ChE 419 - Chemical Process Industries: Prelims

Unit operation

A physical step in which the material changes in form, phase, concentration, temperature, pressure, or location, but its chemical identity generally remains the same.

Unit Process

Involves a chemical reaction or chemical transformation.

Separation

Involves processes like Desalting, atmospheric distillation, vacuum distillation.

Conversion

Its purpose is to break heavy hydrocarbons into lighter and more valuable products. Involves thermal cracking, catalytic cracking, hydrocracking, coking, visbreaking.

Rearrangement

It involves catalytic reforming, isomerization, alkylation, and polymerization. It improves octane number and produces valuable chemical feedstocks.

Treating

The process involves removing impurities and meeting fuel/environmental specifications. The process uses hydrotreating, sulfur removal, nitrogen removal, and metals removal.

Blending

Involves producing final marketable products. The process involves bulk blending, lube oil blending, and asphalt production.

Process flow diagram

A visual representation of how materials move through a plant. It shows the sequence of major steps, equipment, streams, and sometimes operating conditions.

Process Hazard Analysis

A structured method for identifying, evaluating, and controlling hazards in a chemical process.

Management of change

The formal system used to review and approve changes before they are implemented in a process plant.

Methane

A feedstock typically used in hydrogen, synthesis gas, ammonia, methanol.

Ethane

A feedstock typically used for ethylene via steam cracking.

Propane

A feedstock typically used for hydrocarbon cracking/dehydrogenation.

Butane

A feedstock typically used in butylenes, butadiene, alkylate, MTBE.

Naphta

A feedstock typically used in olefins and aromatics.

Gas oil

A feedstock typically used for cracking feedstock.

Reformate

Feedstock typically used aromatics such as benzene, toluene, and xylenes.

Feedstock

Primary petrochemical building blocks. These building blocks are then converted into intermediates, polymers, and final consumer or industrial products.

Feedstock

Methane, Ethane, Propane, Naphta, Gas Oil, and Reformate are a type of _____?

Olefin

Commonly produced by steam cracking, where feedstock is heated rapidly to very high temperatures in the presence of steam.

Olefin

Ethylene, propylene, butadiene, and butylenes are types of ______?

Aromatic

Petrochemicals that are commonly produced from catalytic reforming of naphtha and then separated through extraction, distillation, crystallization, or adsorption.

Benzene

Aromatic used in polystyrene, phenol, acetone, nylon intermediates.

Toluene

Aromatic used in polyurethane foams, coatings, adhesives.

Xylenes

Aromatic used in PET bottles, polyester fibers, films.

Mechanical extraction

An extraction method that uses pressure to squeeze oil from seeds or kernels. It is simpler and often used for high- oil materials, but it leaves more residual oil in the cake.

Solvent extraction

An extraction that commonly using hexane, dissolves oil from prepared flakes. The oil-solvent mixture, called miscella, is then distilled to recover solvent and obtain crude oil.

Degumming

Removes phospholipids or gums; can produce lecithin

Neutralization

Removes free fatty acids using alkali treatment

Washing and drying

Removes soap and water

Fractionation

Separates high-melting and low-melting fractions

Winterization

Removes waxes that cause cloudiness

Deodorization

Steam stripping under vacuum to remove odor and flavor compounds

Bleaching

Removes pigments, oxidation products, and trace metals using adsorbents.

Iodine value

Indicates degree of unsaturation

Acid value

Measures hydrolytic breakdown of oil

Saponification value

Related to average molecular weight of fatty acids

Peroxide value

Indicates primary oxidation products

Fatty acid methyl esters

What is the main product of the biodiesel pathway.

Methane

What is the main product of the Biogas / biomethane pathway.

Hydrocarbon diesel

Main product of Renewable diesel / HVO pathway.

Paint

Multi-phase dispersion system designed to form a continuous solid film after application.

Pigment

Provide color, opacity, and functional properties

Binder

In paint, it forms the solid protective film

Solvent

In paint, it controls viscosity and application behavior

Additives

In paint, it modifies stability, drying, flow, and durability

Pigment phase

Composition that focuses on color, opacity, UV protection.

Binder phase

Composition that focuses on film formation and adhesion

Liquid phase

Composition that focuses on solvent or water for flow control

Additive phase

Composition that focuses on performance tuning agents

Premixing

Pigments are wetted using part of the binder and liquid medium to reduce agglomeration and prepare for dispersion.

Dispersion

In paint production, the most critical stage, where pigment clusters are broken down into fine particles using equipment.

Let-Down Process

In paint production, the concentrated pigment dispersion is diluted with remaining binder, solvent or water, and additives to achieve final formulation properties.

Tinting

In paint production, Modern systems use spectrophotometers and computerized formulation software to ensure color consistency across batches.

Quality control

In paint production, final products are tested for viscosity, adhesion, drying time, grind fineness, and durability before being filtered and packaged.

Saturated

This fatty acid has no carbon-carbon double bonds; Higher melting point; more solid or semi-solid; more oxidation-stable

Monounsaturated

This fatty acid has one double bond. Moderate fluidity and stability of oil.

Polyunsaturated

This fatty acid has Two or more double bonds. More liquid; more prone to oxidation and rancidity

Cake and soap

Byproduct of Vegetable oil and biofuel

CO2, NH3, Cakes

Byproduct of Fertilizer

Slag

Byproduct of iron and steel industry