Labsa Flow Chart

Application for the proposed LABSA Manufacturing plant at Estate, Sedarapet, Puducherry

PIPDIC’s Industrial

BRIEF SUMMARY

1.0

BRIEF SUMMARY

This chapter presents the type, need, location l ocation & size of the project, major resources required for proposed project, project schedule, technological consideration, process  / technical technical description description and likely likely environmenta environmentall effects due to the proposed project project and mitigation measures to be adopted. 1.1

Type of Project The proposed project of Power Soaps Private Limited is sulphonation of Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB) to produce 72 TPD (18,000 TPA) of 96% Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulphonic Acid (LABSA). The major plant facilities proposed for the project are SO3 Gas Plant, SO3 Absorber System, Sulphonation System and Effluent Gas Treatment System.

1.2

Need for the Project The use of Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulphonic Acid (LABSA) in the detergent manufacturing units have have substantial substantial demand in the country and has Export Export potential also. The demand for the detergents cakes and powders are increasing due to the increasing population and their literacy rate. As the project proponents operating 5 nos. of detergent manufacturing units, they need adequate quantity of LABSA. To fulfil the increasing demand for LABSA in their detergent plants and to earn valuable foreign exchange, Power Soaps Private Limited proposes to install a new production facility and increase its overall production capacity.

1.3

Project Location & Layout The project site is located in Plot nos. B – 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64 & 65, PIPDIC’s Industrial Estate, Sedarapet, Villianur Commune Panchayat, Pondicherry district, Puducherry.

1.4

Size or Magnitude of Operation The proposed production capacity of the plant will be 72 TPD (18,000 TPA). The estimated cost of the proposed project is about INR. 575 Lakhs. The details of the resource requirements like land, raw materials, power, water and manpower for the proposed project is described in this section.

1.4.1 Land Requirement The total land allotted for this plant at PIPDIC, Sedarapet is 0.9072 ha (2.24 acres). The land is already an industrially specified area and thus there will not be much change in the present land use at the plant site. The land use break-up is given in Table-1.1.

Vimta Labs Limited, Hyderabad/Coimbatore Hyderabad/ Coimbatore

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Application for the proposed LABSA Manufacturing plant at Estate, Sedarapet, Puducherry

PIPDIC’s Industrial

BRIEF SUMMARY

TABLE-1.1 LAND USE BREAK-UP Sr. No. 1. 2. 3. 4.

Plant Facilities

Area (ha)

Percentage (%)

0.116 0.139 0.240 0.412 0.907

12.79 15.33 26.46 45.42 100.0

Production facilities Storage Building & Tank farm Greenbelt development Open area Total

1.4.2 Raw Material Requirement The major raw materials required for the proposed sulphonation plant are Linear Alkyl Benzene and Sulphur. The annual requirement of various raw materials and their sources is given in Table-1.2. TABLE - 1.2 RAW MATERIALS REQUIREMENT DETAILS Sr. Material No. Raw Material 1. Organic Alkylate 2. Sulphur Other Chemicals 3. Caustic Soda Lye 4. Vanadium pentoxide

Quantity

Source

Transportation

Storage

55.44 TPD 8.28 TPD

Indigenous Indigenous

By Road By Road

C. Steel Tank Closed shed

50 TPA 600 Lit/A

Indigenous Indigenous

By Road By Road

S. Steel Tank Closed shed

1.4.3 Power Requirement and Supply The total power required for the proposed plant is about 900 KW, which will be met from the Puducherry state grid. To meet the emergency power requirement during the grid failure, diesel generator set having capacity of 1000 KVA each are proposed. The fuel required in the plant is only High Speed Diesel (HSD), which is used as fuel in generators. The requirement of HSD is about 350 lit/hr. 1.4.4 Water Requirement Water requirement in the plant is for cooling tower make-up, scrubber make-up, DM plant, floor wash and domestic usages. The water requirement of the proposed plant will be sourced from PIPDIC. The water requirement details are presented in Table1.3. TABLE - 1.3 WATER REQUIREMENT Sr. No. 1. 2. 3. 4.

