Example: Production of Acetic Anhydride

Problem Description

The endothermic vapor-phase cracking of acetone to ketene and methane is one of the key steps in
acetic anhydride manufacture.

𝐶𝐻3 𝐶𝑂𝐶𝐻3 → 𝐶𝐻2 𝐶𝑂 + 𝐶𝐻4

In this design it is desired to feed 7850 Kg of acetone per hour to a tubular reactor. The reactor consists
of a bank of 1000 1-inch schedule 40 tubes. We shall consider four cases. The inlet temperature and
pressure are the same for all cases at 1035 K and 162 KPa (1.6 atm) and the entering heating fluid
temperature available is 1250 K.

Case 1. The reactor is operated adiabatically.

Case 2. Constant heat exchange fluid temperature 𝑇𝑎 = 1150 𝐾.

Case 3. Co-current heat exchange with 𝑇𝑎0 = 1250 𝐾.

Case 4. Counter current heat exchange with 𝑇𝑎0 = 1250 𝐾.

Components

Four components are considered in the Aspen model: acetone, ketene, methane and water. These
components are called directly from built-in Aspen pure component databanks.

Properties

Different property models can yield different predictions for various thermophysical properties used in
mass and energy balance calculations. For vapor phase calculations, ideal gas assumption should be
adequate and Aspen IDEAL property model is chosen to describe the thermophysical properties of this
vapor mixture.

1
At temperature of 1035 K and pressure of 1.6 atm, IDEAL predicts vapor heat capacity of 165 J/mol.K for
acetone, 85 J/mol.K for ketene, and 74 J/mol.K for methane. The heat of reaction is predicted to be 93
KJ/mol at 1035 K.

Reactions

The cracking reaction is first-order with respect to acetone and that the specific reaction rate can be
represented by

34,222
𝑙𝑛𝑘 = 34.34 −
𝑇

Where k is in reciprocal seconds and T is in Kelvin. The equation above can be reformulated to the
following expression used by Aspen:
284522 1 1
−[ ][ − ]
𝑘 = 3.58𝑒 𝑅 𝑇 1035

2
Here 3.58 is the rate constant at 1035 K.

Flowsheet

Aspen model library provides RPLUG (PFR) reactor model. It is used to construct processes with proper
feed streams and reactor conditions.

The reactor consists of a bank of 1000 1-in. schedule 40 tubes 1.79 m in length.

3
Case 1

The reactor is operated adiabatically.

Conversion of acetone is about 17%.

4
5
Case 2

Constant heat exchange fluid temperature 𝑇𝑎 = 1150 𝐾.