B P-404A/B
V-406

S-137 S-423
S-422

Section 3: Liquid V-407

P-402A/B
Effluent Separation

Section 4: Product S-505

Purification & Final

Separation

S-503
S-501 S-502

Nitrogen
V-501
C-501
FR-501

S-424

Section 5: Catalyst
S-504
Regeneration

Page 4 of 14
Figure 3: ASPEN Simulation

Page 5 of 14
Figure 4: ASPEN Simulation

Page 6 of 14
Table 1: Specifications of Major Utilities

Compressor
Equipment C-201 C-401 C-501 - -
Utility type Electricity Electricity Electricity - -
Specific duty (kW/hr) 429.9 336.3 0.25 - -
Kettle Reboiler
Equipment K-301 K-401 K-402 - -
Utility type MP Steam LP Steam LP Steam - -
Specific duty (kJ/hr) 109620303.087 46527963.101 4294077.32 - -.
Decanter
Equipment DC-301 - - - -
Utility type Chilled water - - - --
Specific duty (kJ/hr) 20932308.116 - - - -
Furnace
Equipment FR-501 - - - -
Utility type Natural gas - - - -
Specific duty (kJ/hr) 50619.47 - - - -
Flash Vessel
Equipment F-201 F-401 - - -
Utility type Steam generation Steam generation - - -
Specific duty (kJ/hr) 47333.81 106507888.32 - - -
Reactor
Equipment R-101 A/B R-102 A/B R-103 A/B - -
Utility type Cooling water Cooling water Cooling water - -
Specific duty (kJ/hr) 44501200.808 3186583.082 1160907.496 - -
Pump
Equipment P-101 A/B P-102 A/B P-103 A/B P-104 P-105 P-106 P-107 P-108
Utility type Electricity Electricity Electricity Electricity Electricity Electricity Electricity Electricity
Specific duty (kW/hr) 2.0637 0..1962 0.7564 3.1937 3.1439 0.7564 3.1937 3.1439
Continue
Equipment P-109 P-110 P-201 P-202 P-402 P-403 P-404
Utility type Electricity Electricity Electricity Electricity Electricity Electricity Electricity
Specific duty (kW/hr) 11.3195 67.9282 263.2139 5.0375 0.0631 0.0628 13.5082

Page 7 of 14
Table 2: The preliminary labels, function, material of construction and operating conditions of the major equipment

Equipment name Label Function Operating Conditions Material of

construction
Constantly-Stirred Tank Reactor R101B1, R101A1, R-102B1, Reaction of benzene and Hydrogen Peroxide (presence of Vanadyl Pyrophosphate catalyst in Acetonitrile) to produce P= 22.04psia Stainless steel
R-102A1, R-103A1, R-103B1 Phenol and by-product water T= 140F
Stoichiometric Reactor R101B2, R101A2, R-102B2, Decompose Hydrogen Peroxide in Water and Oxygen P= 22.04psia Stainless steel
R-102A2, R-103A2, R-103B2 T= 140F
Distillation Column D-301 Separate water from the organics P= 169psia Carbon steel
Separate benzene and catalyst from phenol 20 stages
D-401 P= 36.7psia Carbon steel
20 stages
D-402 P= 36.7psia Carbon steel
10 stages
Flash vessel F-201 Purify Phenol P= 147psia Carbon steel
Remove Oxygen by flashing contents from vapor reactor effluent T= 149F
F-401 P= 22psia Carbon steel
T= 392F
Furnace FR-501A1, FR-501A2 Separate catalyst-phenol slurry by heating process P= 14.7psia Carbon steel
T= 752F Carbon steel
Decanter DC-301 Separate water and sediments such as benzene and catalyst to ease the process of recycling benzene P= 58.8psia Carbon steel
Discard excess water T= 41F

