Document NN29XOqyEBL4axqd69NpkG4Ky

cc: W. E. Alexander R. D. Dunlop - St. Louis H. K. Eckert R. R. Ludlam D. S. Plumb - Spfld. J. S. Putnam/Merken R. J. Schatz/Lane/Research File R. H. Schlattman F. A. Sherwood/Chamberlin H. M. Walker N. F. Wood/Earnheart/Duhon/ Maint. Central Files J. C. Vrobleskl A. E, Withrow W. F. Zlmmermann MONSANTO CHEMICAL COMPANY Texas City, Texas MINUTES OF VCM COORDINATING COMMITTEE MEETING Number 76 January 24, 1958 Present: Members H. Browne B. Cook T. Ryan F. Yates Visitors B. H. Hartzog (Part Time) G. L. Wofford HIGHLIGHTS 1. In view of decreased sales demand for VCM, the cracking expansion project to 90 MM pounds VCM/year from cracking Is cancelled. 2. Plana continue to raise cracking pressures to eliminate the need for an HC1 feed compressor for oxidative chlorina tion. Tests will be made by Production as soon as needed revisions for higher pressure are complete. 5. Construction of oxidative chlorination pilot plant should be well under way by March 1 with completion still expected July 1. 4. Preliminary design is complete, and Engineering is estimatlng capital requirements for recovery of chlorinated tar. i i c - /-s i RSV003109 When these are done* sale proposals will be made to Dixie Chemical Company in Houston. 5. Research studies continue on cleanup of reactor feeds to improve catalyst life. A chromatographic analyzer is being used to determine components in HC1. Other Ideas for improv ing catalyst life were suggested for future evaluation. 6. Production will write a memo expressing effects on Department 22 yields of a proposal to decrease ethylene purity to 90. ********* DETAILED MINUTES VCM Requirements and General Operating Plans for 1958 VCM requirements for 1958 have decreased from estimates made in 1957* so it now appears that the present plant has sufficient capacity to meet VCM sales for all of 1958 (estimated sales are 100 MM pounda). The unit Is currently operating at about 70 of rated capacity and product Inventory is building. Current plans are to operate the unit with reaction and cracking in balance except for sufficient time with cracking at higher rates than reaction to produce in-plant HC1 needs. AN still has priority on acetylene* but it appears that there will be sufficient CgH2 (Including Carbide acetylene) to allow in balance VCM opera tion and still meet both an and VCM requirements. Cracking Expansion to 90 MM Ibs/year VCM This project is cancelled in view of decreased sales. Oxidative Chlorination Pilot Plant Engineering reviewed the status of thlB project which is still planned as a possible method for future VCM expansion. Much .::5102 RSV0031094 4' O" of the engineering Is complete and pile driving 1b expected to be started next week. Major construction work is expected to start March 1 with completion still scheduled for July 1, 1958. Increased Pressure on Crackers It Is still planned to Increase pressure on the EDC crackers. If successful, this will eliminate the need for an HCl compressor to feed oxidative chlorination. Also this step was planned to Increase cracking throughput for future VCM expansion. Plans are to test cracker performance at higher pressures as soon as modifications are complete to allow higher pressure operation (e.g., Increased relief valve and rupture disc settings strengthening of some equipment). The crackers alone up to 22D5 will be tested first, and If this la successful, pressure on the whole system (through 22D6) will be raised, She test will consist mainly of Production operating the crackerB for a month or so at the higher pressures to determine how often crackers must be decoked with the lower Initial pressure drop (cracker supply pressures will not be changed). Overall cracking conversions will be determined from normal plant data and special Individ ual cracker analysis If needed will be provided by Research* Chlorinated Tar Recovery Engineering presented a preliminary Engineering flow diagram for steam stripping to remove heavy ends from the EDC column, 22D9, bottoms stream. As previously discussed, this step Is being considered to make the chlorinated tar stream salable to Dixie Chemical Company in Houston. The Consnlttee was generally in agreement with the proposed flow diagram except for plans to ship the recovered material by tank car. Production feels that shipment by tank truck would give more flexibility and require less storage. The main possible objection to this Is that due to the high gravity of the material, truck road weight limits might be exceeded. This, however, would not appear to be a problem since heavier materials are being shipped In tank trucks (e.g.. Depart ment 20 catalyst). Engineering will review this. The next steps on this project will be (1) Engineering will complete cost estimates; (2) when this Is done, a sales proposal can be made to Dixie, and (?) justifications for equipment installation can be made. CSV 111? 