CHEMICAL PROCESS

INDUSTRIES

SODA ASH MANUFACTURING

 Introduction

INTRODUCTION

Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) - washing soda - soda ash

crystalline heptahydrate - white powder - the monohydrate.

Domestically well known as a water softener.

From salt, coke and limestone - The Solvay process.

Soda ash is the most important high tonnage, low cost, reasonably pure, soluble alkali
available to the industries as well to the laboratory.
 Raw Materials Requirement

Basis: 1000kg sodium carbonate

Salt = 1550kg
Limestone = 1200kg
Coke = 90kg
Ammonia as a catalyst = 1.5kg (Loss)
High pressure steam = 1350kg
Low pressure steam = 1600kg
Cooling water = 40000 - 60000kg
Electric power = 210KWH
Reactions
 Solvey Process
• This process uses sodium chloride to provide the sodium ions and calcium carbonate for the
carbonate ions in sodium carbonate.
• Salt and limestone are cheap and plentiful raw materials.
• Unfortunately salt and limestone do not react together.
• The key reaction is that between sodium chloride solution and carbon dioxide in the presence
of ammonia.

• Overall Process
• Ammonia is dissolved in a salt solution and ammoniated brine solution is
allowed to react with CO2 which is obtained by calcining lime stone with coke.
• A precipitate of NaHCO3, thus obtain is then calcined to produce high purity
Na2CO3.
Solvey Process – Flow diagram
Solvey Process – Process Flow Sheet
 Solvey Process – Steps Involved

Preparation and purification of brine

Ammoniation of brine
Carbon dioxide formation
Carbonation of ammonium brine
 Major engineering problem
• Absorption units
• The absorption units should be constructed to permit the downward travel of growing sodium
bicarbonate crystals. This is done by having each unit simulate a very large single bubble cap with
down sloping floors.
• Making tower
• Sodium bicarbonate formed in the making tower is drawn off as a suspension, it is necessary to ensure
that the precipitated sodium bicarbonate is easily filterable and efficiently washable.
• Development of suitable calcining equipment
• Moist sodium bicarbonate will cake on sides of kiln, preventing effective heat transfer through shell..
• Filtration unit
• Filtration should be carried out by using vacuum on the drum filter. It helps in drying the bicarbonate
and in recovering ammonia
• Ammonia recovery
• Ammonia recovery costs 4-5 times that of Na2CO3 inventory so losses must be kept low.
• Waste disposal
• Large quantities of CaCl2-NaCl liquor is generated during the process. The uses of these liquor is to be
find out or dispose it as waste.
Major Equipment
 Modified Process
• The principle modification is recovery of NH4Cl.
• Liquor from bicarbonate filter is mixed with washed salt feed to aid precipitation of NH4Cl which is
crystallised in a refrigirated tank at 0 deg C.
• The slurry is centrifuged and NH4 Crystals are dried in a rotary drum hot air dryer and packaged.

• Engineering problems

• Salt purification
• Corrosion
• Refrigeration
 Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages of Solvay
• Can use low grade salt
• Less electric power
• Less corrosion problems
• No co products to dispose off
• Does not require ammonia plant investment

• Disadvantages
• Higher salt consumption
• Higher investments in NH3 recovery units
• Waste disposal of CaCl2-brine stream
• More steam consumption
• Higher capacity plant for economic break even operation
• NH4Cl can be used as mixed chemical fertilizer ingredient
 CHEMICAL PROCESS
INDUSTRIES

Caustic Soda & Chlorine

 CAUSTIC SODA

• Chemical Name : Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH)

• Common Names: lye /caustic soda
• A highly caustic metallic base - white solid
• Availability: pellets, flakes, granules, and as 50% saturated solution.
Types of Cells
Diaphragm Cell
Mercury Cell
 Membrane Cell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkWqNH7OYVM
Process Flow Diagram
Comparison of Process
Comparison of Process
CHEMICAL PROCESS
INDUSTRIES

SALT MANUFACTURING
 Introduction
Sodium chloride – NaCl --1:1 ratio of sodium and chloride ions.

 Commonly used as a condiment and food preservative.

 Major source of sodium and chlorine compounds used as feed stocks for further chemical
syntheses.

 A second major application of sodium chloride is de-icing of roadways in sub-freezing weather.

 In tanning and leather treatment, salt is added to animal hides to inhibit microbial activity

 In rubber manufacture, salt is used to make buna, neoprene and white rubber types

 Water softening

 Salt is used as Natural food preservative

 Methods
Solar Evaporation
Seawater is placed in large "concentrating ponds" to allow evaporation.
The manufacturing of sea salt can only be performed in areas with low rainfall

Salt Mining
Rock salt (also known as halite) is present in the rocky under layers of the Earth's surface and
can be extracted through deep-shaft mining.

Rock salt is extracted through dynamite, similar in fashion to the mining of any other mineral.
Once it is brought to the Earth's surface, it is crushed and used

Brine solution
Hydraulic mining (or solution mining) of salt involves pumping water below the earth's surface to
dissolve salt deposits and create a salt brine.