Table 3: Preliminary sizing and specs on piping

Stream ID Operating temperature (F) Operating Pressure (psia) Pipe material Calculated Pipe Diameter Pipe schedule Fluid velocity (kg/s)
(mm)
S-109 200.5 22.04 304L SS 152.8 Schedule 40 9.36
S-125 77.2 22 304L SS 66.1 Schedule 40 2.19
INT1 140 22.04 304L SS 162.4 Schedule 40 11.55
S-108 200.5 22.04 304L SS 152.7 Schedule 40 9.36
S-112 77.2 22 304L SS 66.3 Schedule 40 2.2
S13 140 22.04 304L SS 162.4 Schedule 40 11.55
INT8 140 22.04 304L SS 162.4 Schedule 40 11.55
INT2 140 22.04 304L SS 162.4 Schedule 40 11.55
S-133 140 22 304L SS 157.3 Schedule 40 10.84
S-120 140 22 304L SS 157.3 Schedule 40 10.84
INT11 140 22 304L SS 157.3 Schedule 40 10.84
INT5 140 22 304L SS 157.3 Schedule 40 10.84
INT12 140 22 304L SS 157.6 Schedule 40 10.84
INT6 140 22 304L SS 157.6 Schedule 40 10.84
S-209 224.3 169 A106 CS 400.4 Schedule 40 46.9
S-304 278.2 169 A106 CS 294.0 Schedule 40 24.7
S-310 278.2 169 A106 CS 90.4 Schedule 40 0.1
S-301 376.1 169 A106 CS 280.3 Schedule 40 22.14
S-302 368.7 154.3 A106 CS 375.8 Schedule 40 22.14
S-403 297.4 36.74 A106 CS 179.3 Schedule 40 9.77
S-204 641.3 147 A106 CS 623.3 Schedule 40 2.28
S-206 149 147 A106 CS 77.5 Schedule 40 0.083
S-210 149 147 A106 CS 86.1 Schedule 40 2.19
S-404 268 22 A106 CS 566.1 Schedule 40 9.77
S-425 392 22 A106 CS 7.2 Schedule 40 0.015
S-424 392 22 A106 CS 3.5 Schedule 40 0.0038
INT13 752 14.7 A106 CS 194.0 Schedule 40 0.058
S-504 752 14.7 A106 CS 3.2 Schedule 40 0.0028
S-505 752 14.7 A106 CS 192.7 Schedule 40 0.055
S-308 73.6 139.6 A106 CS 285.1 Schedule 40 24.68
S-305 41 58.8 A106 CS 280.0 Schedule 40 23.9

Page 8 of 14
Table 4: Preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

Environmental Potential Aspects Consequence Likelihood Impact Risk Mitigation action Risk assessment
Impacts after mitigation
measures
Marine -Discharge of toxic wastewater into the sea. -Toxic wastes pollute seawater which endangers marine Unlikely Moderate Medium -Pre-treatment of wastewater prior to discharging it Low
environmental and -Dumping of hazardous wastes into the sea. aquatic lives. into the sea (Environmental Quality (Scheduled Waste)
fauna -Discharge of warm wastewater previously used - warm wastewater raises the temperature of seawater. Regulations 1989).
as coolant in heat exchangers. Some compounds such as phenol has high toxicity -establish proper waste disposal methods such as
above 35 (Patra et al. 2015, 1813). managing wastes according to flammable, corrosive
and explosive categories.
Landscape and -Construction of production plant. -Deforestation due to plant construction. Possible Moderate High -Proper land development to prevent damage to the Medium
ecology -Spillage of chemicals when transporting to -Soil contamination caused by chemical or oil spillage ecosystem.
production site. from construction equipment. -Clean construction equipment so that it is not
-Damage to surrounding public properties. contaminated with oil or other substances which may
-Damage and contamination to vegetable crops. pollute the land.
Air quality -Emission of harmful gases such as benzene, -Toxic gases being released will cause air pollution. Possible Minor Medium -Install a flare system to minimize gaseous emissions. Low
phenol and acetonitrile when vented from -Increase in amount of dust generated to the -Install an air filtration system or dust suppressor to
reactors. surroundings. reduce dust generation.
-Dust released from phenol plant construction.

