CPE 601

MATERIAL AND DESIGN OF PROCESS EQUIPMENT

TUTORIAL
SEMESTER MARCH 2020

Based on notes in i-learn, the videos and the corrosion charts in Google Drive, please
answer the following questions. Bear in mind that the corrosion chart (chemical
compatibility chart) is a guide on choosing the right material of construction for your
vessel/reactor/heat exchanger/distillation tower. It will not be provided in the examination but
you need to have a general view on that.

1. Choose a suitable material of construction for the following duties:

a) 98 per cent w/w sulphuric acid at 70 0C

 PTFE
- Has high melting point up to 327 0C
- High non-reactivity which can withstand concentrated acid
- Glass temperature: 114.85
- Elastic modulus: 0.5 GPa

 PVDF (carbon Filled)

- Highly non-reactive thermoplastic fluoropolymer
- Melting point: 177 0C
- Elastic modulus: 1340 – 2000 MPa

b) 5 per cent w/w sulphuric acid at 30 0C

 uPVC (Unplasticized PVC)
- Chemically resistant to acids
- Has elastic modulus 1500 - 3000 Mpa
- Has melting point of 100 0C – 260 0C

 PTFE
- Has high melting point up to 327 0C
- High non-reactivity which can withstand concentrated acid
- Glass temperature: 114.85 0C
- Elastic modulus: 0.5 GPa

c)
 ABS (GF)
- Melting point: 190 0C – 270 0C
- Resistant to aqueous acids, alkalis, concentrated hydrochloric and phosphoric acids

 PVDF (carbon Filled)

- Highly non-reactive thermoplastic fluoropolymer
- Melting point: 177 0C
- Elastic modulus: 1340 - 2000 MPa
d) 5 per cent aqueous sodium hydroxide solution at 30 0C

 Stainless Steel 303/304

- Melting point: 1400 0C -1455 0C
- High resistance to base
- Can withstand stress corrosion cracking (SCC) up to 95 0C

 uPVC (Unplasticized PVC)

- Chemically resistant to acids
- Has elastic modulus 1500 – 3000 Mpa
- Has melting point of 100 0C – 260 0C

e) Concentrated aqueous sodium hydroxide solution at 50 0C

 PTFE
- Has high melting point up to 327 0C
- High non-reactivity which can withstand concentrated acid
- Glass temperature: 114.85 0C
- Elastic modulus: 0.5 GPa

 PPS (GF)
- Melting point: 280 0C
- Elastic modulus: 11000 - 15000 MPa

f) 5 per cent w/w nitric acid at 30 0C

 Stainless Steel 316

- Melting point: 1390 0C -1440 0C
- High resistance to base
- Can withstand stress corrosion cracking (SCC) up to 49 0C
-
 Aluminium
- Melting point: 660.32 0C
- Corrosion resistance
- Aluminium is not attacked by oxidizing acids because of its passivation

g) Boiling concentrated nitric acid.

 Stainless Steel 303/304

- Melting point: 1400 0C -1455 0C
- High resistance to acids
- Can withstand stress corrosion cracking (SCC) up to 95 0C

 PTFE
- Has high melting point up to 327 0C
- High non-reactivity which can withstand concentrated acid
- Glass temperature: 114.85 0C
- Elastic modulus: 0.5 GPa
h) 10 per cent w/w sodium chloride solution.

 uPVC (Unplasticized PVC)

- Chemically resistant to acids
- Has elastic modulus 1500 - 3000 Mpa
- Has melting point of 100 0C – 260 0C

 PPS (GF)
- Melting point: 280 0C
- Elastic modulus: 11000 - 15000 MPa

i) 5 per cent w/w solution of cuprous chloride in hydrochloric acid.

 PTFE
- Has high melting point up to 327 0C
- High non-reactivity which can withstand concentrated acid
- Glass temperature: 114.85 0C
- Elastic modulus: 0.5 GPa

 ABS (GF)
- Melting point: 190 0C – 270 0C
- Resistant to aqueous acids, alkalis, concentrated hydrochloric and phosphoric acids

j) 10 per cent w/w hydrofluoric acid.

 PVDF (carbon Filled)

- Highly non-reactive thermoplastic fluoropolymer
- Melting point: 177 0C
- Elastic modulus: 1340 - 2000 MPa

 PTFE
- Has high melting point up to 327 0C
- High non-reactivity which can withstand concentrated acid
- Glass temperature: 114.85 0C
- Elastic modulus: 0.5 GPa
2. Suggest suitable materials of construction for the following applications and provide
justifications.

a) A 10,000 m3 storage tank for toluene.

 Stainless Steel 303/304
- Melting point: 1400 0C -1455 0C
- High resistance to acids
- Can withstand stress corrosion cracking (SCC) up to 95 0C

 Aluminium
- Melting point: 660.32 0C
- Corrosion resistance
- Aluminium is not attacked by oxidizing acids because of its passivation

 Stainless Steel 316

- Melting point: 1390 0C -1440 0C
- High resistance to base
- Can withstand stress corrosion cracking (SCC) up to 49 0C

b) A 5.0 m3 tank for storing a 30% w/w aqueous solution of sodium chloride
 Stainless Steel 316
- Melting point: 1390 0C -1440 0C
- High resistance to base
- Can withstand stress corrosion cracking (SCC) up to 49 0C

 Hastelloy C
- Melting point: 1323 0C – 1371 0C
- High resistance to corrosion

c) A 2 m diameter, 20 m high distillation column, distilling acrylonitrile.

