• Investigated and demonstrated a technically feasible synthesis methodology for Hydrochloric Acid • Proposed economically feasible solution t=related to designing of Hydrochloric Acid synthesis unit • Estimated Economic Capacity, Project Cost, and Profitability Projections based on given inputs.

1. Abhishek Yadav Harshal Jat
Azeo ID: AZ-ABH-105 Azeo ID: AZ-HAR-129
yadavabhishek040@gmail.com jatharshal143@gmail.com
Shubham Sharma
Azeo ID: AZ-SHU-116
sshubham2060@gmail.com
Industrial Design Problem
Team ID: IDP-1060 Team Name: “Quimico”
Madhav Institute of Technology and Science
Gwalior

2. Hydrochloric Acid
•Hydrochloric acid is a corrosive, strong mineral acid with many
industrial uses.
• Colorless, highly pungent solution of hydrogen chloride (HCl) in
water
•Reacts with an organic base to form a hydrochloride salt.
Concentration 33% Kg HCl/Kg
Molarity 10.90 Mol./dm3
pH -1.0
Viscosity 1.90 mPa.S
Boiling Point 71o C
Melting Point -36o C

3. Characteristics and Specification of
HCL Acid
SL. No PARAMETER SRACC
SPECIFICATION
IS 265 : 1993
TECHNICAL GRADE
1. Appearance Colourless to
pale yellow
……..
2. Specific Gravity at
20⁰C,gm/ml
1.15 to 1.17 ……..
3. Total Acidity, % by
mass
Min. 30.0 Max. 30.0
4. Iron as Fe, % by
mass
Max. 0.0002 Max. 0.02
5. Free Chlorine ,ppm Max.5.0 Max. 200

4. History
•The first hydrochloric acid was prepared through heating common salt
and sulphuric acid by Benedictine Monk and Basil Valentine in 15th
century.
•In the 17th century, Johann Rudolf Glauber used NaCl and H2SO4 for
the preparation of sodium sulphate in the Mannheim process, releasing
hydrogen chloride gas as a by-product.
•In the twentieth century, the Leblanc process was effectively replaced by
the Solvay process without hydrochloric acid by-product.
•After the year 2000, hydrochloric acid is mostly made by absorbing by
product hydrogen chloride during a chemical manufacturing process
such as chlorination of hydrocarbons

5. Synthesis Methodology
Synthesis From Hydrogen And Chlorine
•There is large demand in the market for water white acid. Such acid is
obtained by synthetic method, and most of the plants are based on this
process.
•The process may be represented by the equation: -
H2 + Cl2 2 HCl, ΔH = - 43.9 kcals.

6. H2 + Cl2 HCl ΔH = - 44kcal
• Above exothermic reaction is much favoured by both by large evolution
of energy and the product gas leaving the chamber
The initiation, propagation and termination of the chain reactions are as
follows:
Initiation
Cl2 + hυ 2Cl•
Propagation
Cl• + H2 HCl + H+
H• + Cl2 HCl + Cl•
Termination
Cl• + Cl• Cl2 + heat
Thermodynamics and kinetics

7. Raw Materials Required
The principal raw materials required by the envisaged plant are chlorine
and hydrogen. Following tables shows the annual raw material requirement
and cost of the project at full capacity production.
Materials Percentage by Volume
Chlorine 98.35
Carbon Dioxide 0.3
Oxygen 1.35

8. Machinery and Equipments Required
Sr. No. Machinery No.(Unit)
1 Storage Tank (Hydrochloric acid) 1
2 Combustion Chamber 1
3 Exhaust Fan 1
4 Duct Lines -
5 Pulverizers 1
6 Cooler(HCL) 1
7 Absorption unit 1 unit
The total cost of machinery is estimated at Rs. 61.55 Lakhs . The
list of machinery and equipment for the production of
hydrochloric acid is indicated in following table.