Social/ -Accidents at the production plant such as fire or -Safety of workers and public are affected. Unlikely Major Medium -Personal protective gear must be worn at all times Low
Economics explosion. -Leakage of harmful gases and chemicals may cause such as flame retardant, boots and gloves.
-Toxic gases and chemical leakage when health problems to working personnel. -Proper plant operation and emergency plans imposed
transporting chemicals to production site. according to Factories and Machinery Act 1967,
Section 10.
-Regular inspection of reactors and equipment to
ensure no leakage.
Water quality -Chemical spillage from the production plant. -Contaminate clean water sources. Possible Minor Medium -Inspections carried out regularly to check for any Low
-Increase the acidity of water sources. chemical spillage.
-Conduct water-sampling test regularly to assess the
level of water contamination. Maximum benzene
effluent limit should not exceed 0.05 / (Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality 2012).

Table 5: Process Material Hazards

Process materials
Benzene (Agency for
Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry 2014)
Potential hazards
-Highly flammable. Catch fire easily when exposed
to flame and sparks.
-Poses explosion risk as it undergoes violent
reactions with halogens and oxidants.
Hazard statement Accidental release measure Handling methods
-Asphyxiation results from inhalation of 1.5 ppm to 5 ppm -Wear air respirators, face shield, safety boots and suit. -Design a ventilation system.
range (Board of Environmental Studies and Toxicology 2008). -Isolate 800 m away from a tank that has caught fire -Keep away from ignition sources.
-Causes eye injuries and pain when splashed into eyes. (Pohanish 2012, 346).
-Prolonged skin contact degreases and dries the skin. -Extinguish fires with water spray, dry carbon dioxide
-Systemic toxicity is experienced upon ingestion. and regular foam.

Phenol (Public Health
England 2016).
-Very corrosive and easily absorbed into skin.
-Forms flammable and toxic vapour upon heating.
-Kidney and liver damage if ingested.
-Inhalation causes nausea, convulsions and lung oedema.
-Dermatitis, muscle pain and severe skin burns when absorbed
into the skin.
-Wear protective respirators, face shield and suit when
handling spillage.
-Cover liquid spills with sand before storing it in metal
tanks that are securely sealed.
-Evacuate workers to designated areas in case of fire or
explosion.
-Keep phenol away from oxidising materials
namely formaldehydes, permanganates and
isocyanates. (New Jersey Department of Health
2015).
-Avoid smoking and open flames which pose fire
hazards.

Page 9 of 14
 Vanadyl pyrophosphate
(European Chemical
Agency 2017)
Hydrogen peroxide (The
National Institute for
Occupational Safety and
Health 2011).
Acetonitrile (United States
Environment Protection
Agency 2016)
Table 6: Safety Review
Event
Explosion
Fire
Spill or leakage
Natural disaster
Plant power failure
-Easily ignites fire when heated at elevated -Severe eye irritation due to contact with eyes. -Use carbon dioxide in dry foam when extinguish fire. -Store in a dry and well-ventilated area.
temperature. -Skin irritation when contact with skin. -Wear facemask fitted with P3 filters and impervious -Keep away from hot surfaces.
clothing.
-Reacts with combustible substances causing fire. -Skin absorption results in pain and burns. -Wear protective clothing and gloves when disposing -Store in an area that is far from reducing agents,
-May explode when it is heated or exposed to metal -Severe burns and blurry version when splashed into eyes. spilled liquid. strong acids and combustible materials.
catalysts. -Distension, vomiting and nausea experienced when ingested. -Implement proper ventilation system.
-Keep in a cool place and away from hot
surfaces.
-Extremely flammable. -Causes unconsciousness, convulsions and muscle weakness if -Cover spillage with sand and inert absorbents before -Keep away from oxidant materials.
-Emits harmful gases when it catches fire or comes inhaled. placing it in sealable containers. -Store in an area that is far from ignition sources.
in contact with aqueous acid. -Contact with eyes result in redness and irritation. -Wear safety goggles, gloves and breathing protection. -Avoid using compressed air upon filling tanks.
-May explode when reacts with strong oxidants.
Likelihood Recovery Plan Contingency plan
Possible -Evacuate working personnel to designated safe areas. -Build barriers or containments around reactors.
-Stop all works which are hazardous. -Place highly flammable and explosive materials away from heat and oxidising substances.
Possible -Activate emergency alarms. -Install fire extinguishers at locations with high fire hazards.
-Remove all sources of ignition. -Provide training to all staffs on proper firefighting techniques.
Likely -Report to emergency response coordinator. -Carry out regular repairs and maintenance for any piping leakage.
-Clean spills with inert absorbents and store in proper containers. -Train all working personnel to handle chemicals in a safe and proper manner.
Unlikely -Shut down operating equipment as necessary. -Build barriers or containment surrounding the equipment.
-Evacuate the affected site. -Install alternative power sources in case of utility outages.
Likely -Notify emergency response coordinator about the power failure. -Install generators that act as a backup equipment.
-Carry out damage assessment to the affected reactor. -Conduct regular maintenance to check for any equipment faults.
Page 10 of 14
Table 7: HAZOP Analysis for Major Equipment

