Document 0Lzk1epdLV7Y1KM8rKpD2GjqO

INTER-OFFICE MEMO TENNECO CHEMICALS, INC. W. Miringoff At Burlington J.W. Poarch AT Burlington Subject PROCESS ENGINEERING MONTHLY REPORT December, 1974 I. BURLINGTON date January 2, 1975 copy to h.B. Carr W.C. Champion W.F. Gabel Dr. R.T. Gottesma Dr. L. Gross Dr. P. A, Lobo R.S. Miller Dr. M. Rosen G.I. Rozand P.R. Scarito A.C. Siegel J.T. Sweeney C.G. Thompson T.T. Zuhl J.J. Zullo P.E. - Burlington Bilot Plant - Flemington t/File A. Suspension 1. Comprehensive Stripping Program Process Engineering joined forces with the R&D Polymer Group to run a rigorous stripping program on both homo polymer and copolymer in the Burlington Homopolymer Plant Reactors #10 and #11 were coupled with stripper #3 for type 315 copolymer evaluations and the remaining Homopolymer Plant with stripper #4 was used for type 10.5R and 501 homopolymer formulations. The results which will be reported in detail on a separate report were quite encouraging. The following is a summary: a. Homopolymer Type 10. 5R (1) Four hours in the stripper at 165F produced slurries ranging from 19 to 87 ppm VCM with pro duct averaging 29 ppm. Color was good. (2) Forty-five minutes in the stripper under full re covery at 210F with post cooling produced a product which was only slightly more colored than the above. Slurry analyses were N.D. to 10 ppm. b. Homopolymer Type BR-601 (1) Four hours in the stripper at 165F produced slurries averaging 6 ppm with dried product rang ing from 1.6 ppm to 3,0 ppm. Color was good. COLOR!TE 010995 Page 2 (2) The higher temperature technique described above produced slurries with N.D, levels. The dry product showed levels of 0.9 to 1.9 ppm. Color was only slightly worse than above. This apparent contradiction could be due to the differences in analytical techniques be tween slurry and dry product. c. Copolymer Type 315 (1) Ten batches of 315 (in five-batch lots) were treated with vinyl acetate following a 1.5hour stripping at 165F. A one-hour soak per iod was then followed by a two-hour strip at 165F. This technique produced slurry ranging from 42 ppm to 277 ppm. The dryer samples ranged from N.D. to 105 ppm. Color was good. (2) A ten-batch "control" was run for the above technique consisting of four hours in the strip per at 165F under full recovery. Slurries ranged from 1.8 to 36 ppm with dryer samples ranging from 6 to 84 ppm. The great variation in results with the copoly mer stripping is typical of past efforts and still cannot be explained. 2. Further Stripping Tests Following the above program, the plant agreed to strip BR501 for thirty minutes wunder full recovery at 210F foll owed by cooling to 165F. Results to date indicate N.D. in the slurry. 3. Special Copolymer 391 - LOP 1040 The above LOP is being run to satisfy a customer request for higher bound acetate type 315. Close attention will be given to the bound acetate in the first two lots to try to target for 15.5%. 4. Reactor Recovery Evaluation - LOP 1034 (L. Medeiros) A repeat 1'bottom recovery" (with intermediate nitrogen purge) was accomplished. Final residual VCM averaged 1440 ppm (see November report for tabulated results of all runs). Duplicate runs of the "water fill", "top recovery" and "bottom recovery" indicate the ability to reduce reactor vapor to an area of 500 to 1500 ppm of VCM. The residual VCM retained in the glass and wall build-up may be limiting. COLORITE 010996 The jacket fill at 170r - 180F approximates the heated jacket (170F - 180F) with either top or bottom recov ery with the one advantage of requiring only a small fraction of the nitrogen usage of the latter two. A com bination of the bottom recovery followed by a water fill probably would yield the best results. A bottom recovery system with steam injection in the top may yield better results than attained to date and could be the only change of attaining near "0" ppm. No run of this type is sched uled because there is some question as to whether it is safe to inject steam into a vessel containing VCM and wa ter vapor. 5. Vent Condenser Totalizer Meter (L. Medeiros) All components for the installation of the vent condenser metering/totalizing were assembled and installation begun. All that remains in the installation is the tie in. 6. Set-Up Batch Investigation During the special stripping tests, copolymer formulation C-3360-134 for type 315 was run in reactors #10 and #11. Toward the end of the evaluation program, two batches set up in these reactors. A third batch charged between these two did not set up but was a "floater" indicating failure of the suspension system. The above three batches were all charged with a new lot of gelatin. Investigation of this occurance points to a general problem with the suspension system in that the particle size was finer than normal. The Pilot Plant experience with type 315 copolymer indicates problems with the suspension system. These factors combined with the change in lot of gelatin point to the cause of the set-up batches. Analytical results confirm