MANUFACTURING PROCESES AND SELECTION1

Many different techniques has been investigated for the manufacture of styrene
monomer. Of these, the following methods have been used or seriously considered for
commercial production:

1. dehydrogenation of ethyl benzene;

2. oxidation of ethyl benzene to ethyl benzene hydro peroxide, which reacts with
propylene oxide, after which the alcohol is dehydrated to styrene
3. oxidative conversion of ethyl benzene to ’-phenyl ethanol via acetophenon and
subsequent dehydration of alcohol
4. side-chain chlorination of ethyl benzene followed by dechlorination
5. side-chain chlorination of ethyl benzene ,hydrolysis to the corresponding
alcohols, followed by dehydration
6. Pyrolysis of petroleum recovery from various petroleum processes.

The first two methods are only two commercially utilized routes to styrene production.
Method 3 was practiced by Union-Carbide Corporation but later was replaced with a
dehydrogenation process. Method 4 & 5, involving chlorine, have generally been suffered
from high cost of the raw materials and from the chlorinated contaminants in the
monomer. Manufacture of styrene directly from petroleum streams is difficult and costly.

The two commercially important routes to styrene are based on ethyl benzene production
by alkylation of benzene and ethylene .Research programs aimed at replacing expensive
benzene and ethylene feed stocks with less costly alternatives have been carried out by a
number of companies.
PROCESS DESCRIPTION1
OXIDATION PROCESS
One of the most notable oxidation processes is Halcon international’s process to
produce styrene from propylene oxide. In this technique, ethyl benzene is oxidized to
hydro peroxide as follows:

C6H5CH2CH3 + O2 Æ C H CH(OOH)CH
6 5 3

The reaction takes place in the liquid phase with air bubbling through the liquid, and
no catalyst is required. However, since hydro peroxides are unstable compounds,
exposure to high temperature must be minimized to reduce the rate of decomposition.
Fewer by-products are formed from the decomposition if the reaction temperature is
gradually reduced during the course of reaction, i.e., from 135-1600C during the first
half of reaction to 125-1550C during the second half.

The reaction is more selective to the production of by-product acids, when it is carried
out at constant temperature than when the temperature is gradually reduced. In
practice, the temperature is reduced by means of a series of reactors, each of which is
maintained at a progressively lower temperature. The pressure required for the
reaction is not critical; 800-1500 kPa is sufficient to maintain the reactants at liquid
phase.

Reaction is given below:

C6H5CH(OOH)CH3 + CH3CH=CH2 Æ C6H5CH(OH) CH3 +

CH3CH(O)CH2
Catalysts for this reaction are compounds of metals, e.g. molybdenum, tungsten,
vanadium. The epoxidation reaction generally proceeds at 100-1300C in the liquid
phase under self-generated pressures. The conversion of ethyl benzene hydro peroxide
is nearly complete, and selectivity of the reaction in producing propylene oxide is
 greater than 70%. The alcohol can be dehydrated to styrene or it is reduced to ethyl
benzene for recycle if styrene is not desired.

Montoro, a Spanish joint venture between Oxirane and Enpetrol, first commercializes
the process in 1973. The plant had an annual capacity of 7.5*104 ton of styrene and
3*104 ton of propylene oxide. The Oxirane plant in Channelview, Texas, set up in
1977 had a capacity of 2.25*10 5 ton annual production.

DEHYDROGENATION OF ETHYL-BENZENE

REACTION:

C6H5CH2CH3 Æ C H CH=CH
6 5 3 + H2 + (û+R )
Several licensed process are available for the conversion of ethyl-benzene to styrene.
Although all such processes share the catalytic dehydrogenation of ethyl benzene to
styrene in the presence of steam, there are two distinct approaches to the reaction
section design: the adiabatic process and the isothermal process. As the
dehydrogenation reaction is endothermic, requiring 1.26-1.33 MJ/kg of ethyl benzene
converted at 250C, heat must be supplied. In the adiabatic process, steam superheated
to 800-9500C is mixed with preheated ethyl benzene (EB) feed prior to exposure to the
catalyst. The isothermal process takes place in PFR and reaction heat is provided by
indirect heat exchange between the process fluid and a suitable heat transfer medium,
e.g., flue gas (BASF technology).

For a given dehydrogenation catalyst, the catalyst life , the molar conversion of ethyl
benzene, and the molar selectivity of ethyl benzene to styrene are effected by reactor
operating pressure, molar steam to hydrocarbon ratio , reactor operating temp. and reactor
liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) . For all catalysts, there is a compromise between
activity, otherwise EB conversion, and styrene selectivity.
Because the dehydrogenation reaction produces 2 moles of products otherwise styrene &
Hydrogen , for every mole of reactant , i.e., EB ,the desired reaction course can be
enhanced by adding steam to the reactor system to reduce the styrene partial pressure in
the reactor and /or by reducing the reactor operating pressure.

As these increase conversion or other refinements and approaches equilibrium, the rate
of the main reaction slows down but the rates of undesired side reactions do not.
Adiabatic operating pressures were generally about 138 kPa with molar steam to
hydrocarbon ratio above 14:1. For the isothermal reactor designs, it is maintained at 6-
8:1.

Since the reaction is endothermic with increase in temperature, conversion also

increases. However, an upper limit to reactor temp ; when temp are increased above
6100C ,thermal cracking of EB & styrene occurs , since in isothermal process the temp
maintained at 580-6100C across the catalyst bed, where in adiabatic reactor the feed
mixture generally introduced at 660-6100C .Decreasing the residence time in the
adiabatic process reduces the potential selectivity over isothermal process.

