Design and Control of Glycerol-tert-Butyl Alcohol Etherification Process

Design, economics, and plantwide control of a glycerol-tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) etherification plant are presented. The reaction takes place in liquid phase, in a plug flow reactor, using Amberlyst 15 as a catalyst. The products' separation is achieved by two distillation columns where high-pur...

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Main Authors: Elena Vlad, Costin Sorin Bildea, Grigore Bozga
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2012-01-01
Series:The Scientific World Journal
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/2012/180617
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author Elena Vlad
Costin Sorin Bildea
Grigore Bozga
author_facet Elena Vlad
Costin Sorin Bildea
Grigore Bozga
author_sort Elena Vlad
collection DOAJ
description Design, economics, and plantwide control of a glycerol-tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) etherification plant are presented. The reaction takes place in liquid phase, in a plug flow reactor, using Amberlyst 15 as a catalyst. The products' separation is achieved by two distillation columns where high-purity ethers are obtained and a section involving extractive distillation with 1,4-butanediol as solvent, which separates TBA from the TBA/water azeotrope. Details of design performed in AspenPlus and an economic evaluation of the process are given. Three plantwide control structures are examined using a mass balance model of the plant. The preferred control structure fixes the fresh glycerol flow rate and the ratio glycerol + monoether : TBA at reactor-inlet. The stability and robustness in the operation are checked by rigorous dynamic simulation in AspenDynamics.
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spelling doaj-art-295b482478a142df8a780a8612d2ef0a2025-08-20T02:03:53ZengWileyThe Scientific World Journal1537-744X2012-01-01201210.1100/2012/180617180617Design and Control of Glycerol-tert-Butyl Alcohol Etherification ProcessElena Vlad0Costin Sorin Bildea1Grigore Bozga2Department of Chemical Engineering, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Street Gh. Polizu 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Chemical Engineering, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Street Gh. Polizu 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Chemical Engineering, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Street Gh. Polizu 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, RomaniaDesign, economics, and plantwide control of a glycerol-tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) etherification plant are presented. The reaction takes place in liquid phase, in a plug flow reactor, using Amberlyst 15 as a catalyst. The products' separation is achieved by two distillation columns where high-purity ethers are obtained and a section involving extractive distillation with 1,4-butanediol as solvent, which separates TBA from the TBA/water azeotrope. Details of design performed in AspenPlus and an economic evaluation of the process are given. Three plantwide control structures are examined using a mass balance model of the plant. The preferred control structure fixes the fresh glycerol flow rate and the ratio glycerol + monoether : TBA at reactor-inlet. The stability and robustness in the operation are checked by rigorous dynamic simulation in AspenDynamics.http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/2012/180617
spellingShingle Elena Vlad
Costin Sorin Bildea
Grigore Bozga
Design and Control of Glycerol-tert-Butyl Alcohol Etherification Process
The Scientific World Journal
title Design and Control of Glycerol-tert-Butyl Alcohol Etherification Process
title_full Design and Control of Glycerol-tert-Butyl Alcohol Etherification Process
title_fullStr Design and Control of Glycerol-tert-Butyl Alcohol Etherification Process
title_full_unstemmed Design and Control of Glycerol-tert-Butyl Alcohol Etherification Process
title_short Design and Control of Glycerol-tert-Butyl Alcohol Etherification Process
title_sort design and control of glycerol tert butyl alcohol etherification process
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/2012/180617
work_keys_str_mv AT elenavlad designandcontrolofglyceroltertbutylalcoholetherificationprocess
AT costinsorinbildea designandcontrolofglyceroltertbutylalcoholetherificationprocess
AT grigorebozga designandcontrolofglyceroltertbutylalcoholetherificationprocess