CHEMICAL PROCESS

Chemical manufacturing has various stages in the process right from the raw material stage to the final product.

Let’s see them below:

 

Step 1: Raw Material Storage:

There has to be a proper place for the storage of raw materials. It may have to be kept there for maybe several weeks or days depending upon the supply and requirement. It also depends on the type of raw material, mode of delivery. Those transported by rail or road in fewer quantities less space is needed. Those delivered by ships or tankers in large numbers need more storage space and time. 

 

Step 2: Feed Preparation:

The raw materials first have to be in the pure form before they are subjected to the reactor. For example, acetylene contains arsenic and sulfur traces which must be removed by adding concentrated sulfuric acid. After this, it is mixed with hydrochloric acid to produce dichloromethane.

 

Step 3: Reactor

This stage is the most critical, as this is where the raw materials are fed to the reactor and produce the required product. Also, products and unwanted products are formed.

 

Step 4: Product Separation:

In this stage, the products and byproducts are separated from the un-reacted materials. The un-reacted material will be sent to the reactor again or the feed preparation stage. The byproducts are separated from the final product.

 

Step 5: Purification:

It is the process in which the final product has to be purified from other impurities to get the required product. The types of purification processes include separation, filtration, oxidation, distillation, adsorption, solvent extraction, fractional crystallization. The impurities may be other chemicals or minerals. Not all companies are experts in this process. A good R&D team is required to perform this task and lizardlabs.to is one of them.

 

Step 6: Product Storage:

Here, the product must be packed and transported to the location. The type of storage material or transport depends on its nature. E.g., liquids need tanks or drums, solids in boxes or cartons. Depending on the sale, the remaining stock is held back in the storage location.

 

Step 7: Ancillary process:

There are other requirements to be taken care of during the supply stage. It includes process water, compressed air, steam, compressed water, fans, blowers. There are other requirements like pipes for liquids, ducts for gases, fittings like couplings, unions, bushes, stacks. 

Facilities have to be well maintained with necessary safety precautions, accommodations, and laboratories. 

 

In any chemical manufacturing process after designing the products, they must be assessed for safety, quality, and efficiency. Chemical processes may run in batches or continuous. 

There are sensors located in the plant that control various equipment and their temperature, pressures, fluid flow rates, essential valves operations. This process takes place with some critical parameters.

 

Safety:

It is of paramount importance since there must be hazardous chemicals that need to be stored. Hence care must be taken to avoid accidents.

 

Manufacturing chemicals is a tedious and lengthy process. Organic polymers like plastics, fibers, and elastomer are in the demand and fast-moving.. But there are challenges faced in terms of feedstock availability and price, labor cost, energy cost, environmental pressures.