Project: Plant Design of Direct Oxidation of Phenol from Benzene Date: 4th September 2017
P&ID No.: 1 Node No.: 1
Node Description: Major equipment

HAZOP Lead: Dalilah Ismail HAZOP Scribe: Adam James Ho Wei Jie
Continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) (R-101A, R-101B, R-102A, R-102B, R-103A, R-103B)

Parameter Guide Possible Cause (s) Consequence Required safeguards Recommendations Actions
word Deviation
Flow High -controller failure -flooding in CSTR. -use flow and level controllers -installation of high flow and level -reduce the use of fittings at locations that are
-high inlet flow -causes backflow of CSTR contents. controllers to detect increased flow and prone to erosion.
-contributes to overpressure. -have shutdown valve to stop liquid level.
-erosion can occur as result of high flow of corrosive high flows. -conduct regular checks on controller systems
chemicals. -connect a drainage piping to purge and piping that are worn from erosion.
excess flow.

Low -pump malfunctions
-fouling in valve
-takes longer time to complete a reaction due to low -install backup pumps. -regular cleaning and flushing piping system
-provide flow and level
reactant flow. to prevent fouling problems.
controllers.
-reactor may dry out as a result of low liquid level. -install low level and flow controllers.
-workers ensure the liquid level is always at
the minimum level.

No -rupture in piping -pressure accumulates in reactor. -install a flow sensor and -provide low flow instrumentation -train operators to respond to any low or no
flow -pipe blockage -cause pump cavitation. controller. control and alarm systems. flow emergency situations.
-damage to pump.
Pressure High -sedimentation occurs. -reactor will rupture. -fix an alarm system -install emergency relief valve at the -implement an automatic shutdown once the
-blockage in tubing. -heat accumulation inside the reactor. -have an emergency equipment tubing with high occurrence of pressure exceeds the maximum limit.
to detect high pressure. blockage.

Low -pipe leakage -purity of product decreases. -use a pressure controller -provide a low pressure sensor and -regular piping and equipment maintenance to
-reactor inefficiency reduces. system. controller system. prevent underpressure issues.

-have an insulation system.

Temperature High -presence of runaway process -leakage of high flammable gas may occur. -install temperature controllers. -use a cooling system. -use paint coating which is heat-proof so that
-control system failure the reactor does not absorb large amounts of
heat.

Low -low pressure -less products are generated due to low reactant -have a temperature controller -use a low temperature controller. -constantly monitor reactions to ensure no
conversion. system. severe drop in temperature.
-loss of profit.

Page 11 of 14
Distillation column (D-301, D-401, D-402)

Parameter Guide Possible Cause (s) Consequence Required Safeguards Recommendations Actions
word Deviation
Flow High -column overpressure -column flooding. -provide a flow control valve to drain excess -automatic shutdown when flow is -workers always ensure the flow limit is within
-error in cross-connections leading to -contamination of chemicals. fluids. excessively high. the required capacity.
overflow
-conduct checks at equipment that are prone to
high liquid flows.

Low -pump cavitation -pump damage. -provide a low level alarm device. -frequent maintenance to check for leakages and
-install an alarm device.
-high withdrawal flow of fluids. -loss of products through pump malfunctions.
excessive outflow.
No -pipe blockage. -build-up of by-products. -install a low flow controller. -regular inspections to remove blockages in
flow -closed control valve. -operation may cease due to -use a flow controller. piping.
no flow of products.

