Energy intensity

FMC makes sodium bicarbonate at the Green River complex by reaction of sesquicarbonate (Na2 CO3 -NaHC03 -2H2 O) with carbon dioxide recovered from a sodium phosphate plant. This fairly recently patented process avoids the energy intensive heating step (33). 

With increasing energy costs, maximum methanol conversion is desirable, eliminating the need for the energy-intensive distillation for methanol... 

Absorber oil units offer the advantage that Hquids can be removed at the expense of only a small (34—69 kPa (4.9—10.0 psi)) pressure loss in the absorption column. If the feed gas is available at pipeline pressure, then Httle if any recompression is required to introduce the processed natural gas into the transmission system. However, the absorption and subsequent absorber-oil regeneration process tends to be complex, favoring the simpler, more efficient expander plants. Separations using soHd desiccants are energy-intensive because of the bed regeneration requirements. This process option is generally considered only in special situations such as hydrocarbon dew point control in remote locations. 

Commercial VPO of propane—butane mixtures was in operation at Celanese Chemical Co. plants in Texas and/or Canada from the 1940s to the 1970s. The principal primary products were acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, methanol, and acetone. The process was mn at low hydrocarbon conversion (3—10%) and a pressure in excess of 790 kPa (7.8 atm). These operations were discontinued because of various economic factors, mainly the energy-intensive purification system required to separate the complex product streams. 

For fine pulverization, both dry and wet processes are utilized, but increasingly the dry process is more popular because wet grinding ultimately requires drying and is much more energy intensive. A sensitive fan swirls the dust sizes into the air separator and permits coarse particles to recycle to the grinding mill or be rejected as tailings the fines are drawn into cyclones where the dust is collected. 

Each basic operation can be divided into one or more unit operations. Size reduction involves cnishing and grinding depending on the size of material handled, and these may be carried out in stages. Separations can be either soHds from soHds, based on size or mineral composition, or soHds from Hquids, ie, dewatering (qv). Size separation or classification is an integral part of any flow sheet, not only to meet product size specifications, but also to ensure a narrow size distribution for subsequent minerals separation circuits and to decrease the load and improve the efficiency of size reduction units which are energy intensive. 

Anhydrous aluminum chloride, AIQ, is manufactured primarily by reaction of chlorine [7782-50-5] vapor with molten aluminum and used mainly as a catalyst in organic chemistry ie, in Friedel-Crafts reactions (qv) and in proprietary steps in the production of titanium dioxine [13463-67-7] Ti02, pigment. Its manufacture by carbochlorination of alumina or clay is less energy-intensive and is the preferred route for a few producers (19). 

In the United States, aluminum sulfate is usually produced by the reaction of bauxite or clay (qv) with sulfuric acid (see Sulfuric acid and sulfur trioxide). Bauxite is imported and more expensive than local clay, generally kaolin, which is more often used. Clay is first roasted to remove organics and break down the crystalline stmcture in order to make it more reactive. This is an energy intensive process. The purity of the starting clay or bauxite ore, especially the iron and potassium contents, are reflected in the assay of the final product. Thus the selection of the raw material is governed by the overall economics of producing a satisfying product. 

Raw Material and Energy Aspects to Pyridine Manufacture. The majority of pyridine and pyridine derivatives are based on raw materials like aldehydes or ketones. These are petroleum-derived starting materials and their manufacture entails cracking and distillation of alkanes and alkenes, and oxidation of alkanes, alkenes, or alcohols. Ammonia is usually the source of the nitrogen atom in pyridine compounds. Gas-phase synthesis of pyridines requires high temperatures (350—550°C) and is therefore somewhat energy intensive. 

Until the 1960s, reclaimed mbber was an important raw material in molded and extmded mbber products, eg, tires, mbber mats, and hard mbber battery cases. With the advent of vinyl, other plastics, and less expensive oil-extended synthetic polymers, reclaimed mbber sales stabilized and decreased. In 1973, the oil embargo and rising energy costs increased costs of the energy-intensive mbber reclaiming process to the point where they matched virgin polymer costs. Increased radial tire production required crack resistance that could not be provided by reclaimed mbber compounds (46). 

Generally more favorable for maximum boiling azeotrope because the recycles between columns are bottoms streams, pure products are distillates recycle not as energy-intensive, products distilled once. 

Energy usage per kg of product highly dependent on heat of vaporization of solvent and number of effects used (can be very energy intensive). 

In one modification of this procedure, the starting material is pyroly2ed rice hulls in place of more conventional forms of sihcon dioxide (31). Another unique process involves chlorination of a combination of SiC and Si02 with carbon in a fluid-bed reactor (32). The advantages of this process are that it is less energy-intensive and substantially free of lower sihcon chlorides. 

The manufacture of sugar was early understood to be an energy-intensive process. Cuba was essentially deforested to obtain the wood that fueled the evaporation of water from the cane juice. When the forests were gone, the bagasse burner was developed to use the dry cane pulp, called bagasse, for fuel. Bagasse was no longer a waste product its minimal value is the cost of its replacement as fuel. 

Cationic surface-active agents promote wetting of the sulfur and thereby increase the reaction rate (36). The quahty of the product is improved by using photographic-grade sodium sulfite or bisulfite. Excess sulfur is filtered before evaporation (qv) and crystallization (qv). Evaporation is energy-intensive thus it is important to produce the thiosulfate solution at the highest possible concentration. The purity of the product is typically >99% sulfite and sulfate ate the main impurities. 

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