DESIGN AND EVALUATION OF A SYSTEM TO OBTAIN POLYMER GRADE PROPYLENE BY MEANS OF VAPOR RECOMPRESSION DISTILLATION

Abstract

Propylene in a purity degree above 99.5% (polymer purity grade- PPG) is a first-generation basic petrochemical that represents a vital link in refining-petrochemical integration. The strict specification of the product and the need to maximize the energy efficiency of the propylene/propane distillation process poses several challenges to the optimization of both the design and operation of the plant. Using a Petro-SIM (KBC) technology, a polymer grade general model from a propylene distillation unit was developed by means of vapor recompression. The sensitivity for feeding with different propylene fractions was analyzed, reaching a value of 0.94, which is considered the minimum propylene fraction in the feed required to the tower to generate a product with polymer purity grade. Based on the data obtained in the simulation, the tower was designed and evaluated by means of vapor recompression, showing a potential alternative way to obtain propylene at polymer grade which could be cost saving in industrial processes.