Category Cooling tower make-up Scrubber make-up DM Plant Domestic Requirement Total

Vimta Labs Limited, Hyderabad/Coimbatore

Quantity (KLD) 32.0 8.0 7.0 1.5 48.5 C2-2

Application for the proposed LABSA Manufacturing plant at Estate, Sedarapet, Puducherry

PIPDIC’s Industrial

BRIEF SUMMARY

1.4.5 Manpower Requirement The manpower required for the proposed plant will be 30 nos., which includes manager, admin staffs, supervisor and workers. 1.5

Technology Adopted The customary method of production starts with the appropriate alkyl benzene which is sulphonated and then subsequently neutralised. The sulphonation reaction can be carried out in various ways. In the past, the reaction has been carried out using concentrated sulphuric acid or oleum, in either case using an excess of acid. At the end of the sulphonation the surplus acid and the desired product must be separated. Alternatively the entire mixture can be neutralised leading to a product containing a substantial proportion of an inorganic sulphate salt, e.g. sodium sulphate. Subsequently, it has become conventional to use sulphur trioxide as sulphonating agent. US patent 2928867 published in 1960 teaches that at the end of a sulphonation process carried out with sulphur trioxide, a small amount of water should be added to the reaction mixture to hydrolyse sulphonic acid anhydrides present in the reaction mixture so that a stable product is obtained after neutralization. During more recent years it has become standard practice to use gaseous sulphur trioxide as sulphonating agent in an approximately stoichiometric quantity, then age the resulting mixture during which time the reaction mixture proceeds further towards completion, and next add a small quantity of water which is believed to hydrolyse any anhydrides present in the reaction mixture thereby stabilizing reaction. This current practice is described in, for example, "Sulphonation Technology in the Detergent Industry" by W Herman de Groot 1991. When carrying out this conventional practice the sulphur trioxide is normally diluted with some other gas which does not react. Air can be used. It is possible to carry out the reaction using an excess of sulphur trioxide but this leads to disadvantages. One disadvantage is the formation of coloured impurities. If a substantial excess of sulphur trioxide is used, the mixture obtained contains unwanted sulphuric acid which must be removed or tolerated as an impurity just as with the older processes using sulphuric acid or oleum. This is less of a problem if there is only a small excess of sulphur trioxide but, as will be explained below, this leads to the presence of undesirable impurities. When sulphonation is carried out using an approximately stoichiometric quantity of sulphur trioxide it is found that the conventional ageing period at the end of the sulphonation reaction gives increased conversion of the alkyl benzene into the desired sulphonic acid. Nevertheless, it is observed that the alkyl benzene feedstock is not completely converted into the desired alkyl benzene sulphonic acid. A small percentage of alkyl benzene remains unchanged and a small quantity is converted into a sulphone of the formula. The relative proportions of unconverted alkyl benzene and sulphone impurity vary. They are affected by the reaction conditions employed and by the mole ratio of sulphur trioxide to alkyl benzene. Although it is possible to vary the relative proportions of unreacted alkyl benzene and sulphone it is not possible to avoid

Vimta Labs Limited, Hyderabad/Coimbatore

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Application for the proposed LABSA Manufacturing plant at Estate, Sedarapet, Puducherry

