Aniline

Aniline The production of aniline by nitration of benzene and the catalytic hydrogenation of mono-nitrobenzene (MNB) is the dominant production route practiced today. KBR is the exclusive licensor of the DuPont aniline technology, which is currently used in four world-scale facilities. The technology sets the benchmark in the industry for product quality, product yield, process safety and environmental controls. KBR offers comprehensive services including technology licensing, basic and detailed engineering, construction, and support for plant operation such as operator training and start-up services.

The Process Benzene is nitrated with mixed acid (nitric and sulfuric) at high selectivity and conversion to produce MNB. The nitration product is separated and the spent acid is re-concentrated by removing the water of reaction. The nitration process utilizes the heat of reaction for the re-concentration of the sulfuric acid. The water produced by nitration of benzene, as well as the water that enters the nitration system with the nitric acid leaves the nitration/acid concentration system and is sent to waste treatment. The crude MNB product is washed in a series of contactors to remove residual acid and nitrophenolic impurities formed during the reaction. Unreacted benzene is removed from the product by steam stripping and recycled. MNB is fed together with hydrogen into a liquid phase plug-flow hydrogenation reactor that contains a DuPont proprietary catalyst. The supported noble metal catalyst has a high selectivity and the MNB conversion per pass is 100%. The reaction conditions are optimized to achieve essentially quantitative yields and the reactor effluent is free of MNB. Excess hydrogen from the reactor effluent is vented and the reactor product is sent to a dehydration column to remove the water of reaction followed by a purification column to produce high quality aniline product.

Product Quality The DuPont/KBR Aniline Process consistently produces a very high quality aniline product, suitable for all MDI production technologies, and other specialty chemical applications. The typical product quality is: Aniline, wt% Mono-nitrobenzene, ppmwt Water, ppmwt Color, APHA Freeze Point (dry basis) oC

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VENT

DUPONT/KBR ANILINE PROCESS

HYDROGENATION

DEHYDRATION

ANILINE PURIFICATION

REACTION WATER

ANILINE

MONONITROBENZENE

HYDROGEN

TARS

High-Quality, Low Cost Technology The DuPont/KBR Aniline process has been optimized to produce high quality aniline product at low manufacturing ACETONE PRODUCT cost. Key features of this technology are: High Yields - The process consistently achieves 99.5% efficiency of mono-nitrobenzene utilization. High Purity Product - Aniline produced from this technology maintains constant high product purity without variations due to changes in catalyst activity, which are typical of vapor-phase fixed-bed hydrogenation technologies. The aniline product from this process is the highest quality in the industry, with less than 0.1 ppmwt MNB. SPENT AIR

Superior Catalyst System – The proprietary DuPont hydrogenation catalyst and the liquid phase hydrogenation system provides excellent catalyst life. It also avoids the complexity of a catalyst regeneration system typical ofPHENOL vapor-phase PRODUCT CONCENTRATION PHENOL FRACTIONATION technologies. The high selectivity catalyst achieves essentially quantitative yields with minimal by-product formation, thus resulting in a very simple product purification system. CATALYST Low Capital Cost – The DuPont/KBR hydrogenation system is mechanically simple and compact. Unlike vapor-phase fluidized-bed or fixed-bed technologies, parallel reactor trains or multiple reactor stages are not required. CLEAVAGE

AIR

CUMENE

HYDROCARBON RECOVERY

PHENOL RECOVERY WASTE OIL TO FUEL EFFLUENT TREATMENT

Spent Air

Cumene

WASTEWATER

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