Chemical and Process Engineering
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A S Jessup-Bould Plant Re-Engineering – Contract Fine Chemicals
Fine Chemicals							Hickson & Welch; Castleford.
2000	Site-based Senior Process Engineer for a multi-stage contract chemical process requiring modification to a selection of existing plants.
Summary of Process Compound A All in solvent based batch reaction between organic solid nitro compound and a liquid reagent. Steam heated to drive the reaction and atmospheric distillation of the volatile reaction by-product formed. Removal of this by-product is necessary for the reaction to proceed. Batch cooled and seeded. Batch further cooled with brine to maximise crystal yield. Crystals filtered and washed in a pan filter. Filtrate recovered and reused instead of toluene as solvent for next batch to recycle excess reagent. Crystals kegged and taken to pan drier. Compound B General purpose plant modified to dissolve compound A in IPA at 70 deg C. This hazardous operation, including tankering of hot solution to the hydrogenation plant was dropped following a change of process chemistry from the research lab. Modified process: Slurry of compound A crystals in IPA introduced to Hydrogenation loop. Hydrogenated product collected in ISO-tanker. Compound C Compound B solution drummed off from ISO-tanker and reprocessed in the same, but modified, plant used to produce compound A. A semi-batch process between solid and liquid reagents to dampen the temperature rise due to exothermic reaction (although in practice this was not a problem and some heating was required). The reacted batch was cooled and seeded and filtered to produce a wet product which was subsequently dried in the pan drier.
Specific Responsibilities
Process Engineering of stages before and after hydrogenation.
Achievements
A re-engineered process that was successfully commissioned. A sound introduction to fine chemicals.
Materials of Construction Glass, glass lined carbon steel, incolloy. Documents Produced Revised Twig sheets, PFDs & mass balances. P&IDs. 'Kiss' charts for trips and interlocks. SIL assessments. Conceptual Hazop Reports. Process Hazard Analysis: Process and equipment description. Reactant properties and hazards. Safe operating conditions (T, P, level). Hazard identification (Reactions, toxicity, corrosiveness, flammability, overpressurisation.). Relief assessment. Detailed Hazop Reports.				Hazards St3 dusts Vapours - flammable / toxic Solids can cause cyanosis. Environment. Manual drum handling. Liaison Commissioning Team. Research Chemists. Process Safety Chemist. SHE dept. Plant Managers. Operations Personnel. Other Engineers (Process, Mechanical, E&I). Standards API 520 Relief Systems. NFPA 68 Explosion Relief.