Design of a Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor for Optimum Production of 1,000,000 tons per year of Ethylene Glycol

Abstract

The liquid phase hydrolysis reaction of ethylene oxide is most suitable in a Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR) because of the nature of reactants or feed materials for ethylene glycol production. Based on the economic importance of ethylene glycol as an organic compound and chemical intermediate utilized domestically and industrially as a feedstock for the production of paint, plastic, printing inks, hydraulic fluids, reagents in making polyesters, explosives, synthetic waxes, automotive radiator coolants or antifreeze, etc. This research however becomes highly imperative as it considers or incorporates important objectives or steps for optimum production of ethylene glycol which are stated sequentially as follows. Firstly the design aspect of this research involves the development of CSTR performance or sizing models using the first principle of material and energy balance. The developed models were simulated using the advanced process simulation tool MATLAB R2023a version and the optimum values of reactor parameters like volume, height, diameter, space-time, space velocity, quantity of heat generated and quantity of heat per unit volume of the reactor are 11.160m³, 3.845m, 1.922m, 279.011sec, 0.004sec^-1, 2.507J/s and 0.225J/sm³ respectively. Secondly, the reactor production cost as a function of its volume in dollars and naira was estimated every year as 799.955 in dollars and 1,309,255.2 in naira as of 21^st September 2024. Finally, the analysis of the design results showed that the continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) is most economically suitable for optimum production of ethylene glycol in industries.