Sodium and Specialty Cyanides Production Facility Nicholas A
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University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Senior Design Reports (CBE) Engineering 4-20-2018 Sodium and Specialty Cyanides Production Facility Nicholas A. Baylis University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Parth N. Desai University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Kyle J. Kuhns University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/cbe_sdr Part of the Biochemical and Biomolecular Engineering Commons Baylis, Nicholas A.; Desai, Parth N.; and Kuhns, Kyle J., "Sodium and Specialty Cyanides Production Facility" (2018). Senior Design Reports (CBE). 101. https://repository.upenn.edu/cbe_sdr/101 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/cbe_sdr/101 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Sodium and Specialty Cyanides Production Facility Abstract Sodium cyanide and specialty cyanide production are essential operations for various industrial processes, with primary applications in mining and mineral processing. Sodium cyanide, despite the high toxicity inherent in the material and its production process, is expected to grow 5% annually, with a projected global demand of 1.1 million tonnes in 2018. This report details a process design for producing sodium cyanide through the use of two intermediate reactions and successive downstream separations. The first major step is the production of hydrogen cyanide gas from ammonia and methane derived from natural gas, via the industry standard Andrussow reaction over a platinum-rhodium gauze catalyst. Aqueous sodium cyanide is produced via a neutralization reaction of absorbed hydrogen cyanide gas with aqueous sodium hydroxide. Downstream processes include the crystallization of solid sodium cyanide from the aqueous product, with the solid product being removed from slurry and brought to low-moisture content through a series of solid-liquid separations. The low-moisture solids are formed into the final briquette product, which is 97.7% sodium cyanide by mass at a capacity of 61.5M tonnes/year, and containing sodium carbonate as the principal impurity. Unconverted ammonia is recovered and recycled back to the feed of the HCN reactor, increasing the molar percent yield of hydrogen cyanide gas on the basis of fed ammonia from 60% to 70.9%. The project requires $35.6MM in Total Capital Investment and produces a Net Present Value of $72.5MM after 15 operating years and presents an Internal Rate of Return of 48.4%. The project will break even in its third operating year when it hits full production capacity. The design is recommended due to its strong return on investment and high resilience to market fluctuations. Disciplines Biochemical and Biomolecular Engineering | Chemical Engineering | Engineering This working paper is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/cbe_sdr/101 University of Pennsylvania, School of Engineering and Applied Science Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering 220 South 33rd Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 Dear Professor Talid Sinno and Mr. Bruce M. Vrana, Enclosed is a potential process design for the industrial production of sodium and specialty cyanides. The proposed plant will be located at a manufacturing site in Rochester, Nevada that will have access to natural gas, electricity, and limited aqueous waste treatment. The site host company is a medium sized gold/silver ore mining company. The plant is capable of producing 61.5 Mtonnes of sodium cyanide and 2.1 Mtonnes of potassium cyanide per year. The solid sodium cyanide product will have a purity on a mass basis of 97.7% with sodium carbonate as its principal impurity and be sold as pressed solid briquettes. The process employs measures to recycle unconverted raw material, limit gaseous emissions, and enhance overall worker safety. The plant will operate for 24 hours a day, 330 days a year. Rigorous profitability analysis was conducted in order to project cash flows for 15 years. The total capital investment of the plant is $35.6MM and the expected NPV of the project is $72.5MM. The estimated IRR of the project is 48.4% and will breakeven in its third operating year when it hits its full production capacity. We recommend moving forward in production using the outlined process, but to continue research in the areas of reactor optimization, emission control, solids drying, and market pricing of raw materials. Sincerely, Parth Desai Nick Baylis Kyle Kuhns ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ Sodium and Specialty Cyanides Production Facility Nick Baylis | Parth Desai | Kyle Kuhns Project Submitted to: Prof. Bruce Vrana and Prof. Talid Sinno Project Proposed by: Mr. Stephen