Propylene Oxide Production Plant
Timeline
September 2023 - December 2023
Client
Chemical Engineering Capstone
Problem Statement
The growing global demand for propylene oxide, projected to reach $30 billion by 2026, presents a key opportunity for sustainable, mid-scale producers. This project aimed to design a cost-effective and environmentally conscious process to produce 100,000 metric tons per year of industrial-grade propylene oxide within a $1 billion capital budget.
Project Overview and Scope
Project Overview: Our team developed a detailed design
and economic analysis for a propylene oxide manufacturing
facility.
This project is centered on
transforming propene into high-purity propylene
oxide using the environmentally friendly
Hydrogen Peroxide to Propylene Oxide (HPPO) process.
Two Reactor System for Better Conversion
(From the HYSYS modelling)
3 Step Distillation
(From the HYSYS modelling)
Design and Scope:
Location: Facility is located in Galveston, Texas, to leverage proximity to key feedstock suppliers and product markets.
Capacity: Designed to produce 100,000 metric tonnes of 99% pure propylene oxide annually.
Process: Facility employs a two-reactor setup , optimizing the conversion
and enhancing overall efficiency. The purification of the product involves a series
of three distillation columns
Sustainability:Water is produced as co-product. Sustainability is prioritized by recycling waste streams for
methanol recovery and energy reuse.
Economic Evaluation:Economic analysis indicates
challenges due to high feedstock costs and market
competition.
Tools and Applications Used
Aspen HYSYS- for simulation, reactor design and sizing, kinetics,
and separation.
Aspen Economic Analyzer- for eqipment cost analysis
Aspen Energy Analyzer- for energy optimization and heat exchanger analysis
GREET & Ecoinvent- for life cycle analysis (LCA)
Microsoft Excel- for general calculations and stream tables
Process Flow Diagram (PFD) of the final setup
(made with Visio)
Project Documents