Econoimcs of acetic acid concentration produced from partial oxidation of ethane

Abstract

In the process of ethane partial oxidation to acetic acid, hot gases coming out the reactor contains acetic acid vapors that need to be recovered and concentrated. This acid is first scrubbed and then concentrated in an azeotropic distillation system. In this paper we will study the economics of acetic acid concentration using ethyl acetate to extract acetic acid. The simulation package PROCESS of Simulation Sciences is used to carry out this study. Different configurations and design parameters are studied. The study reveals that acetic acid concentration from the scrubber should be as high as possible to reduce the cost of acetic acid concentration.