Full name: Phan Công Thắng
Class: K4
ID: 13210149

1:Interpret production of Ethyleneglycol (EG) from synthesis gas via dimethyl oxalate.
We have ,the steady state design of ethylene glycol (EG) production process by the dimethyl oxalate (DMO) hydrogenation is investigated. In comparison with the conventional ethylene oxide hydration process for EG production, this novel process provides better conversion and selectivity. The DMO hydrogenation process is comprised of a reaction section and a sequence of distillation columns as separation section. In reaction section, DMO is dissolved in methanol, and this DMO solution is then reacted with hydrogen to become EG and side products. Then, the raw product stream is fed into the sequence of distillation columns to obtain the EG product stream at the specified purity. After the initial process design is completed, the DMO hydrogenation process is optimized to obtain the optimal design with the minimum total annual cost (TAC). During process optimization, it is found that the mole ratio of hydrogen to DMO (HDMR) has global influences on TAC, and thus it is the last variable to be optimized. The optimal case with HDMR = 40 is obtained through optimization.

3:Comment on advantage and disadvantage of hydration, carbonylation and Shell OMEGA
Hydration

Advantages
 Disadvantages

Fast
Non- revewable ( It uses thene from Crude Oil

Pure Ethanol is Produced
It requires high Temperatures- 300C and above

It is a Continuous Process
It requires high Pressure

Not very Labour Intensive
It repuires lots of fuel


Expensive




This is a faster method of producing Ethanol, and it is also more practical in industry than Fermentation, as it is a continuous process. However, it is non-renewable, and as Crude Oil is running out Ethanol will eventually have to be produced by Fermenation instead of Hydration.
Carbonylation
The Monsanto process for the carbonylation of methanol to acetic acid has many advantages such as high conversion of reactants and high yield of the product, but the disadvantages are also apparent, which include the high cost of the catalyst (rhodium) and the severe corrosion to equipment by the cocatalyst iodide. The improvement of Monsanto`s technology, the Ir-based catalyst of BP (Cativa™ technology) and especially the catalytic mechanism are reviewed. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of different catalytic systems and the progress tendencies of those systems in the future are also introduced.
Shell OMEGA
According to Shell, the higher growth rate in MEG demand than for DEG was a major factor for the commercialization of this technology.

2 Draw block diagram of EG from synthesis gas via dimethyl oxalate

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1 Interpretation of Shell- OMEGA technology for Ethyleneglycol (EG) manufacturing
EO is produced by the direct oxidation of ethylene, with high purity oxygen over a catalyst containing silver at temperatures of about 230-270°C (440-518°F). A side reaction competing with the main reaction forms carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. This reaction is suppressed using an ethyl chloride moderator. The CO2 is recovered and removed from the process.
In the early 1960s, when today`s conventional technology was first being commercialized, EO selectivity was around 65%, with the main by-product being CO2. With the latest catalysts, van den Berg notes that EO selectivity is now approaching 90%
In the EO to EG step, excess water is used to increase the selectivity to MEG. In the conventional process, the EO-water mixture is heated to around 200°C and the reaction takes place in the aqueous phase under pressure. MEG is produced along with DEG, triethylene glycol (TEG) and other glycols.
The proportion of the higher glycols can be controlled using excess water to minimize the reaction between the EO and glycols, and the water:EO ratio is critical in determining the volumes of higher glycols produced. In Shell`s conventional process, a MEG selectivity of 90% is achieved with a H2O:EO ratio (wt/wt) of 9:1. The water-glycol mixture from the reactor is fed to multiple evaporators where the water is recovered and recycled. The water-free glycol mixture is separated by distillation into the MEG and the higher glycols. This operation consumes a lot of energy and requires purification, storage and handling equipment for the by-products.
In the past 10 years, the main EG licensors, which include Shell, have carried out research in using ion exchange resins to enhance the MEG selectivity. According to van den Berg, these resins can achieve a selectivity of 95% and above, but there is still a need for excess water of a H2O:EO ratio (wt/wt) of 6:1.
Conventionally, monoethylene glycol (HOC2H4OH) is produced by the controlled hydrolysis of ethylene oxide (C2H4O). The monoethylene glycol product is also able to react with ethylene oxide to give diethylene glycol, and so on; sequential reaction with ethylene oxide is how poly(ethylene glycol) is produced. Due to monoethylene glycol`s high boiling point, purification