PIPDIC’s Industrial

BRIEF SUMMARY

both of them simultaneously by control of reaction conditions or mole ratio of reactants. Thus, if the mole ratio of sulphur trioxide to alkyl benzene is increased so as to minimise the percentage of unconverted alkyl benzene, the percentage of sulphone increases. Failure to convert alkyl benzene to sulphonic acid and conversion to by-product sulphone both represent a waste of alkyl benzene feedstock. Additionally, unconverted alkyl benzene can give rise to tower emission problems on spray drying and there have also been suggestions that residual alkyl benzene is slightly toxic. Thus, although the present commercial procedure of sulphonation with stoichiometric quantity of sulphur trioxide followed by ageing and then the addition of water to arrest the reaction is very advantageous compared with earlier processes in that it gives a high level of conversion to the desired product without introducing large quantities of sulphuric acid into the product mixture, there is still some scope for further improvement in that it would be desirable to reduce further the combined levels of alkyl benzene and sulphone below what is currently achievable. According to the present invention there is a method of manufacturing alkyl benzene sulphonate by contacting, as reactants, alkyl benzene with sulphur trioxide using a molar ratio of alkyl benzene to sulphur trioxide in a range from 1:0.9 to 1:1.3, characterised by incorporating sulphuric acid into the reaction mixture after bringing the reactants into contact, the amount of sulphuric acid being not more than 10% by weight of the reaction mixture, and then allowing reaction in the mixture to continue for at least 30 minutes. We have found that by incorporating sulphuric acid in this manner it is possible to achieve an improvement in the overall conversion to the desired product and a consequent reduction in the undesired impurities. For carrying out this reaction, the sulphur trioxide is preferably diluted with another gas, as is conventional. This other gas may well be air. The ratio of sulphur trioxide to other gas may desirably lie in a range from 3% to 10% by volume. The molar ratio of alkyl benzene to sulphur trioxide is preferably in a range from 1:0.9 to 1:1 better 1:0.95 to 1:1. The alkyl benzene which is sulphonated may have a straight or branched alkyl group which preferably contains from 10 to 15 carbon atoms. Although branched alkyl benzene has been extensively used for detergent manufacture it is nowadays usually preferred to employ linear alkyl benzene, that is to say alkyl benzene in which the alkyl group has a straight carbon chain. It is known to carry out the sulphonation of alkyl benzene which is provided as a mixed feedstock also containing some other material which undergoes sulphonation. Conceivably this invention could be employed when it is a mixed feedstock which undergoes reaction. However the invention is particularly significant when the alkyl benzene feedstock is not mixed with a substantial quantity of any other material so that the feedstock contains in excess of 90% by weight alkyl benzene. The sulphuric acid which is added may be in the form of conventional concentrated sulphuric acid containing 98% of sulphuric acid itself. It would also Vimta Labs Limited, Hyderabad/Coimbatore

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Application for the proposed LABSA Manufacturing plant at Estate, Sedarapet, Puducherry

PIPDIC’s Industrial

BRIEF SUMMARY

be possible, although it is not preferred, to employ sulphuric acid which is not quite so concentrated. Alternatively it would be possible to employ fuming sulphuric acid containing some oleum. The amount of sulphuric acid which is employed is preferably at least 1% and more preferably at least 1.5% by weight of the reaction mixture. The amount is preferably not more than 5% of the weight of the reaction mixture and quite possibly not more than 4% by weight of the reaction mixture. Ageing of the reaction mixture after addition of the sulphuric acid preferably takes place with some agitation of the reaction mixture and at a temperature somewhat above normal room temperature, e.g. in the range from 30 to 70°C. The ageing period will generally not exceed 12 hours although longer periods may be employed if desired. An ageing period in the range from 2 to 8 hours is preferred. At the end of this ageing period some water may be added to the reaction mixture to hydrolyse any remaining sulphur trioxide and stabilise the reaction mixture, in accordance with conventional practice for sulphonation. The invention will be further explained and illustrated by the following example in which all amounts and proportions are by weight unless otherwise stated. Alkyl benzene having a molecular weight of approximately 218 corresponding to a formula in which the average value of x is 10 was sulphonated in a commercial sulphonation plant with a multi-tube falling film reactor. Sulphonation was affected using sulphur trioxide and air in an approximate ratio of 1.00. Quantities of reaction mixture leaving the falling film reactor were taken, mixed with varying amounts of 98% sulphuric acid, and then aged at 50°C for up to 4 hours. Samples were taken out of the mixtures after various intervals of time and neutralised to the sodium salt of the acid under conditions calculated to give approximately 25% sodium alkyl benzene sulphonate in the neutralised mixture. These neutralised mixtures were analysed to determine the actual content of sulphonic acid and also to determine the content of Non-Detergent Organic Matter (NDOM). This NDOM consists principally of unreacted Linear Alkyl benzene (LAB) and of sulphone by-product. The amounts of these materials were determined from the infra-red spectrum of the NDOM. 1.6.

