Plant design for the recovery of propylene glycol from a reaction byproduct

Identifier:  TFG:2402

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TFG2402

Authors:  Sánchez García, Julio Manuel

Abstract:
Clariant Ibérica’s HTMPP plant (Tarragona) generates over 500 tons of annual waste in one of the multiple transesterification reactions carried out within the polyester production. This waste is formed by a mixture of methanol (MeOH), propylene glycol (MPG), dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) and sporadical traces of water. Even though both methanol and propylene glycol have uses on an industrial level, this waste mixture is being incinerated, which implies that half a million euros are being lost annually. To face these economical losses and take benefit from the amount of this aforementioned waste, it has been carried out in this project a conceptual design of facilities attached to the plant, that must be able to separate the most important components of the residual waste (methanol and propylene glycol), evaluating the economical potential that this investment would have long-term.