New and Used Industrial Plants

Process Description

The natural gas feedstock is first preheated and de‐sulphurized (382°C/25bar), absorption is carried out over Zinc oxide granules, and then reacted with steam to produce a reformed gas/steam mixture at 860°C temperature and 21 bar pressure.

The reforming reaction is basically the reaction between a hydrocarbon and steam to produce carbon  monoxide and hydrogen. In the presence of excess steam these basic products are modified to produce quantities of carbon dioxide and methane, giving a reformed gas consisting of methane, carbon  dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

The reformed gas/steam mixture is then cooled, separated from process condensate and passed into the make‐up gas compressor where the gas is compressed (36°C /17bar) to a high pressure (113°C/49bar)  to be injected into the methanol synthesis loop.

With Carbon Dioxide Additions, the external supply of carbon dioxide is mixed with the high pressure gases from the make‐up gas compressor before injection into the synthesis loop.

Synthesis gases are circulated at high flow rates through a methanol synthesis catalyst held at moderate temperatures (135°C/52bar) where hydrogen reacts with carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide to produce gaseous methanol.

Cooling of the circulated gas condenses crude liquid methanol which is bled from the system and sent to crude storage. The remaining gases are then replenished with make‐up gas before entering the synthesis gas circulator to pass round the loop again.

Inert gases (methane) present in the reformed gas accumulate in the loop and are bled from the system to be burnt as fuel.

The crude methanol contains small concentrations of other organic chemicals synthesized in the methanol converter.

The crude product is then taken from storage, fractionated in two distillation columns and the pure methanol passed to purified product storage tanks.

Formaldehyde Plant (Reichhold Design using metal oxide catalyst).

Available for operation in-place (Allentown, PA USA) or relocation globally.

Process Description:

The Formaldehyde plant (P501) is designed to produce formaldehyde by the catalytic conversion of methanol and oxygen controlled recycle gas. Formaldehyde is produced by the direct oxidation of methanol from the Methanol Storage Tank and Piping (P502). Emissions from the methanol storage tank and piping, during truck unloading, are captured by the Methanol Vapor Recovery System (C502). Emissions not captured by the vapor recovery system are fugitive emissions (Z550). The catalytic conversion reaction is carried out with the aid of a catalyst, which consists of molybdenum and iron oxides. The process gas is passed through the catalyst, contained in a multiple tube unit called the converter. It both heats the air-methanol mixture to the reaction temperature in the upper part of the catalyst tube and removes the heat of the reaction in the lower part. The formalin gases, which leave the converter, are cooled in an after-cooler where low-pressure steam is produced. The cooled gases enter an absorber where the formaldehyde is absorbed into water to produce up to a 53.0% Formaldehyde solution. In order to reach desired production rates, it is necessary to operate the plant under recycle conditions. Part of the gas mixture leaving the absorber stack is returned to a recycle tank where it is mixed with fresh air, at a controlled rate, to maintain oxygen content of 10 — 10.5% by volume. The remaining unused gas mixture goes to the Natural Gas fired (FML541) Catalytic Oxidizer (C501) where it is preheated and oxidized, in the presence of a catalyst, to harmless byproducts. These byproducts are released to the atmosphere through the Formaldehyde Incinerator Stack (5501).

Notes: Shut down in 2024. Documentation is incomplete.

• This is the largest unit in a highly integrated facility that sits on 57 acres of land, two-thirds of which are undeveloped.  The facility produces Methyl Amines for use in Higher Amines and Amine Derivatives.

• The Methyl Amines plant has a capacity of 46,000 metric tons per year mixed amines production.

The following products are produced from the reaction of methanol and ammonia:

• Monomethylamine (MMA)

• Dimethylamine (DMA)

• Trimethylamine (TMA)