Process Description

1.6.1 Sulfonation The term “sulfonation” will indicate both the sulfonation and sulfation reactions, such a term meaning any reaction arising from the addition of SO 3  with an organic material regardless of the functional group characterizing the end product.

The sulfonation reaction takes place simple by contact between the organic substance to be sulfonated and sulphur trioxide. The latter being a highly active reagent cannot be used in the concentrated form otherwise it would destroy the organic matter; consequently it is used at an approximate concentration of 4% by volume in dry air. Since reaction is highly exothermic the product has to be cooled as the reaction proceeds to avoid deterioration of the product which is heat-sensitive. Vimta Labs Limited, Hyderabad/Coimbatore

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Application for the proposed LABSA Manufacturing plant at Estate, Sedarapet, Puducherry

PIPDIC’s Industrial

BRIEF SUMMARY

The main reactions occurring in the proposed plant are following: R-H Organic

+

SO3 

R-SO3H Sulfonic acid

--- (1)

R-H

+

2SO3 

R-SO2OSO3H Disulfonic acid

--- (2)

2R-H

+

2SO3 

(RSO2)2O=H2O

--- (3)

Undesired reactions (2) and (3) take place only when the resulting by-products are almost entirely eliminated in the subsequent agi ng and hydrolysation steps.

Vimta Labs Limited, Hyderabad/Coimbatore

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Application for the proposed LABSA Manufacturing plant at Estate, Sedarapet, Puducherry

PIPDIC’s Industrial

BRIEF SUMMARY

SULPHUR

STEAM

MELTING

BURNING TO PRODUCE SO 2 (780oC)

Air/Water COOLING WHB/TEMP-430oC CATALYST V2O5 4 STAGE CONVERTER / SO 2 TO SO3

FALLING FILM REACTOR SULPHONATION OF LAB

DIGESTER

HYDROLYSER

STORAGE VESSEL

DISPATCH

FIGURE – 1.1 PROCESS FLOW CHART Vimta Labs Limited, Hyderabad/Coimbatore

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Application for the proposed LABSA Manufacturing plant at Estate, Sedarapet, Puducherry

PIPDIC’s Industrial

BRIEF SUMMARY

1.8.2 Aging This operation eliminates partly the products of reaction (2) increasing at the same time the yield of useful products as the excess SO 3  reacts with the unsulfonated organic matter. RSO2OSO3H

+

RH

2RSO3H

--- (4)

Acid

1.8.3 Hydrolysation This operation eliminates the excess SO 3  both dissolved and contained in the products of reactions (2) and (3) which would lead later to the acid degradation (RSO2)2O

+

H2O

2RSO3H

--- (5)

Acid

RSO2OSO3H

+

H2O

RSO3H + H2SO4

--- (6)

Acid

1.9

Environmental Effects and Mitigation measures The proposed project would comprise various production facilities such as SO3 gas plant, SO3  absorber system, Sulphonation system and Effluent gas treatment system. These would therefore lead to release of emissions to the air, generation of wastewater and solid wastes. The sources and nature of pollution from the proposed plant and the types of environmental pollution likely to occur are presented in Table-1.4. TABLE – 1.4 AIR POLLUTION – SOURCES & MANAGEMENT Facility/Department Sulfonation/SO3 scrubber Cooling Tower / Boiler Alkali scrubber/ DM plant Sulfonation/ETP