that gelatin had been charged. Dispersion 1. Variation in DHW-80 Quality Henkel supplies us with DHW-80 made from two separate sources of oleic acid - Darling and Groz. A recent shipment of DHW-80 was received made entirely from Groz-supplied oleic. A sudden shift to high Severs visocisty resulted in "A" Plant with "B" Plant Severs being marginally acceptable on the high side. The effect was also felt on AR-901 when two batches charged with this lot of DHW-80 also gave out-of-specification high Severs. A change was made to six-hole plates in "A" Plant but slop re sulted. The plant was brought under control when a shipment of all Darling type DHW-80 was mixed with the Groz material. COLORITE 010997 Page 4 Production is now specifying that all subsequent DHW-80 be from a mixture of oleic acid sources. Process Engineering has recommended that Henkel develop a gas chromatography scheme to analyze the emulsifier for the various fatty acid fractions. A specification should be established on these fractions. Our Quality Control group should be involved in this effort. 11. FLEMINGTON A. Recirculation Heat-Up and Stripping (L. Medeiros) Process Engineering and Pilot Plant joined in a program eval uating the recycle steam stripping loop. W. Miringoff and R.S. Miller have assembled resulted from the runs accomplished. The runs included eight batches recycle heated to 165F for four hours with jacket cooling (several of which had high water dilution from a leaking pump seal), three batches recycle heated to 210F for fifteen minutes then evaporative and jacket cooled to 165, a half batch recycle heated to 165 for four hours and a half batch with normal stripping (no heat, but excessive agi tator splash) and finally a batch run which included one pass through the heaters after normal recovery down to full vacuum. The low temperature stripping produced slurries with residual VCM ranging from 19 ppm to 275 ppm. Dryer results were 1.4 to 20 ppm. Color was good. The high temperature batches had slurry values of 86 to 145 ppm with the product ranging from 5.1 ppm to 16 ppm. B. Waste Treatment A letter is being sent to Elam and Popoff detailing the waste treatment instrumentation. It is our understanding that formal approval for our system will be received following their review of instrumentation. C. Centrifuge Modifications The conversion of "B" side centrifuge is scheduled for Monday, January 6, 1975. None of the spare parts ordered have been re ceived as yet. L. Iszak will supply necessary parts which we will replace. All efforts to expedite these parts have failed to date. D. Solids Waste Disposal We have received a proposal from Rollins Environmental, Costs seem COLORITE 010998 Page 5 very high. A second source, Gaess Environmental Service, has been in and presented with the problem. We are awaiting a proposal from Gaess. E. Steam Sparging Steam sparging via a straight downcomer and deflector did not prove operable due to a high degree of rumble and vibration encountered with low steam flows. This open 4" steam line was then modified such that a flange with three 1-1/2" 45 ells was attached to the bottom of the pipe. Once again, rumble and vibration were encountered at low steam flow. The steam valve was slowly stroked open with little increase in vibration. This multiple elbow system has been replaced with a 2" Schutte-Kberting steam sparge nozzle. Tests are to begin shortly. HI. GENERA1 L. Medeiros and J.W. foarch will be leaving for the Pasadena start-up on January 12, 197 S. Mr. Larry Schappell will join the Process Engineering group on January 6, 1975. H.H. Duhamel submitted his resignation effective December 31, 1974. JWP/j st 9Jh J.W. Poarch COLORITE 010999 L. M'Jeros FROM December 1, TO December 31, i THNHSCO INTERMEDIATES DIVISION LSI IEHRI NO TIMS DISTRIBUTION - MONTHLY- (SALARY) ROJYCT UI-32R ACCOUNT .NUMBER JOB DESCRIPTION Flemington Recycle Steam Stripping SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOTAL 24 16 8 16 16 80 Burlington Special Recovery & .Vent Condenser Holidays Vacation 888 88 8 16 88 8 8- V 40 24 -32 - ' - * * - ' COLOR!TE 011000 ENG. "FORM #29 TOTALS 40 40 32 32 32 176 :at: J.W. ^ arch FROM___ December 1, TO December 31, 1974 PROJECT RUI-BER DEI-377 THNUHCO INTERMEDIATES DIVISIONJNGI! JEERING TIMS DISTRIDUTIOII - MONTHLY (SALARY) ACCOUNT , KIDDER JOB DESCRIPTION Stripping SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOTAL 112 Meetings 16 Burlington Plant Support Fixed Monitoring System I Holiday i ' V1 1 16 16 16 1 / j t* ! . . COLORITE 011001 ' | 1 \ ENG. FORM #29 * TOTALS -. 1 176 ( i J'A'E M. S. Wllkenfeld________________ FROM December 1, TO December 31, 197.4 PROJECT HUMBER 48nc teniieco intermediates division iigiuhhriro time distribution - monthly (salare) account ,NUMBER CAR 74 - 014 JOB DESCRIPTION Flerriineton Conversion SUN MON TUE VIED THU FRI SAT TOTa: 24 52 16 24 52 128 DEI - 577 Steam Stripping Evaluation 8 8 8 24 Holi.dav Vacation* 8 .8 8 16 8 COLORITE 011002 * ] ENG. FORM H29 ' ' * TOTALS 40 40 52 52 52 17o