9. Discussions On Economic Capacity
Project Cost And Profitability
Projections

10. Cost Estimation
Economic capacity : 3650 tonnes per annum
Project cost : Rs.155 lakhs
Assessment of project cost:
1. Land
S.No Description
Cost Rs. in
Lakhs
1.1 Cost of land of 3 acre at Rs.5.5 lakh per acre 16.5
1.2
Cost of levelling, laying internal roads/fencing
and compound 1.6
wall
Subtotal 18.1

11. Assessment of project cost:
2. Building
S. No. Description Cost Rs. In Lakhs
2.1 Factory Building of area 220
Sq. m. at Rs. 3200 / Sq.m.
7.1
2.2 Non Factory Building Of
area 105 Sq.m. at Rs.
4500/Sq.m.
4.5
SUBTOTAL 11.8

12. 3. Cost Of Plant and Machinery
S. No. Description Cost Rs. In Lakhs
3.1 Cost of Basic plant and Machinery 41
3.2 Instrumentation and control 3.31
3.3 Pipelines and valves 4.17
3.4 Structural for erection 2.08
Subtotal 50.4
3.5 Octroi, execise duty, Sales tax etc.@ 12% 6.11
3.6 Packaging and Insurance Charges (2%) 0.68
3.7 Transportation Charges(2%) 0.68
3.8 Foundation Charges(2%) 0.68
3.9 Installation Charges(2%) 0.68
3.10 Machinery Stores and Spares(2%) 0.68
Total cost of Plant and Machinery 61.55

13. 4. Technical know-how fees Rs.2.24 lakhs
5. Miscellaneous fixed assets
S.No Description Cost Rs. in Lakhs
5.1 Electrification 2.53
5.2 Steam boiler and auxiliaries 2.53
5.3 Water storage tank, borewell etc 1.49
5.4 Fuel storage tank 1.49
5.5 Laboratory equipment 1.94
5.6 Diesel generator 6.56
5.7 Material handling equipment, packaging machinery,
weigh balance, etc.
2.23
5.8 Effluent treatment 1.94
5.9 Office machinery & equipment 2.23
Total 22.96

14. 6. Preliminary & Pre-operative expenses
S.No Description Cost Rs. in Lakhs
6.1 Preliminary expenses 1.79
6.2 Pre-operative expenses:-
6.2.1 Establishment 1.49
6.2.2 Interest and commitment charges on borrowings 7.15
6.2.3 Insurance during construction period 1.49
6.2.4 Rent rates and taxes 1.94
6.2.5 Travelling expenses 2.53
6.2.6 Interest on deferred payment -
6.2.7 Other preoperative expenses and deposits -
Total 16.4

15. 7. Provision for contingency Rs. 7.3 Lakhs
8. Working capital margin Rs. 13.92 Lakhs
9. Total project cost Rs.154.8 Lakhs
= Rs.155 Lakhs

16. Means of Finance:
Promoter's contribution Rs. 62.6 lakhs
Term loan from financing institutions Rs.92.4 lakhs
Total project cost Rs.155 lakhs

17. Fixed Capital Investment
A Fixed Cost Cost Rs. in Lakhs
Salaries and wages 17.88
Interest on term loan and working capital loan 24.144
Depreciation 8.58
Administrative expenses 12.87
Total Fixed Cost 63.474
B Variable Cost Cost Rs. in Lakhs
Raw material and utilities 238.75
Spares and maintenance 3.725
Selling expenses 21.46
Total Variable Cost 263.94
FCI = Total Fixed Cost + Total Variable Cost 327.414

18. Annual Sales Turnover = Rs. 429.2307692 Lakhs
Total Cost of Production = Rs. 327.414 Lakhs
Net Profit before tax = Annual Sales – Total Cost of Production
= Rs.42923076.92- Rs. 32741400
= Rs. 10181676.92 = Rs.101.8 Lakhs

19. Break-even Analysis
Break - Even Capacity utilization =Break -even Sales Value X 100 = 33.8%
Sales revenue

20. Pay-back Period
. Accordingly, based on the projected cash flow it is
estimated that the project’s initial investment will
be fully recovered within 2 years
Economic and Social Benefits
•Employment for 78 persons.
•Rs. 299.76 million in terms of tax revenue.
•Facilitate foreign exchange saving effect to the country by
substituting the current imports.