Pollutants /

Type of Pollution

SO2, SO3 & Acid mist Effluent

Air pollution Water pollution

Spent catalyst / Sulphur Residue / Sludge

Solid pollution

1.10.1 Air Pollution Control Measures The principal air pollution control systems proposed for the sulphonation plant would be Candle filter, Electrostatic Precipitator and Alkali Scrubber . The SO2 and Acid mist coming from the sulfonation process would be cleaned by taking the gas through an ESP to remove the acid mist followed by alkali scrubber to remove the SO2 gas. The clean gas will be discharged into atmosphere through as stack of 35.0-m height.

Vimta Labs Limited, Hyderabad/Coimbatore

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Application for the proposed LABSA Manufacturing plant at Estate, Sedarapet, Puducherry

PIPDIC’s Industrial

BRIEF SUMMARY

1.10.2 Water Pollution Control Measures The main source of effluent in the proposed sulfonation plant is cooling tower blow down, boiler blow down, alkali scrubber bleed-off, DM plant reject and domestic usages. TABLE – 1.5 WATER POLLUTION – SOURCES & TREATMENT Sr. No 1 2

Description Sewage Trade Effluent

Quantity in KLD 1.25 4.6

Treatment Septic tank with dispersion trench Effluent Treatment Plant

1.10.3 Solid Waste Management Major solid wastes generated from the proposed sulfonation plant would include TABLE – 1.6 SOLID WASTES – SOURCES & MANAGEMENT Sr. No 1

Solid waste

Categ.

Quantity

Treatment or Disposal

Sulphur sludge

34.3

0.003 TPA

2

Spent catalyst

35.2

0.3 TPA

3

Sulphur ash

36.2

0.7 TPA

4

Scrubber residue

36.1

4.5 TPA

Stored temporarily in HDPE bags and sent to secured landfill facility, Gummidipoondi Stored temporarily in polyethylene bags and send back to manufacturers for rebinding the same Stored temporarily in HDPE bags and sent to secured landfill facility, Gummidipoondi Concentrated and used in detergent industry

1.10.4 Noise Pollution Control Measures The major sources of noise generation from the proposed plant are fixed plant installations and external transport movements. The noise generating machineries are blowers, centrifugal pumps, compressors and stand by DG set which will be maintained within the standard limits of 90-dB(A). Various measures proposed to reduce the noise pollution include reduction of noise at source, provision of acoustic enclosure like for the equipment like DG set and suction side silencers, selection of low noise equipment like closed type Compressor, isolation of noisy equipment from working personnel. Personnel working in noise generation areas will be provided with ear muffler. All rotary equipment like fans, blowers, pumps & compressors would be of low noise design. The grouting of this equipment will be made free from vibrations. The work zone noise exposure of the operating personnel would be avoided by remote operation from the control rooms. The adequate noise control measures will be adopted and work zone noise levels will be controlled to less than 85dB(A). Vimta Labs Limited, Hyderabad/Coimbatore

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Application for the proposed LABSA Manufacturing plant at Estate, Sedarapet, Puducherry

PIPDIC’s Industrial

BRIEF SUMMARY

1.11

Cost Provision for Environmental Measures The capital cost of the project is about Rs. 10.0 Crores. It is proposed to invest about Rs. 2.5-Crores, i.e. 33.3 % of the capital cost on pollution control, treatment, green belt development, rainwater harvesting, environmental monitoring systems and others. The break-up of the investment is given in Table – 1.7. TABLE – 1.7 COST PROVISION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES Sr. No. 1 2 3 4

Description of Item Air pollution control systems Water pollution control system Environmental Monitoring Greenbelt development, rainwater harvesting and others Total

Vimta Labs Limited, Hyderabad/Coimbatore

Capital Cost (Rs. in Lakhs) 200.0 25.0 5.0 20.0

Recurring Cost (Rs. in Lakhs) 25.0 5.0 4.0 6.0

250.0

40.0

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