Tieri Left Blank Intentionally Table of Contents Section 1: Abstract………………………………………………………………………………6 Section 2: Introduction…………………………………………………………………………..8 Section 3: Objective Time Chart………………………………………………………………..11 Section 4: Innovation Map………………………………………………………………………12 Section 5: Market and Competitive Assessment………………………………………………...14 Section 6: Customer Requirements……………………………………………………………...17 Section 7: Critical to Quality Variables…………………………………………………………18 Section 8: Product Concepts…………………………………………………………………….19 Section 9: Superior Product Concepts…………………………………………………………..20 Section 10: Competitive Patent Analysis………………………………………………………..21 Section 11: Preliminary Process Synthesis………………………………………………...........23 Section 11.1: Block Flow Diagram………………………………………………...........23 Section 11.2: HCN Production………………………………………………..................24 Section 11.3: Choice of Reactor Conditions…………………………………………….25 Section 11.4: Ammonia Recovery………………………………………………............27 Section 11.5: HCN Absorption………………………………………………................28 Section 11.6: Separations ………………………………………………........................29 Section 12: Assembly of Database……………………………………………….......................32 Section 12.1: Input Costs………………………………………………..........................32 Section 12.2: ASPEN Simulation……………………………………………….............33 Section 13: Process Flow Diagram and Material Balance………………………………………35 Section 13.1: Overall Process Flow Diagram……………………………………………35 Section 13.2: Section A……………………………………………….............................36 Section 13.3: Section B……………………………………………….............................37 Section 13.4: Section C……………………………………………….............................38 Section 13.5: Section D……………………………………………….............................39 Section 14: Process Description………………………………………………............................41 Section 14.1: Section A……………………………………………….............................41 Section 14.2: Section B……………………………………………….............................43 Section 14.3: Section C……………………………………………….............................46 Section 14.4: Section D……………………………………………….............................47 Section 14.5: Specialty Cyanide Production…………………………………………….47 Section 15: Energy Balance and Utility Requirements…………………………………………49 Section 16: Equipment List and Unit Descriptions……………………………………………..53 Section 16.1: Storage Tanks……………………………………………….....................53 Section 16.2: Reactor/Vessels………………………………………………..................55 Section 16.3: Pumps and Blowers………………………………………………............59 Section 16.4: Process Heat Exchangers………………………………………………....64 1 | P a g e Section 16.5: Solid Liquid Separation Units……………………………………………70 Section 17: Specification Sheets………………………………………………..........................75 Section 18: Equipment Cost Summary……………………………………………….................93 Section 18.1: Unit Costing Considerations………………………………………………...........94 Section 19: Fixed Capital Investment Summary………………………………………………...97 Section 20: Operating Costs……………………………………………….................................102 Section 21: Profitability and Economic Analysis………………………………………………109 Section 22: Other Important Considerations ………………………………………………......116 Section 22.1: Environmental ………………………………………………..................116 Section 22.2: Health and Safety ……………………………………………….............116 Section 22.3: Process Control ………………………………………………….............118 Section 22.4: Plant Location ………………………………………………...................118 Section 22.5: Transport ………………………………………………...........................118 Section 23: Conclusions and Recommendations……………………………….........................121 Section 24: Acknowledgments………………………………....................................................123 Section 25: References………………………………................................................................125 Section 26: Appendices………………………………………………………………………...129 Appendix A: Project Proposal……………………………….........................................129 Appendix B: Design Sample Calculations………………………………......................133 Appendix B.1: Sample Calculation for Heat Exchangers……………………...133 Appendix B.2: Sample Calculation for Absorption/Stripping Towers…………135 Appendix B.3: Sample Calculations for Storage Tanks………………………..138 Appendix B.4: Calculation for Hot-Surface Precipitator………………………139 Appendix B.5: Calculation for HCN Reactor………………………………….141 Appendix B.6: Waste-Heat Boiler TEMA Design……………………………..143 Appendix C: Safety and MSDS Sheets…………………………………………………145 Appendix D: ASPEN Process Simulation……………………………………………...182 Appendix D.1: Process Flowsheet……………………………….......................182 Appendix D.2: Input File……………………………….....................................182 Appendix D.3: Block Reports…………………………………………………..189 Appendix D.4: Stream Reports…………………………………………………218 Appendix E: Purchased Equipment Quotes…………………………………………….261