UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPUR

MALAYSIAN INSTITUTE OF

CHEMICAL AND BIOENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

PREPARED BY:

MUHAMMAD HAZIQ BIN AZLI 55213117193

NURADIBA BINTI HAMIDI 55213117203

FARRAH DIYANA BINTI RASHIDI 55213117228

AYUNIE FAZLIN BINTI DAHAMAN 55213117136

DEFINATION OF ACRYLIC ACID

Acrylic acid is the simplest unsaturated carboxylic acid with the formula of CH₂=
CHCOOH. This colourless liquid has a characteristic acrid or pungent smell and miscible with
water, alcohols, ethers, and chloroform. With various applications globally, this acrylic acid is
primarily used in coatings and adhesives of polymer solutions for coatings applications such
as paper coating, paint formulations, leather finishing, oil treatment chemicals, detergent
intermediates, and crucially used in water treatment chemicals.

Generally, acrylic acid is produced using propylene, a by-product from hydrocarbon

cracking and naphtha refining which makes the price of the propylene depend on the global
price of crude oil production.

Acrylic acid is commercially accessible in two grades: specialized evaluation grade (94%)
for esterification, and cold evaluation grade (98-99.5% by weight and a limit of 0.3% water by
weight) for generation of water-soluble tars. Acrylic acid polymerizes effectively when exposed
to heat, light or metals, thus a polymerization inhibitor is added to commercial acrylic acid to
prevent strong exothermic polymerization.

Acrylic acid reacts promptly with free radicals and electrophilic or nucleophilic agents. It
may polymerize in the presence of acids, alkalis, amines, iron salts, elevated temperature,
light, peroxides, and other compounds that structure peroxides or free radicals. Without
inhibitor, peroxides are formed when oxygen is sparged into acrylic acid. The presence of
oxygen is required for the stabilizer to function adequately. Acrylic acid should never be
handled under a latent climate.

Table 1 Properties of Acrylic Acid (Merck, 1989)

Categories Properties
Molecular Weight 72.06
Boiling Point 141.0 oC
Melting Point 14.0 oC
Flash Point 68 oC (155.0 oF) (open cup)
Vapor Density 2.45 (air = 1)
Density/Specific Gravity 1.0511 at 20/4 oC
Vapor Pressure: 3.1 mm at 20 oC
Log Octanol/Water Partition Coefficient 0.36
Conversion Factor 1 ppm = 2.95 mg/m3
 The worldwide production of acrylic acid in 1994 was evaluated to be roughly 2 million
tonnes. Acrylic acid is utilized primarily as a beginning material in the generation of acrylic
esters; as a monomer for polyacrylic acid and salts, as a co-monomer with acrylamide for
polymers utilized as flocculants, with ethylene for ion exchange tar polymers, with methyl ester
for polymers. Acrylic acid is utilized in the field of application of plastics, paper assembling and
coating, exterior house paints for wood and masonry, coatings for packed board and related
building materials, flocculation of mineral metal fines and waste water , and treatment of
sewage, printing inks, interior wall paints, floor finishes, floor and divider coverings, industrial
primers, textile sizing, treatment and finishing, lubricating and fuel oil additives, lacquers for
automotive, appliance and furniture finishes, pharmaceutical binders and hot metal coatings.
List of reaction

Manufacturing of Acrylic Acid

Due to high potential of availability of acrylic acid, there are various manufacturing process
to produce acrylic acid which includes wide range of raw material, catalyst and by products.

1) Sequential Dehydration and Oxidation of Glycerol

This production of acrylic acid by using two different process which are dehydration and
oxidation of glycerol, is using glycerol from the by product in biodiesel as its raw material. The
factor affecting abundance amount of this glycerol is because from the increasing demand of
biodiesel production process. However, the price of this raw material is influenced by the crude
oil production.

Dehydration

C₃H₅(OH)₃  C₃H₄O+ 2H2₂O

Next step is oxidation of acrolein in acrylic acid & major by products are acetaldehyde & acetic
acid.

Oxidation

C₃H₄O+ 0.5 O₂  C₂H₃COOH + H₂O

Vanadium molybdenum mixed oxides is used as catalyst to facilitate the reaction

2) Carbonylation of Ethylene Oxide

This alternative process involves three steps of manufacturing process which includes,
oxidation of ethylene, carbonylation of ethylene oxide and acid catalysed rearrangement of β-
propiolactone. The disadvantages of this process are, its raw material which is ethylene
contribute highest in cost of production. Generally, ethylene is oxidized to ethylene oxide with
high purity of oxygen in vapour state and use silver as catalyst.

Oxidation of ethylene

C₂H₄ + 0.5O₂  C₂H₄O

Next step, the ethylene oxide is carbonylated to produce β-propiolactone by using Dicobalt
octa carbonyl as the catalyst and thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) as promoter to increase the
reaction. However, this stage produces harmful and toxic waste, propiolactone, which cannot
be isolated from the process. Besides, the usage of thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) as
promoter is harder to be applied because this type of catalyst requires high boiling point of
over 300 °C and it is very easy to bond to metal carbonyl complexes.

