Commodity Production Costs Report
Butanol Production from Ethanol
Butanol Operating Costs & Plant Construction Costs
The report shows an economic analysis of the construction of an industrial plant in the United States for n-Butanol production. In the process reviewed ethanol is dimerized into n-Butanol via the Guerbet reaction. This reaction is composed by dehydrogenation, aldol condensation and hydrogenation.
The report provides a comprehensive study of Butanol production and related Butanol production cost, covering three key aspects: a complete description of the Butanol production process examined; an in-depth analysis of the related Butanol plant capital cost (Capex); and an evaluation of the respective Butanol plant operating costs (Opex).
The Butanol production process description includes a block flow diagram (BFD), an overview of the industrial site installations, detailing both the process unit and the necessary infrastructure, process consumption figures and comprehensive process flow diagrams (PFD). The Butanol plant capital cost analysis breaks down the Capex by plant cost (i.e., ISBL, OSBL and Contingency); owner's cost; working capital; and costs incurred during industrial plant commissioning and start-up. The Butanol plant operating costs analysis covers operating expenses, including variable costs like raw materials and utilities, and fixed costs such as maintenance, labor, and depreciation.
Key reference(s): ?
The process under analysis comprises three major sections: (1) Reaction; (2) Raw Materials Recovery; and (3) Purification.
Reaction. Fresh anhydrous ethanol is mixed with recycled ethanol and vaporized. Vaporized ethanol is mixed with fresh hydrogen make-up and recycled purified hydrogen from the Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) unit. The gaseous mixture is preheated and fed to the reactor, where the exothermic Guerbet reactions take place. The ethanol/hydrogen mixture contacts the catalyst at high temperature and pressure, maximizing n-Butanol yields. Small amounts of by-product alcohols, ethers and esters are also formed in the reaction. The hot reactor product is first cooled and then transferred to a flash vessel, where a gaseous phase forms and is separated from the liquid organic mixture.
Raw Materials Recovery. The liquid organic mixture from Butanol reactor is first fed to another flash vessel for pressure release. Most of remaining hydrogen vaporizes and is compressed. Compressed hydrogen is sent the PSA Unit with gas from first flash vessel upstream, where it is purified and recycled to reactor. The organic liquid is pumped to a splitter column, where high boiling alcohols are separated from ethanol and water, which are withdrawn from the column as an overhead vapor stream. These vapours are introduced in a column, where ethyl acetate is separated from the ethanol/water mixture. This mixture is passed through a azeotropic distillation with ethylene glycol, in order to separate water from gaseous dry ethanol, which is recycled to reactor.
Purification. The highers alcohols from the splitter column are fed to another two columns in series. The first separates hexanol and higher alcohols, while the second separates isobutanol and lighter components. Both streams are used as fuel. n-Butanol pure product is finally obtained.
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Content Highlights
Plant Capital Cost Summary
Summary outlining the capital cost required for building the Butanol production plant examined.
Plant Capital Cost Details
Detailing of fixed capital (ISBL, OSBL & Owner’s Cost), working capital and additional capital requirements.
Plant Cost Breakdowns
Breakdown of Butanol process unit (ISBL) costs and infrastructure (OSBL) costs; plant cost breakdown per discipline.
Operating Costs Summary
Summary presenting the operating variable costs and the total operating cost of the Butanol production plant studied.
Operating Cost Details
Detailing of utilities costs, operating fixed costs and depreciation.
Plant Capacity Assessment
Comparative analysis of capital investment and operating costs for different Butanol plant capacities.
Production Process Information
Block Flow Diagram, descriptions of process unit (ISBL) and site infrastructure (OSBL).
Process Consumptions
Raw materials and utilities consumption figures, by-products credits, labor requirements
Process Diagrams
Process flow diagrams (PFD), equipment list and industrial site configuration
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