Unit Operations and Unit
Processes
Pharmaceutical Technology
B. Pharm program
The open University of Sri Lanka
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Contents
• Introduction Unit Systems
• Stoicheometry
• Material Balance
• Energy Balance
9/2/2015 M. A. Siriwardhene FMS USJP
Introduction
• Industrial chemical process is based on
• Unit Operations (physical treatment)
• Unit Process (chemical treatment)
to produce economically a desired product from specific raw materials
• The raw materials are treated through physical steps to make it
suitable for chemical reaction.
• Eg. Mixing and agitation of liquid
Heat flow
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Introduction
• The Unit Operations is based on fundamental laws of physics and
physicochemical principles.
• Unit Operations gives idea about science related to
• Specific physical operation
• Different equipments-its design
• Material of construction and operation
• Calculation of various physical parameters (mass flow, heat flow, mass
balance, power and force etc.).
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Examples of Unit Operations
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Introduction
Preparation of raw Chemical conversion in a
materials by physical reactor
treatment
Chemical
conversion
Stoichiometry
Reaction kinetics, Thermodynamics
Chemical equilibrium
Energy balance and mass balance
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Considerations of a chemical process
designing
• Efficiency of process and equipments
• Safety with respect to the process, raw chemicals, finished products
• Long term effect on environment
• Financial viability of the products as demanded by the purchaser
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Physical processes
Pharmaceutical Manufacture of tablets
Formulation of chemicals, Drying
of Screening Pressing tablet
mixing, granulation
granules
Packaging
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Flow sheet of a typical chemical process
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Unit Systems
• A physical quantity is expressed with its magnitude and unit.
• The official international system of units is the SI system.
• Other systems
• Centimeter gram−se o d cgs)
• Foot−pou d−se o d fps
• Engineering gravitational systems
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Unit Systems
The units are derivable from some basic equations from basic equations with the
help of arbitrarily chosen standards for mass, length, time, temperature, mole
and arbitrarily chosen numerical values for the proportionality constants of the
following basic equations.
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Material Balance
• Mass balance or material balance is the expression of the
conservation of mass that involves accounting of materials in a
process.
• The conservation of mass can be written as:
Rate of flow of Rate of flow Rate of reactant Rate of
reactant of reactant removal by accumulation of
= out of volume + reaction within + reactant within
into volume
element element volume element volume element
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Step− y−step pro edure to solve effi ie t solutio of aterial ala e
problems
• Draw a block diagram of the process to show significant steps by flow sheet
diagram.
• List all the available data. Indicate known quantities of the parameters on the
block diagram.
• List all the information.
• Decide the system boundaries.
• Write out all the chemical reactions involved for the main products and
byproducts.
• Note any other constraints if any, like azeotropes, phase equilibria, tie substances.
• Check the number of conservation equations that can be written and compared
with the number of unknowns.
• Decide the basis of calculation.
• The order of steps may vary according to need of the problem.
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Excess Reagent
• In most chemical reactions carried out in industry, the components
are seldom fed to the reactor in exact stoichiometric proportions.
• A reagent may be supplied in excess of the amounts theoretically
required for combination with the others in order to maximize the
use of an expensive reagent or to ensure complete reaction of a
reagent.
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Excess Reagent
• The amount of desired compound is determined by the amount of limiting
reactant.
• The percentage excess of any reactant is defined as the percentage ratio of the
excess to the amount theoretically required by the stoichiometric equation for
combination with the limiting reactant. So the 'Excess' refers to limiting reagent.
• The percentage excess reagent is expressed by the following:
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Conversion and yield
Conversion
• Conversion refers to the reactants and yield refers to the products formed.
• Conversion is a measure of the fraction of the reagent that converts due to
reaction.
• Conversion is expressed by the following:
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Conversion and yield
Yield
• Yield is a measure of the performance of a reactor or plant. Yield should be
defined on clearly stated basis.
• 'Plant yield' is a measure of the overall performance of the plant and includes all
chemical and physical losses.
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Energy Balance
• Energy balance is a mathematical or numerical expression of
'Conservation of energy' (also called first law of thermodynamics).
• Energy balance and mass balance are encountered often in the
problems related to process design and operation.
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Energy Balance
• Energy balance is carried out to know the energy needed in in a process.
• 'Energy balance' exhibits a pattern of usage and suggests areas for
conservation and savings.
• Energy can exist in many forms making 'energy balance' more complex
than mass balance, such as
• Potential energy
• Kinetic energy
• Flow energy
• Heating energy
• Mechanical energy
• Electrical energy etc.
• Total energy is conserved as per the law of conservation of energy.
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Potential Energy and Kinetic Energy
Potential Energy
Kinetic Energy
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Energy balance in a steady state process
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Mass and material balance applications
• Practical and theoretical yield and percent recovery
• Validation of processes and equipment's
• Material balance estimations
• Mole
• Molality
• Molarity
• Normality
• Equivalent weight
• Mole fraction
• Mole percent
• Mole volume
Energy balance
• Evaporation-capacity of evaporators
• Distillation-material balance in equilibrium or flash distillation process
There are two systems of weights and
measures used in pharmacy
• The Imperial System (Old system)
• The Metric System (Modern system which is simple and convenient)
• Imperial System
Weights used:
There are 2 systems of weights used in imperial system, they are:
• Apothecaries system
• Avoirduposis system
Imperial System
• Apothecaries system of weights
• 1 pound = 12 ounces or 5,760 grains
• 1 ounce = 8 drachms or 480 grains
• 1 drachm = 3 scruples or 60 grains
• 1 scruple = 20 grains
• Avoirduposis system of weights
• 1 pound = 16 ounces or 7,000 grains
• 1 ounce = 437.5 grains
Measures used in Imperial System
• 1 gallon = 8 pints or 4 quarts or 160 fluid ounces
• 1 quart = 2 pints or 40 fluid ounces
• 1 pint = 20 fluid ounces
• 1 fluid ounces = 8 fluid drachms or 480 minims
• 1 fluid drachm = 60 minims
• 1 fluid ounce = 1 ounce
Approximately equivalent units - (for practical
purpose)
Domestic Measures
Conversion of Imperial to Metric System
Metric System
Weights
• 1 kilogram = 1000 grams
• 1 gram = 1000 milligrams
• 1 milligram = 1000 micrograms
• 1 microgram = 1/1000 milligrams
Measures
• 1 litre = 1000 mllilitres
• 1000 litres = 1 kilolitres
Special thanks to
Dr Jasmina Khanam
Reader of Pharmaceutical Engineering Division
Department of Pharmaceutical Technology
Jadavpur University
Kolkatta-700032
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References
• Walter L. Badger, Julius T.Banchero, Introduction to Chemical Engineering.
McGraw Hill Series in Chemical Engineering.
• Olat A. Hougen, Kenneth M. Watson, Roland A. Ragatz. Chemical process
principles, Part 1, Asian Students edition, Asia Publishing House.
• J M Coulson and J F Richardson,Coulson & Ri hardso ’s Che i al E gi eeri g,
Volume 6, 2th ed; Pergamon Press, Oxford.
• J.H. Perry, Che i al E gi eer’s Ha d ook, 4th ed, McGraw Hill Book Company.
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