Carbonylation of ethylene oxide

C₂H₄O + CO  C₃H₄O₂
The last process in carbonylation of ethylene oxide, is the rearrangement of β-propiolactone
to form acrylic acid by consuming phosphoric acid as catalyst and mono methyl ether
hydroquinone (MEHQ) as process inhibitor with small amount of water is added to the catalyst
in order to adjust its viscosity and maintaining phase in liquid.

Rearrangement acid catalysed rearrangement of β-propiolactone

C₃H₄O₂  C₂H₃COOH

However, the production of β-propiolactone is a relatively new process, no plants whose

operations involve using this reaction yet to be found.
3) Acrylic Acid by Catalytic Propylene Oxidation

The propylene oxidation process is the most common option for the manufacturing of
acrylic acid compared to other options. This is because of the selection of highly active of
catalyst use in production plus it requires low cost of propylene.

There are two stages in propylene oxidation process which are two stages oxidation of
propylene and single stage of oxidation. For two stages process, propylene is being oxidised
to acrolein, and requires further oxidation of acrolein to produce acrylic acid which requires
separate catalyst and operating condition used in both stages. In both stages, a mixture of
propylene, air and steam enter the feed of the first reactor, thus the reactants are converted
to acrolein. This reaction produces acetic acid as intermediate product, together with carbon
dioxide and acetic acid as effluent. The next step, this effluent forced to enter the second
reactor which further oxidation take place and converted it to acrylic acid as its end product.
This end-product of the reaction however needs to undergo cooling process in order avoid
further oxidation.

Other than that, it is possible to produce acrylic acid by using single reactor process which
provides less equipment cost thus less maintenance cost and control strategies needed in
order to control the process. However, to produce this type of reaction, this process highly
depends on selection of active catalyst which is capable to eliminate the production of the
intermediate product, acrolein which leads to fullest conversion of process. Two types of
catalyst chosen for this production of single reactor process is vanadium and metal oxides.
 Table 2 Comparison between alternative acrylic acid production

Table 3 Comparison of raw materials with different manufacturing process

Safety of raw materials

1. Propylene

Propylene (C3H6) is a colourless fuel gas with a naturally pungent smell. Although similar
to propane, it has a double bond which gives it a combustion advantage where it burns hotter.
This fuel gas is extremely flammable and non-toxic. Propylene is obtained during the refining
of gasoline. Yet it can be produced by splitting, cracking and reforming hydrocarbon blends.

Propylene is an alluring option in contrast to propane for heating and cutting due to its
superior burning execution. It is also widely utilized as a fuel gas for high-velocity oxygen fuel
(HVOF) processes. Besides, the chemical and plastics industries rely on propylene as a fuel
gas.

Table 4 Properties of propylene (PubChem, 2019)

Categories Properties
Molecular Weight 42.081 g/mol
Vapor Density 1.48 (vs air)
Vapor Pressure 15.4 atm ( 37.7 °C)
Assay ≥99%
Autoignition Temperature 860 °F
Explosion Limit 11.1 %
Boiling Point −47.7 °C(lit.)
Melting point −185 °C (lit.)

Propylene has been used in the production of a wide variety of petrochemical products
such as polypropylene, cumene, propylene oxide, acrylic acid and polygas chemicals. In
general, propylene is supplied in three separate quality grades; refinery (~70%), chemical (~92
to 96%) and polymer (~99.6%). Non-fuel applications incorporate natural synthesis to deliver
materials such as acetone. Propylene can be polymerised to form polypropylene plastic. It can
also be employed as a refrigerant, or in calibration mixtures and as a chemical intermediate.
In addition, it is used for proficiency testing of gas burners and motors.
 Based on the storage of propylene, it needs to segregate from oxidant gases and other
oxidants in store. Observe all regulations and local requirements regarding storage of
containers. Next, keep container below 50°C in a well-ventilated place. Stored containers
should be periodically checked for general conditions and leakage. Store containers in location
away from fire risk and sources of heat, ignition and combustible materials. All electrical
equipment in the storage areas should be compatible with the risk of potentially explosive
atmosphere. Containers should not be stored in conditions likely to encourage corrosion.

For the handling the chemical, only experienced and properly instructed persons
should handle gases under pressure. The substance must be handled in accordance with
good industrial hygiene and safety procedures. Use only properly specified equipment which
is suitable for this product, its supply pressure and temperature.
PRICING

The pricing of the raw materials used differs based on the quantities that needed to
be purchased. All prices are listed as below:

Table 5 Cost of Chemicals

Chemicals Company Global Price

(Estimation)
Propylene Duro Kimia SDN BHD RM3785.49/tonne
Vanadium MS Chem (SEA) SDN BHD RM115.20/kg

PLANT LOCATION

The plant for the production of acrylic acid will be located at Seri Alam Industrial Park
which is a 300acre industrial hub in Klang Valley. It is developed under the Titijaya Land
Berhad with land available from 1 to 20 acres based on the suitability of the plant. The location
is accessible by air and water where it locates approximately 14km to Port Klang and 34km
away from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport SkyPark. This will ease the process of import and
export of goods. The Seri Alam Industrial Park also located 40 minutes away from Duro Kimia
Sdn Bhd in which the supplier of raw materials are situated.

Figure 1 The distance between Duro Kimia Sdn Bhd and plant location
 Figure 2 Site plan of plant

Figure 3 Planned land area for plant