This brine is then pumped to the surface and evaporated to create salt. The salty brine may be
treated prior to evaporation to reduce mineral content, yielding a nearly pure sodium chloride
crystal. This method is inexpensive, has a high yield, and produces a very clean salt. Most table
salt is produced with this method.
SALT
Solar Evopration
Mining
Mine Brine Solution
FlowSheet
 CHEMICAL PROCESS
INDUSTRIES

BLEACHING CHEMICALS
Calcium Hypochlorite (Bleaching Powder)
 Calcium Hypochlorite (Bleaching Powder)

Bleaching powder is calcium hypochlorite ( Ca(OCl)2 ).

Limestone and chlorine gas are used as raw materials to manufacture bleaching powder which is
used as a disinfectant and as an oxidizing agent.

Bleaching powder is a white - yellowish powder which is very well dissolved in water.

The active ingredient of bleaching powder is calcium hypochlorite

(Ca(OCl)2 ). It is an inorganic compound.

Properties
1. It is a pale yellow powder. It has strong smell of chlorine. It is soluble in water but a clear
solution is never formed due to the presence of impurities.
2. On long standing it undergoes auto-oxidation into calcium chlorate and calcium chloride.
 RAW MATERIALS
Limestone (CaCO3) - to obtain calcium oxide

Chlorine gas (Cl2)

Heating limestone

First, slaked lime (CaO) is produced by heating limestone.

Calcium oxide and water reaction

Calcium oxide is mixed with water to take calcium hydroxide ( Ca(OH)2 ).

Ca(OH)2 is precipitated in concentrated solutions.

 PRODUCTION

Finally Calcium hypochlorite is produced industrially by treating lime (Ca(OH)2)

with chlorine gas.

The reaction can be conducted in stages to give various compositions, each with different
concentration of calcium hypochlorite, together with unconverted lime and calcium chloride

2 Cl2 + 2 Ca(OH)2 → Ca(ClO)2 + CaCl2 + 2 H2O

Bleaching powder is made with slightly moist slaked lime.

REACTORS
 BACKMAN METHOD

It consists of a vertical cast-iron tower. The tower is provided with a hopper at the top, two inlets near the base
(one for chlorine and other for hot air) and an exit for waste gases near the top.

The tower is fitted with eight shelves at different heights each equipped with rotating rakes.

The slaked lime is introduced through the hopper and it comes in contact with chlorine, which slowly moves
upwards.

Bleaching powder is collected in a barrel at the base.

The chlorine used in the manufacture of bleaching powder should be dilute and the temperature should be
maintained below 40oC.
 HASEN-CLEVER METHOD

The Hasen Clever plant consists of four cylinder of cast iron.

Each cylinder is about 2m to 3m long .

Each cylinder is provided with the stirrer to ensure mixing of substances.

There is an inlet that is present in the upper most cylinder for Ca(OH)2 .

The bottom cylinder has an inlet that is present for Cl2 and outlet at the bottom for the
bleaching powder to be accumulated.

Each cylinder is connected to the other cylinder by means of pipes.

 USES

(i) as a disinfectant and germicide especially in the sterilization of drinking water.

(ii) for manufacture of chloroform.
(iii) for making wool un shrinkable.
(iv) as an oxidizing agent in industry.
(v) mainly as bleaching agent for cotton, linen and wood pulp.

However, delicate articles like straw, silk, ivory, etc., are not bleached by bleaching powder.
 SAFETY

Calcium hypochlorite is stored dry and cold, away from any acid, organic materials, and
metals.

The hydrated form is safer to handle.

If accidentally mixed with a strong acid as e.g., hydrochloric acid, a sudden out gassing of
toxic and corrosive elemental chlorine can occur.

Chlorine emanations are harmful and can create severe pulmonary problems.
 SODIUM HYPO CHLORITE
Sodium hypochlorite is employed as a disinfectant and deodorant in
dairies, creameries, water supplies, sewage disposal, and for household
purposes.

It is also used as a bleach in laundries.

As a bleaching agent, it is very useful on cotton, linen, jute, artificial silk, paper pulp, and
oranges.

Indeed much of the chlorine bought for bleaching cellulose products is converted into sodium
hypochlorite before use.
 SODIUM HYPO CHLORITE

The most common method for making it is the treatment of dil.

sodium hydroxide solution with gaseous chlorine.

Cl2 + 2NaOH ---+ NaCI + H20 + NaOCI

The other once widely used method was the electrolysis of a con. salt
solution wherein the same product was made.

These electrolytic cells do not have any diaphragm and are operated at
high current density in nearly neutral solution.

The cells are designed to function at a low temperature and to bring

the cathode caustic soda solution in contact with the chlorine given
off at the anode.
 SODIUM CHLORITE
Sodium chlorite, NaCI02, is manufactured from chlorine
through calcium chlorate to chlorine dioxide, ending with the reaction

4NaOH + Ca(OH)2 + C + 4CI02 >>>>>> 4NaCI02 + CaCO3 + 3H20

After filtering off the calcium carbonate, the solution of NaCIO2 is evaporated and drum-dried.

Sodium chlorite is a powerful but stable oxidizing agent.

It is capable of bleaching much of the coloration in cellulosic materials without tendering the
cellulose.
 SODIUM CHLORITE
Hence it finds use in the pulp and textile industries, particularly in the final whitening of Kraft
paper.

Besides being employed as an oxidizer, sodium chlorite is also the source

of another chlorine compound, chlorine dioxide, through the reaction

NaCIO2 + 1/2Cl2 >>>>>> NaCI + CIO2

Chlorine dioxide has 2 ½ times the oxidizing power of chlorine and is

important in water purification and for odor control.