Report No. 70 ETHYLENE GLYCOLS, GLYCOL ETHERS ETHANOLAMINES AND by HAROLD W. SCHEELINE August 1971 A private report by the PROCESS ECONOMICS PROGRAM STANFORD RESEARCH INSTITUTE I MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION..., 1 SUMMARY... General Aspects... Economics... Technical Aspects... INDUSTRY STATUS... Ethylene Glycols......... ETHYLENE GLYCOLS BY HYDRATION OF OXIDE... Chemistry... Review of Processes... Process Description... Process Discussion... Cost Estimates... Capital Costs... Production Costs... Changing Plant Operation To Obtain Higher Diglycol Production Ratio... ETHYLENE GLYCOLS BY CARBONATION PROCESS... Chemistry... Review of Process... Process Description... Process Discussion... Cost Estimates... Capital Costs... Production Costs.....,.... a s......,,...,...,... 3 3 5 15 19 20 25 30 35 35 40 43 49 51 51 51 58 61 61 62 64 70 73 73 73 COMBINED ETHYLENE OXIDE--ETHYLENE GLYCOLS ECONOMICS 7 ETHYLENE GLYCOL BY OTHER PROCESSES, 79 85
CONTENTS 8 POLYESTER GRADE ETHYLENE GLYCOL... 91 Chemistry... tt Review of Processes... Process Description... 97 Process Discussion... 101 Cost Estimates.... 102 Capital Costs... 102 Purification Costs... 102 9 GLYCOL ETHERS... 105 Chemistry... 105 Review of Processes... 110 Process Description... 112 Process Discussion... 123 Cost Estimates... 125 Capital Costs... 125 Production Costs... 125 10 ETHANOLAMINES... 137 Chemistry... 137 Review of Processes... 141 Process Description... 145 Process Discussion... 151 Cost Estimates... 153 Capital Costs... 153 Production Costs... 153 APPENDIX A DESIGN AND COST BASIS.., 161 APPENDIX B PHYSICAL DATA...,... 165 APPENDIX C PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS,,. 169 APPENDIX D PRODUCT TOXICITY AND HANDLING...,... 171 CITED REFERENCES...,,... 175 PATENT REFERENCES BY COMPANY., 193 vi
ILLUSTRATIONS 4.1 4.2 4.3 5.1 5.2 8.1 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 10.1 10.2 10.3.. Effect of Operating Level and Plant Capacity on Production Cost. Effect of Ethylene Oxide Transfer Price on Production Cost...,., Effect of Operating Level and Plant Capacity on Production Cost,.,.,,.....,.. Glycol Methyl Ethers Effect of Methanol and Ethylene Oxide Transfer Prices on Production Cost..,..,,,. Glycol Ethyl Ethers Effect of Anhydrous Ethanol and Ethylene Oxide Transfer Prices on Production Cost.,., Glycol Butyl Ethers Effect of n-butanol and Ethylene Oxide Transfer Prices on Production Cost.,,.,..,... Effect of Operating Level and Plant Capacity on Production Cost. Effect of Ethylene Oxide Transfer Price on Production Cost...,.,... 45 56 57 67 78 99 117 132 133 134 147 158 159 vii
TABLES 2.1 2.2 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 6.1 Ethylene Glycols and Summary of Economics Summary of Economics...,.,,. Plants for Ethylene Glycols in the United States,, Plants for Ethylene Glycols in Japan Production of Ethylene Glycols in the United States Plants for in the United States... Plants for and in Japan Production of in the United States.. Plants for in the United States.,. Production of in the United States,. Patent Summary... Major Process Equipment and Utilities Summary... Stream Flows...,,... Total Capital Investment,..,..,,.. Production Costs,,,.,..,...,,. Major Process Equipment and Utilities Summary,.. Stream Flows Total Capital Investment.. Production Costs.. Combined Ethylene Oxide-Ethylene Glycol Units Capital Investments.,..... 7... 13. I. 22... 23... 24... 27 a.. 28,.. 29 m.. 31... 32... 42.., 45... 48... 54... 55. a. 67... 69... 76... 77... 82 ix
TABLES 6.2 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 9.9 10.1 10.2 Combined Ethylene Oxide--Ethylene Glycols Units Production Costs..,.. 83 Ethylene Glycol Specifications..,... 92 Patent Summary...,..,...,.., 95 Major Process Equipment and Utilities Summary.. 99 Total Capital Investment..,..,.,.,.,. 103 Production Costs,.,,...,. 104 Theoretical Requirements of Alcohols and Ethylene Oxide for Various 108 Operating Temperatures and Pressures for Design Case... 117 Major Process Equipment and Utilities Summary.. 120 Stream Flows... 121 Total Capital Investment. 128 Glycol Methyl Ethers Production Costs...,..,.,,... 129 Glycol Ethyl Ethers Production Costs. 130 Glycol Butyl Ethers Production Costs..,.. 131 Feed Requirements and Costs of Individual. 135 Ethanolamine Manufacture Patent Summary...,..,... 143 Major Process Equipment and Utilities Summary.. 147
TABLES 10.3 10.4 10.5 B.1 B.2 B.3 B.4 c.1 C.2 c.3 Stream Flows... 149 Total Capital Investment. 156 Production Costs... 157 Ethylene Glycols Physical Data.... 165 Ethylene Carbonate Physical Data... 166 Physical Data..... 166 Physical Data..... 167 Ethylene Glycols Specifications... 169 Specifications.. Specifications,. 169 170 Xi