SODA ASH PLANT
[CODE NO. 3473]
Next to sulfuric acid and ammonia, soda ash (sodium carbonate) is the third largest manufactured chemical in the world. Comparatively, baking soda (Sodium bicarbonate), a byproduct of the soda ash industry also enjoys good market demand. While soda ash is commercially used for the production of glass, inorganic chemicals, soaps, synthetic detergents and processed food, baking soda is primarily used as a leavening agent and in medicines. The world production capacity of soda ash and baking soda is estimated to be 42 million tons in 2005 (Web 1) and 1 million tons in 2001 respectively. Today, more than 90% of soda ash and baking soda are manufactured using Solvay’s process.
Despite being cost effective for the manufacture of both soda ash and baking soda, Solvay’s process is disadvantageous from the pollution abatement perspective. Solvay’s process produces huge quantities of CaCl2 which does not have much market value. Other waste streams produced in the process contain lower quantities of CaCO3 and other impurities of limestone. In addition, magnesium and calciumions in the brine solution are removed as carbonates which are also regarded as additional waste products. An alternative for the Solvay’s process is the Dual and Hou’s process in which ammonia is not recovered, but is transformed into ammonium chloride product, which can be sold as a fertilizer component. In addition, it is important to note that apart from enhanced utility usage, the Dual process requires purer brine solution and does not eliminate the generation of waste carbonate products in the brine purification step.
Existing trends in chemical process industries indicate a strong bias towards integrated processing, co-generation, and minimization of waste product generation. Process intensification coupled with techno-economic analysis enables the selection of most potential physical and chemical transformation routes that maximize process efficiency and minimize waste generation and energy consumption. Considering the necessity to address theoretical and experimental investigations for the alternative route, this work presents a preliminary techno-economic analysis of soda ash and baking soda production from sodium sulfate. Amongst several alternate routes for soda ash and baking soda production, a critical review of the industrial processes for soda ash indicates a partial utilization of the modified Leblanc process to initially produce Na2SO4 and HCl from NaCl and H2SO4.
Eventually, Na2SO4 can be used as the source for the production of baking soda (and soda ash) and (NH4)2SO4 (Bichel et al., 2008). Compared to the Solvay’s process, the alternate process has certain advantages. Firstly, pure chemicals are used as raw materials and therefore, further purification steps are eliminated, and waste generation is reduced. Secondly, all products namely HCl, baking soda, soda ash and ammonium sulfate have good market value compared to their raw-materials. Thirdly, the process allows the simultaneous removal of SOx and NOx from flue gases using regenerated sodium bicarbonate/carbonate solutions along with the production of fertilizers.
COST ESTIMATION
Plant Capacity : 100.00 MT/day
land & Building (28000 Sq.Mtr) : Rs. 21.20 Cr
Plant & Machinery : Rs. 20.00 Cr
Working Capital for 2 Months : Rs. 10.45 Cr
Total Capital Investment : Rs. 52.45 Cr
Rate of Return : 27%
Break Even Point : 58%
INTRODUCTION
SALT
GRADES, SPECIFICATIONS & PROPERTIES
TABLE: MARKET SPECIFICATION OF DENSE SODA ASH
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AND HYDRATES OF SODIUM CARBONATE
TABLE: SOLUBILITY OF THE HYDRATES OF SODIUM CARBONATE
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SODIUM CARBONATE
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF BRINES
USES & APPLICATION
FIGURE: USES OF BOTH HEAVY AND LIGHT SODIUM CARBONATE
USES OF SODA ASH
GLASS INDUSTRY
DETERGENT INDUSTRY
STEEL INDUSTRY
CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
A) SODIUM BICARBONATE
B) SODIUM SESQUICARBONATE
C) CHEMICALLY PURE SODIUM CARBONATE
D) SODIUM PERCARBONATE
E) OTHER APPLICATIONS
MARKET POTENTIAL OF SODA ASH
CONSUMPTION OF SODA ASH IN US
OVERVIEW OF SODA ASH INDUSTRY
WORLD REVIEW
WORLD RESOURCES:
CINER OF TURKEY TO INVEST $1.35 BILLION IN SODA ASH PLANT, POWER
TURKISH-CHINESE COOPERATION AIMS FOR THE TOP
IN SODA ASH PRODUCTION
SOLVAY TO REINFORCE ITS GLOBAL LEADERSHIP IN SODA ASH
OUTLOOK
MANUFACTURERS/SUPPLIERS OF SODA ASH
CHEMISTRY OF SOLVAY PROCESS
SOLAR EVAPORATION PONDS
SEQUENCES IN MANUFACURE OF SODA ASH
BRINE PURIFICATION
AMMONIATION OF BRINE
REACTION IN KILN
REACTION IN SOLVAY TOWER
FORMATION OF SODIUM CARBONATE
RECOVERY OF AMMONIA
REACTION:
OVER ALL REACTION
PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAM
PROCESS IN DETAILS
BLOCK DIAGRAM OF SODA ASH PRODUCTION BY SOLVAY METHOD:
ALTERNATE SODA ASH PRODUCTION PROCESS
ONSITE GENERATION OF NA2SO4
PROCESS BLOCK DIAGRAMS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF (A) SODA ASH
FROM SODIUM SULFATE AND (B) SODIUM SULFATE FROM NACL & H2SO4
TECHNOLOGY OF SODA ASH
A) BICARBONATE PRECIPITATION:
B) BICARBONATE THICKENING:
C) BICARBONATE FILTRATION:
D) CALCINING:
E) COMPACTION:
UTILITIES
STEAM
THE STEAM PROCESS CONSUMPTIONS LIE IN THE RANGE OF:
PROCESS WATER
COOLING WATERS
ELECTRICITY
GASEOUS, LIQUID & SOLID EFFLUENTS
GASEOUS EFFLUENTS
PARTICULATE DUST
CARBON DIOXIDE AND MONOXIDE
NITROGEN OXIDES
SULFUR OXIDES
AMMONIA
THE EMISSIONS FLUCTUATE AND CAN BE EXPLAINED BY:
HYDROGEN SULFIDE
LIQUID EFFLUENTS
WASTEWATER FROM BRINE PURIFICATION
ELECTRICITY AND POWER PLANTS
FLUIDIZED BED POWER PLANTS
FIG: FLOW DIAGRAM FOR A POWER-FLUID CIRCULATING FLUIDIZED
BED BOILER
FLUIDIZED BED BOILERS HAVE SEVERAL IMPORTANT ADVANTAGES:
BY PRODUCTS AND WASTE
SUPPLIERS OF RAW MATERIALS
SUPPLIERS OF PLANT AND MACHINERY
CONDENSER
WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT
APPENDIX – A:
1. COST OF PLANT ECONOMICS
2. LAND & BUILDING
3. PLANT AND MACHINERY
4. FIXED CAPITAL INVESTMENT
5. RAW MATERIAL
6. SALARY AND WAGES
7. UTILITIES AND OVERHEADS
8. TOTAL WORKING CAPITAL
9. COST OF PRODUCTION
10. PROFITABILITY ANALYSIS
11. BREAK EVEN POINT
12. RESOURCES OF FINANCE
13. INTEREST CHART
14. DEPRECIATION CHART
15. CASH FLOW STATEMENT
16. PROJECTED BALANCE SHEET