As for LHSV, molar conversion of EB is an inverse function of this parameter since

higher velocities mean lower residence time. This in turn reduces molar conversion.
For adiabatic reactors designed LHSVs of .4-.6 m 3/hr EB per cubic meter of catalyst.
Within this range , a 60-70% molar conversion of EB and a 90-95% molar selectivity
of EB to styrene can be achieved with commercially available dehydrogenation .It is
believed that similar results are obtained with the isothermal process.

The main difference between the isothermal and adiabatic processes is in the way the
endothermic reaction heat is supplied. In principle, the isothermal reactor is designed
like a shell& tube H.E.: a fixed bed dehydrogenation catalyst and reactant gas is on the
tube side, & a suitable heat transfer medium is on the shell side. The diameter of the
self-contained reactor tubes are 10-20 cm and the lengths are 2.4-3.7m .All
commercial catalysts are formulated around an iron oxide base inherent to this ferric
compound is the reduction to lower oxides at the dehydrogenation reaction
temperature. The most widely used additives are chromic oxide as the stabilizer and
 potassium oxide as the coke retardants. Thus, the catalyst is self-regenerative, there by
allowing such residues to built up to an equilibrium level.

One difference between licensed adiabatic technologies is in the configuration of the

dehydrogenation reactor, e.g., instead of a radial–flow reactor, a fixed-bed axial reactor
may be employed. Another difference in technologies is in the reactor feed heat
exchanger section. Instead of only steam passing through a fired heater, all of the EB and
vaporization/dilution is combined with the mixture is raised to the reaction temp in a fired
heater. Although similar in concept, the process involves heating the steam and EB in
separate coils of a fired heater. As temperatures well above 850 0C may be encountered
with both processes, the potential for thermal cracking of EB is increased. Therefore, the
residence time in heater should be minimized.

PURIFICATION
To obtain the desired product, crude styrene effluent from the reaction section must be
fractionated and undesirable by-products are removed. To minimize the
polymerization of vinyl aromatic compounds, low temp vacuum distillation of the
crude styrene is necessary. Further reduction in polymerization is obtained by
employing inhibitors. Inhibitors were used as extensively polymerization reductant.
The main nonsulfur inhibitors are nitrogen-substituted aromatics, e.g., nitro-phenols.
The most commonly used commercial inhibitor for this service 4-tert-butylcetahol.
The entire purification section is composed of three vacuum fractionators in series. In
the first column benzene& toluene impurities are been separated from the crude
styrene. The next column is EB recycle column, here unreacted EB been recovered
and fed back to the reactor. The separation of EB from styrene is difficult because they
have a very close boiling point. High efficiency, low-pressure distillation column are
used. However, extensive effort is being made to commercialize the use of packing for
this purpose. Such approach offers significant reduction in pressure drop.

The bottom stream from the EB recycle stream is been fed to the final styrene
purification column. The feed stream to the final purification column contains EB at a
concentration of 1000 ppm. High purity product of styrene is obtained as the distillate
and send to storage.
FLOW SHEET OF THE STYRENE PLANT
 ADIABATIC REACTOR
PRE -
HEATER

PURE ETHYL
BENZENE

HYDROGEN
GAS

S
E
P
ETHYL E
BEZENE 1 R
A
T
O
R
FINAL
PURIFIED

B
F EBR E
I ECY N
N CLE Z
A E
L N
E-
P T
U O
R L
I U
F E
I N
E E
R T
O
W
E 1= CONDESER
2=REBOILER
HEALTH AND SAFETY1
Styrene is mildly toxic and inflammable, and it can polymerize violently under specific
conditions. However, none of the hazard associate with styrene is severe, and it is
considered a relatively safe organic chemical when handled according to appropriate safe
guards.

Styrene has an odor threshold of .05-.15 ppmv. Both liquid and vapor irritate the eye and
respiratory system, and high vapor concentration results in depression of central nervous
system.

Irritation of eye and respiratory tract occurs at 400-500 ppmv, but does not result in
permanent injury. Test animals for one hr serious systematic effects can tolerate
concentration up to 2500 ppmv. Exposure for 30-40 min to a conc. of 10000 ppmv may
be fatal.

Styrene is low in oral toxicity. Contact with eyes is painful, but results in transient
damage. Short term contact with skin, do not cause irritation; however prolonged contact
may cause swelling, blistering. However, styrene as it is commonly store and transported
contains TBC, which is skin sensitizer. Styrene monomer is flammable and can form
explosive mixture with air at atmospheric ambient condition. It is generally suggested to
store & handle styrene below or at atmospheric temp.

Polymerization of styrene is an exothermic reaction and proceeds slowly at room

temperature. Thus, there is potential for a runaway polymerization reaction, which may
results in an accelerating evolution of styrene vapor that may cause fire or rupture in the
confining vessel. The polymerization reaction is generally been prevented by adding TBC
inhibitor.

Effective inhibition of polymerization by TBC occurs in presence of dissolved oxygen,

and so storage in an atmosphere-permeable tank is preferred, where inert gas blanketing
of the stored material is to be done. Periodic air addition is recommended to maintain the
presence of dissolved oxygen.
For the areas, where, average temperature is over 27o C, additional refrigeration is
required.

MEASURES:

• The efficiency of the, condenser should must be properly justified, so that

there be minimum loss of styrene in the atmosphere.

• The reactor is generally made adiabatic, and the reaction is endothermic. The
heat of reaction is generally supplied by adding steam at 800o C. This steam is
then condensed and separated as an aqueous solution, saturated with different
organic chemical. To maintain the proper industrial economy, this condensate
must be treated and recycled back at maximum possible limit.

• The heavy end from the final column, contain styrene polymers and some
styrene derivatives, which have good economical values. However, disposal of
this heavy end causes problem. So by adopting proper separation method it is
desired to separate those components of high economical values.

• In order to prevent the chance polymerization, final treatments are generally

carried out under reduced temperature and low pressure.