Pressure High -presence of internal fire. -column overpressure. -have a pressure relief valve -use a high pressure (PAH) alarm system. -select fireproof materials for the column that is
-corrosion in column -explosion may occur. -install alarm and smoke detectors. -implement fireproofing measures. more resistant to heat and fires.
-equipment damage. -establish fire emergency plan in the plant.
Low -blockage in column trays -column may collapse due to -install a vent system. -have a safety vacuum release system. -choose suitable column wall thickness which is
vacuum generation. able to withstand full vacuum condition.
-low heat input -leakage of toxic gas into the -use a low pressure controller.
environment.

Temperature High -inadequate cooling water. -the column has a high risk to -use flow controller to control the flow of -use high temperature controller. -operators are well-trained to handle emergency
-high inflow of heating fluids explode. heating fluids. -have a emergency block valve at the situations involving column operating above the
-implement emergency measures at the steam steam stream to control high inflow of maximum temperature.
stream. heating fluids.
Low -low pressure -column underpressured. -use temperature controllers. -install a low temperature controller. -regular maintenance to check for faulty heating
-internal heating mechanism -conversion of reactants is mechanisms and controllers.
malfunctions. low.

Page 12 of 14
 Parameter Guide Possible Cause (s) Consequence Required Safeguard Recommendations Actions
word Deviation
Flow High -overpressure. -erosion on wall tubing especially tube inlet. -provide a flow controller -use a high level controller system. -frequent tube maintenance to ensure smooth
-high flow from inlet stream. device. flowrate.

Low -low inlet flowrate -nozzle clogged. -install a low level indicator to detect -conduct pressure test often to detect possible
-leakage in pipe -equipment downtime due to blockage. -have a flow indicator low liquid flowrate. pipe leakage.
-settling of particles in the piping. system.

No -blockage in tubing. -cause water hammer and pressure surge. -use an on-off flow valve type to avoid -clean tubes often to eliminate deposits.
flow -accumulation of deposits. -install flow control valves. water hammer.

Pressure High -excessive heat content. -explosion may happen. -have a high-pressure -install an emergency pressure relief -automatic shutdown when the pressure reaches
-tube rupture. -disks may burst. indicator device. valve. the maximum allowable range.

Low -loss of steam -energy wastage to continuously run heat exchanger at low -provide an alarm indicator -install a low-pressure alarm system. -select plate structure which is less susceptible to
pressure. system. low pressure drop.

Temperature High -overheating -causes pressure build-up in the heat exchanger. -install a temperature -use a high temperature indicator -remove stagnant fluids periodically to avoid
-fouling in heat exchanger tubing -results in thermal expansion that may damage the tubes. controller. device. fouling issues.
-have a protective coating to reduce -use anti-fouling coating on heat exchanger
fouling problem. plates.
Low -no heating process occur. - poor heat transfer. Unable to heat incoming stream that -provide temperature -install a low temperature sensor and -choose heat exchanger construction material that
requires heating. controller and sensor controller. has more thermal stability.
-decreased equipment efficiency. devices. -train workers to safely handle emergency
conditions involving excessive temperature drop
scenario.
Heat Exchanger (HX-201, HX-202, HX-203, HX-204, HX-301, HX-401, HX 402)

Page 13 of 14
 Legend Description
A1, A2 Security Offices
B Main Office Building
C Secondary Office Building
D Plant Location
E1, E2, E3 Emergency Assembly Areas
F Parking Lot
G Cafeteria
H Future Expansion Location
I1, I2, I3, I4 Raw Material and Product Storage
Tanks
K Loading and Unloading Bay

Figure 5: Plant Layout

Description Drawn by: Cho Wai Howe Title: Overall Plant Layout
1. For safety purposes, the security offices, office buildings Checked by: Consultant: - CAD File Name: -
and cafeteria are located away from the main plant
location Size: A4
2. Multiple emergency assembly areas to improve safety Scale: 1:1000 Location: -
during an emergency
Date: 8/7/2017 DWG N0: 1000
Client: Curtin University Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.

SHT No:1/1
REV No:0

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