1C 3 RSV0031095 Cleanup of Reactor HC1 Feed Reeearch Tests to determine effectiveness of carbon beds for cleanup of reactor feeds to Improve catalyst life continue. One of the most significant accomplishments of this study is the development of a gas chromatograph for analysis of components In the feed HCl. While not yet adaptable to a plant Installation due to short chormatograph column life (three days), this Instru ment Is being used to determine what components are In the HCl and which of these are removed by the carbon bed. So far. It appears that impurities In the C&Ha feed do not shorten catalyst life, and there Is no need for an adsorbent In the acetylene line. Chlorinated organics in the HCl do reduce catalyst life, and the oarbon bed is effective In completely removing most of these. Two of the components which show peaks on the chromatograph have not yet been Identified, and It Is not yet known If these affect catalyst life. These tests will continue to (1) Identify all components In the HCl, (2) determine the life of the carbon bed for removal of Impurities, (3) determine If the carbon can be regenerated, and (4) Investigate adsorbents other than carbon If necessary. This work will also be helpful In HCl quality control for oxida tive chlorination and Departments 2 and 3 usage. Research has distilled Arochlor solution from the HCl compressor and found very heavy tarry material which Is apparently absorbed from the HCl to Departments 2 and 3. Catalyst Life It has been reported that the Japanese obtain In the order of 1,000-1,200 pounds VCM/lb of catalyst. This plant is running at the rate of tally about 325-350 pounds VCM/lb of catalyst. The work associated with cleanup of the HCl should help improve catalyst life. In addition there are other possibilities for future studies to investigate effects of different methods used by the Japanese compared with this plant. Chief among these is the UBe of small reactors In series downstream of the large reactors. Product Quality Recently there was considerable difficulty with high acetylene in the product VCM. This is not normally a serious problem. 1 * 1 (Ji RSV0031096 ''2-4 -5 - but It crops up when reactor conversion is low due to inactive (or spent) catalyst which was the case recently with two reactors. Acetylene Bpecs are very tight (2 ppm). The work on Improving catalyst life above Bhould help this situation. Also future studies of the recovery (stripping) system may be needed if this continues to be a problem. So far it has always been possible to meet shipments by blending off the high acetylene VCM. Department S3 Yields Production outlined a proposal by Lion Oil Division to reduce ethylene purity to 90$ in order to increase ethylene capacity, lbe purpose of this discussion was to obtain the Committee's opinion on the effects of this change on Department 23 operation. Historically, ethylene purity before start-up of Department 10 averaged about 97$ CaH*. With this purity and rates before Department 10 Btart-up, Department 23 yields averaged about 98$. Department' 10 started up and ethylene purity dropped to about 94$ where It has remained since about July, 1957. Since that time. Department 23 yields are down to about 96$ on ethylene and chlorine. At about the same time that ethylene purity dropped, EDC production rates Increased from about 80 m lbs/year to 110 MM lbs/year, and this also may affect yields. It was the Committee's opinion that the major part of the yield loss was due to ethylene purity drop rather than rates. This conclusion was reached from the type of reaction in Department 23. It is pointed out that this is a one pass reactor in which chlorine can react with impurities leaving unreacted CsH*. Also reaction rates are less with lower concentration of reactants. Production is writing a memo to present effects of ethylene purity cuts on Department 23. la 1/29/58 c:n5 RSV0031097