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(322C) and that of the monohydrate, NaOH H 2O (62C), must be passed through
quickly to prevent caking due to unsolidified monohydrate.
Solid sodium hydroxide is supplied in the form of flakes, prills, cast blocks, and less
commonly as tablets, briquettes, or granules. Flakes have a bulk density of ca. 0.9
kg/dm3, a thickness of ca. 1.5 mm, and a diameter of 520 mm, and are easily broken so
that some dust is always formed on handling. Prills have a bulk density of >1 kg/dm3 and
consist of spheres with a diameter of 0.10.8 mm (microprills) or 0.52.5 mm.
Flakes. To produce flakes, molten NaOH is fed into a trough in which an internally cooled
drum rotates. The molten material solidifies on the surface of the partially immersed drum
and is scraped off by a knife, which breaks up the sheet of NaOH into flakes. These are taken
to a small intermediate storage silo and packed as soon as possible in sacks or steel drums.
The material tends to bridge due to its particle shape, so that it cannot be stored in large silos
or be transported by compressed air.
he continuous caustic fusion plant for making caustic soda flakes (100%c concentrated
NaOH).The feed solution containing not less than 30% NaOH is evaporated to 50% in two
evaporators & 9kg/cm2 steam. The 50% caustic soda by2 is conc. To 98 to 99% in evaporator
No. 3 using heat transfer slat heated in a furnace with furnace oil & hydrogen gas. The
heating medium contains 7% NaNO3, 50% KNO3 & 43% NaNO2. H2 used for heating is to
minimize oil consumption. The flakes then formed from the flakes is sent to packing section.
The plant is suitable to produce export grade caustic soda flakes from caustic soda
soln. Generated in ion exchange membrane cells and / or liquid NaOH soln. Of 50%
concentration
The equipment & the plant are of proven design & safe in operation.
The plant consists of the following components
First stage falling film evaporator using the vapor heat ex second stage & possibly the
falling film concentrator. Second stage falling film evaporator using live steam.
High efficiency heat transfer salt heating system by the combustion of fuel oil & H2
gas.
One specially designed flaking machine to process high concentrated caustic soda
melt into flakes at low temp.
Two semi automatic bagging scales to fill hygroscopic NaOH flakes into open type
bags at 50kg each (one is stand by to the other)
Instrument & control systems designed to operate the process plant automatically
NaOH
NaCl
max 0.005% wt
Na2Co3
max. ppm wt
NaClO3
max. ppm wt
Fe2O3
max. ppm wt
Temp 600C
Pressure at grade
2.5 barg
50% w/w
Temp
400C
55-600C max
to be specified
Bulk density
Volume
o Quality
50% w/w
NaNO2
43% w/w
NaNO3
7% w/w
Sulphur
max. 0.025% w/
Effluents / emissions
Liquid effluents
Continuous waste water stream
Waste water coming form various continuous users & washing produces is collected
in the floor trench system & led to the main sever system.
Discontinuous waste water stream
Under normal circumstances, the flaking machine (F-1) must be washed out 2 times
per month. The flaking machine has to be cleaned with about 2m3 of cooling water.
The resulting NaOH soln, is led via flake chute (D-9) bagging scale (w-1) into the
collected in drums
2) Damaged bags during filling on the bagging scale
3) Safety overflow from flaking machine & seal pot (T-10)
Operating flexibilities
The flexibility of the plant is determined by the capacity ranger of the individual plant
components. Operation at nominal capacity has to be considered as 100%
film evaporators.
2.
30 65 % of nominal load = 30 65 TPD (NaOH 100%). In this range, the
capacity must be re-circulated via the falling film evaporators, by opening the by
possible any mere. Smaller capacities can only be done in the on / off mode.
3 Concentration unit
The falling film concentrator operates at a range of 50 to 100% TPD. Exceptionally,
in case of emergency, the capacity of the falling film concentrator can be reduced to
50 TPD. Special procedures are required to achieve smaller capacity than this
minimum capacity.
4 Flaking unit
The flaking machine operates in a range from 50 to 100 TPD. The max. capacity of
Process design
Dehydration
Flake Production
The caustic soda feed is fed to the falling film evaporator (EV-1). During a single pass
through this evaporator, operating on product side under a vacuum of 94 torr (0.125
bar), the caustic soda feed is conc. From 30% up to approx 45.3%, the generated
vapors are condensed in a water cooled surface condenser (C-1) & the resulting
vapor condensate together with the condensate ex falling film evaporator (EV-1) is
collected in a tank (T-4) & discharged from the plant by means of a pump (P-5). The
falling film evaporator (EV-1) is heated by the vapor generated in the II effect
evaporator (EV-2) & the vapor from the falling film concentrator (EV-3).
The vacuum on product side of the falling film evaporator (EV-1) & as the vapor side
means of a pump (P-3) & is fed to the falling film conc. (EV-3).
During a single pass through the specially designed falling film concentrator EV-3,
the caustic soda soln. is dehydrated from 50% up to approx. 99% caustic soda melt.
The falling film concentrator (EV-3) operates on product side under atmosphere
pressure & the generated vapors are used to heat the first effect falling film evaporator
(EV-1). The heat required for the conc. From 50% up to 99% is transferred by heat
transfer salt. It is circulated by a pump (P-7) through a fuel oil / H2 fired forced flow
salt heater (H-1), where it is warmed up to approx 4300C. The flue gases pass through
a combustion air preheater (HE-1), where the combustion air is warmed up from
ambient temp. to approx 2820C. The flue gases are vented through the stack (D-8) into
the atmosphere.
The fuel oil/H2 burner (B-2), elected on top of the salt heater (H-1), is designed for
hygroscopic flakes.
The fine caustic particles escaping from the filling nozzle of the bagging scales (W-1)
are sucked off by means of caustic dust scrubber (S-1). The filled bags are fed by
belt conveyors (W-1) to the bag closing machines (N-2), where they are closed air
tight.
The plant is controlled by instruments to ensure fully automatic operation of the
process. Operating personnel is required only at the bagging & bag closing station.
Product flow
Flow controller controls the plant capacity. Flow recorder continuously registers the
actual flow. Minimum plant capacity is 50% of nominal load, ie., at 50 TPD NaOH
The piping between seal pot (T-10) & flaking machine (F-1) is provided both with
heat transfer salt as well as with high pressure steam tracing & arranged on a slope
preventing freezing
The caustic soda melt pipe dips into the distributing channel of the flaking machine to
guarantee barometric sealing to prevent O2 entering into the pipe
CONCENTRATION / FLAKING
Flaking
The caustic soda melt flows from the falling film concentrator (EV-3) via caustic soda
melt piping, heated by heat transfer salt, into the dipping vat of the flaking machine
(F-1). The principle of the flaking machine is based on a rotating, water cooled
cylinder, dipped 10 20mm into a dipping vat which is constantly fed by caustic soda
melt.
The film of 0.8 to 1.3 mm thickness which forms on the surface of the cooling
cylinder, crystallizes & is cooled down to a temp of about 55-600C during one rotation
of the cylinder.
The caustic soda melt layer is scrapped off the cooling cylinder by scraping knives.
During the scrapping off, the layer on the cooling surface breaks into flakes.
Water is used for the cooling of the product. This cooling water is tangentially sprayed
to the inner surface of the cooling cylinder by means of a tube equipped with nozzles.
The cooling cylinder works under over pressure, so the cooling water continually
The empty bag is turned upside down on the bagging stud & fixed with the bagging
clamp. By means of a hand lever, the clamping device of the squeezing valves