 Aluminium
- Melting point: 660.32 0C
- Corrosion resistance
- Aluminium is not attacked by oxidizing acids because of its passivation

d) A 100 m3 storage tank for nitric acid.

 PTFE
- Has high melting point up to 327 0C
- High non-reactivity which can withstand concentrated acid
- Glass temperature: 114.85 0C
- Elastic modulus: 0.5 GPa

 Stainless Steel 303/304

- Melting point: 1400 0C -1455 0C
- High resistance to acids
- Can withstand stress corrosion cracking (SCC) up to 95 0C
 e) A 500 m3 aqueous waste hold-up tank. The wastewater pH can vary from 1 to 12. The
wastewater will also contain traces of organic material.

 Stainless Steel 316

- Melting point: 1390 0C -1440 0C
- High resistance to base
- Can withstand stress corrosion cracking (SCC) up to 49 0C

f) A packed absorption column 0.5 m diameter, 3 m high, absorbing gaseous hydrochloric acid
into water. The column will operate at essentially atmospheric pressure.

 Hastelloy C
- Melting point: 1323 0C – 1371 0C
- High resistance to corrosion

3. Aniline is manufactured by the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene in a fluidised bed reactor. The

C and 20 bars. The reactor vessel is approximately 3 m diameter and
9m high. Suggest suitable materials of construction for this reactor and provide justifications

 Plastic materials
 PTFE
- Have more abrasion and chemical resistance than other thermoplastics towards
aniline and nitrobenzene
- Highly inert, meaning that it does not react with other substances easily
- Have good strength impact which rises as temperature increase
- Has high melting point
- Can withstand high pressure up to 12 GPa

 Metal materials
 stainless steel 303/304.
- High resistance to corrosion when react with aniline or nitrobenzene
- Can withstand high temperature
- Have good strength impact which rises as temperature increase
- Excellent weldability by all standard diffusion method

 Alumina ceramic
- Heat resistance, has high melting point (melt at temperature above 2000 ◦C)
- High corrosion resistance to aniline and nitrobenzene
- Cheaper than metal equipment
- Can resist pressure up to 23000 psi
4. Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) is manufactured by the dehydrogenation of 2-butanol using a shell
and tube type reactor. Flue gases are used for heating and pass though the tubes. The flue
gases will contain traces of sulphur dioxide. The reaction products include hydrogen. The
reaction takes place in the shell at a pressure of 3 bar and temperature of 500 C.

Select suitable materials for the tubes and shell and provide justifications.

 Metals
- Almost all metals materials can be used except aluminium and titanium as it has limited
resistance to MEK and 2-butanol
- High resistance to corrosion when react with 2-butanol and MEK
- Can withstand high temperature as it has high melting point
- Have good strength impact which rises as temperature increase
- Excellent weldability by all standard diffusion method

 Ductile iron
- Can withstand high pressure
- Corrosion resistance
- High cost

 Alumina ceramic
- Heat resistance, has high melting point (melt at temperature above 2000 0C)
- High corrosion resistance to 2-butanol and MEK
- Cheaper than metal equipment
- Can resist pressure up to 23000 psi
5. In the manufacture of aniline by the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene, the off-gases from the
reactor are cooled and the products and unreacted nitrobenzene condensed in a shell and tube
exchanger. A typical composition of the condensate is, kmol/h: aniline 950, cyclo-hexylamine 10,
water 1920, nitrobenzene 40.
The gases enter the condenser at 230 C and leave at 50 C. The cooling water enters the tubes
at 20 C and leaves at 50 C.
Suggest suitable materials of construction for the shell and the tubes and provide justifications.

 High Strength
 Corrosion resistance
Aluminum Bronze
 Can withstand application of sea water in the process
 Usually applied in the field of heat exchanger

 Good resistance to sea water and alkaline solution

Copper-Nickel Alloys
 High resistance to corrosion
6. In the production of acrylic acid, a special attention has to be paid to its handling due to its
reactive characteristic and if it goes through polymerization process, a large amount of heat will
be released. Suggest and justify two (2) types of material of construction that are suitable to be
used in all equipment involved during the production of acrylic acid.

 Made from a range of nickel, chromium, molybdenum and iron

Hastelloys alloys
 Developed for corrosion resistance to strong mineral acids
 For acid resistance at high temperature
Inconel
 Suitable for acrylic acid
 Corrosion resistant
Tantalum  High temperature strength
 Expensive, because it is a rare element in high demand

7. Corrosion may cause severe effect to metals, chemical plant and environment. Describe in
details five (5) significant consequences of corrosion in the chemical plant.

 Replacement of corroded equipment

 Overdesign to allow for corrosion
 Preventive maintenance, for example, painting
 Shutdown of equipment due to corrosion failure
 Contamination of a product
 Loss of efficiency—such as when overdesign and corrosion products decrease the heat-
transfer rate in heat exchangers
 Loss of valuable product, for example, from a container that has corroded through
 Inability to use otherwise desirable materials
 Damage of equipment adjacent to that in which corrosion failure occurs