Optimization and Intensification of Ethylene Oxide Plant Designs

Ethylene oxide (EO) and ethylene glycol (EG) are key products in the chemicals manufacturing chain, and they are used to make a range of industrial consumer products such as polyester films and fibers, detergents, surfactants, engine coolants, and antifreeze. The most common process for making EO/EG starts with direct epoxidation of ethylene with oxygen over silver-based catalysts, and it has been practiced for over 60 years.

The plant design for making EO/EG has been enhanced significantly over time to make it much more efficient. Optimizing the design conditions of a new plant involves consideration of many complex interactions and tradeoffs between costs of energy, raw materials, and capital. A key factor that influences the design is the performance of the EO catalyst over life. Recent families of EO catalyst have dramatically improved the ability to operate at high rates with stable selectivity and activity.

This poster describes sophisticated modeling and optimization tools that have been developed and applied by a team of experts in EO catalyst technology, process design, and process operation. The tools are used to examine a wide range of potential operating conditions, assess tradeoffs, and optimize total cost of EO production. Examples will illustrate use of the tools to generate optimal, intensified designs using modern high-performance catalysts. These new design options significantly reduce costs while maintaining excellent performance stability.