Document ZJv1QXQd9EVEvNKmdgRK3kRwV

4 V N MONSANTO COMPANY Location : Texas City, Texas Date : November 16, 1965 cc: C. H. Duhon W. H. Lane/ j. W. Kongable W. R. Nisbet J. L. Price T. E. Shirley W. H. Slager Subject : VCM Plant Quarterly Manufacturing Report Second Quarter, 1965_____________ TO B. J. Darby SUMMARY VCM production was 86.8% of rated capacity. Department 23 EDC production was 103.6% of rated capacity and Oxidative Chlorina tion EDC production was 53.5% of rated capacity. Rates were limited by raw material availability, product quality problems, and a number of mechanical failures. The major cause of the VCM specification problems (high HCl appearing in tank cars at their destination while all production and shipping analyses show good material) was found to be poor mixing in the product rundown and storage tanks. A quality assurance program was set up to insure that sample of the product was representative of shipments. The unit manufacturing cost was high this quarter (6.5lC/lb VCM Std. 5.99 C/lb) due mainly to lower than standard volume each month and operating out of balance with respect to raw material distribution. CBY 1112542 RSV0032501 VCM Plant Quarterly Manufacturing .import Second Quarter, 1965 Page 2 OPERATING DETAILS Summary Table Production VCM - MM lbs Cracking Reaction Total April May June 2nd Qtr. Totals Standard Year to Date 8.36 1.63 9.99 7.96 2.10 10.06 8.83 1.07 9.90 25.15 4.80 29.95 28.2 6.3 34.5 53.84 9.99 63.83 EDC - MM lbs Department 23 Department 26 Total 12.41 1.49 13.90 11.84 1.16 13.00 14.56 1.36 15.92 38.81 4.01 42.82 37.5 7.5 45.0 79.64 10.00 89.64 Acid - M gals Scheduled Acid On-Stream Time ^ 446 400 761 1,607 649 2,976 Cracking Reaction Department 23 Department 26 Department 21 97.2 79.4 90.1 74.6 74.6 100.0 25.5 94.6 60.7 72.5 100.0 35.0 96.1 76.8 95.2 99.1 46.6 93.6 70.7 80.8 99.6 60.4 95.7 81.4 86.9 Yields Department 22 EDC to VCM C2H2 to VCM 92.9 94.6 95.7 97.6 90.9 92.6 95.5 97.0 Department 23 C2H4 to EDC (2) Cl2 to EDC (95.0) 92.8 (95.0) 88.4 (95.0) 95.9 95.0 95.0 Department 26 C2H* to EDC HCl to EDC 84.6 94.0 89.7 100.0 85.5 93.4 88.4 91.0 (1) Estimated. (2) Assumed to be at Standard. CBY 1112543 RSV0032502 VCM Plant Quarterly Manufacturing Report Second Quarter, 1965 Page 3 OPERATING DETAILS (continued) B. Operations and Maintenance April - 1965 A bull plug in the main anhydrous HCl header failed, causing a complete unit shutdown. Reboiler foulings resulting from this shutdown caused reduction in cracking production two days. The EDC heavy ends removal column, 22D9, reboiler failed wetting the EDC purification and VCM purification systems. This resulted in reduced production and off specification production for four days. Product VCM quality problems (high HCl) plagued the unit during the month, causing reduced VCM rates to allow for rerun for most of the month. The problem was narrowed down to either product storage contamination or inability to measure HCl in product VCM correctly. Tests of storage tanks to determine contamination possibilities (polymer build-up on walls) were almost complete at month's end. Research test data obtained late in the month indicated that the previous two years' operation was in a possibly unsafe range of feed mixture in the oxidative chlorination reactor. Adjusting the operating conditions to a higher diluent gas ratio, coupled with the poor condition of the recycle compressor, limited the maximum production rate to 65.9% of rated capacity (or 19.8 MM lbs/year) . Catalyst usage in Oxidative Chlorination was raised deliberately to try to lower the iron concentration in the catalyst. May - 1965 The catalyst changeout on the hydration reactor, 22R3, was completed,and the unit put on line May 6. The R3 was shut down and bypassed a week later to check for a suspected leak, but none was found. C2H2 feed to Department 34 via the VCM acetylene purification was off for eight days because of this. CBY 1112544 RSV0032503 VCM Plant Quarterly Manufacturing Report Second Quarter, 1965 Page 4 OPERATING DETAILS (continued) B. Operations and Maintenance (continued) May - 1965 (continued) The operation of the hydration reactor was changed from 42 mole % water in the feed to 35 mole % to minimize corrosion. A plugging of the chlorine injection feed line and a failure of the dP cell on the chlorine injection system resulted in 4 days of product quality problems (low dilatometer) . The VCM product column, 22D14, reboiler was switched two times. Revisions to the piping around the VCM rundown tanks were made to allow the use of the VCM transfer pumps to mix the tanks. The EDC drying column, 22D10, feed tank, 22T12, was replaced. The seals failed in the driver turbine, 22DT1-1, for the 650 ton York refrigeration unit, 22C3-1. June - 1965 Due to suspected internal contamination of the on spec VCM sphere, 22T9-2, all product loaded after June 22, was loaded directly from rundown tanks. This continued until the 22T9-2 product sphere was cleaned, isolated, and equipped with mixing facilities. The change in the steam acetylene feed ratio to the hydration reactor and an increase in the steam temperature permitted the unit to run well above the dew point of the gas in the reactor, minimizing corrosion. A failure of the pressure controller and the flow recorder in the Cl2 injection system resulted in 2 days of quality problems (high HCl) . The VCM column reboiler, 22E59, was switched once during the month. The alumina was changed in the VCM dryer, Al-1, this month. CBY 1112545 RSV0032504 VCM Plant Quarterly Manufacturing Report Second Quarter, 1965 Page 5 OPERATING DETAILS (continued) C. Personnel and Safety April - 1965 A small fire occurred on the 650 ton York Refrigeration Unit when oil was spilled on the turbine case (650 psig steam) . This was extinguished immediately with no equipment damage or personnel injuries. No alarm was turned in. May - 1965 No incidents. June - 1965 Pour major incidents occurred in the VCM unit during the month: 1. A fire at the packing gland of the acetylene compressor, 22c7, resulted from a bearing failure on the machine. 2. A fire in the oil soaked insulation of 600 psig steam driver turbine of the brine circulating pump, 22P24, occurred when an oil system upset overflowed oil onto the turbine case. 3. A spill of EDC from the Department 26 flare occurred during a trip-out of the recycle compressor in Department 26. 4. A muriatic acid spill occurred at the muriatic acid. loading pump, 21P1, when the pump was improperly prepared for maintenance. Injuries l CBY 1112546 Serious Operator Other Minor Operator Other 1st Qtr. Total April May June 2nd Qtr. Total Total To-Date 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 2 03 01 13 01 15 18 RSV0032505