21. Problem Statement

22. Part A: A customer is in need of a HYDROCHLORIC ACID SYNTHESIS
UNIT, which can produce 100 TPD HCl acid. Concentration of Acid must
be 33%.
Inputs required for designing:
Materials Percentage by Volume
Chlorine 98.35
Carbon Dioxide 0.3
Oxygen 1.35
Hydrogen purity: 99.9 % List down all assumptions and approach
methodology clearly.

23. Solution
Assumptions taken are:
1) Complete conversion of Cl2 is taken with stoichiometric amount of Cl2.
2) Chamber volume and duct times must be spacious to avoid formation of
free chlorine
100 TPD HCL of 33% strength 100 TPD = 100*1000= 100000 Kg/day
Amount of HCL in 100 TPD HCL = 100000*0.33 = 33000 Kg of HCL (of
100% strength)
Amount of water = 100000-33000 = 67000 Kg Water is mixed with acid to
dilute it and to absorb HCL in water
H2 +Cl2 2HCL
(2g) (71g) (73g)
According to above equation, Mass of HCL produced = (36.5*2) = 73kg

24. Using mole-mole analysis,
73kg of HCL = 2 kg of H2
And; 73 kg of HCL = 71kg of Cl2
Amount of H2 needed for 33000 kg of HCL = (2/3)*33000 = 22000 Kg
Amount of Cl2 needed for 33000 kg of HCL = (71/73)*33000 = 32095.890
Kg
Amount of raw H2 gas needed = (2/3)*(33000/0.999) = 22033.034 Kg
Amount of chlorine gas needed = (71/73)*(33000/0.9835) = 32634.2654 Kg

25. Conclusion
S.No Raw material Specification
1 Hydrochloric Acid 98%(100TPD)
2 Hydrogen 22033.034 kg
3 Chlorine 32634.265 kg

26. Part B: Customer has a 100 TPD unit which produces 33% HCl acid by design.
The customer is facing the following issues and needs a feasible solution to fix
the issues
1. Colour of the acid is not pure and has a mild yellow trace.

27. In Hydrochloric acid iron ions form anionic complexes such as FeCl4
- , FeCl5
2-
and FeCl6
3- . It is only Fe (III) that forms these anionic complexes with chloride.
These complexes are yellow and give the acid its colour. Also free chlorine gives
hydrochloric acid a yellow-greenish colour
Reason

28. •To fix the issues efficient separation methods such as distillation,
precipitation, crystallization, extraction, adsorption, ion exchange and
membrane separation are being used.
•Among these ion exchange is best method because of its low cost and
simplicity. Apart from this, reducing agents to reduce the yellow free
chlorine to colourless chloride are also used.
Solution

29. Ion Exchangers
Anionic ferric chloride complexes can be removed
through the use of a strongly basic anion exchanger.
•Regeneration media
•Regeneration direction
•Reducing agent

30. Free chlorine emission is over 5 PPM. But the system is supposed to
give less than 2 PPM.

31. Reason
Free chlorine emission is over 5 PPM due to less space
between duct lines and chamber. This problem is called to
“Wall Effect”. It is the consequence of the looser packing
density near the walls of the rigid HPLC column. Mobile phase
has a tendency to flow slightly faster near the wall because of
the decreased permeability. The solute molecules that happen
to be near the wall are carried along faster than the average of
the solute band and, consequently, band spreading results.

32. Solution
•Proper spacing between duct lines and chamber should be ensured.
•If the chlorine release exceeds the limits it may cause pollution
problems and in turn will affect human life and environment. The
chlorine concentration a can be controlled by installing a chlorine gas
analyzer and setting up a controller which manipulates the input flow
rate of chlorine gas . For this following three mechanism can
be used:
•PID
•Fuzzy Logics
•Fuzzy-PID Logics

33. The acid concentration is not
reaching the proposed 33%, and is
instead coming out to be only 30%.
What could be the reason?

34. Reason
Less conversion of chlorine may result in
loss of strength acid. Also, there is more
free chlorine emission than required,
which may reduce the strength of acid.
Scaling in the reactor(deposition of dust,
impurities and left over and unreacted
components along the side of the
chamber). This scaling causes wall effect
and in turn results in decrease in
concentration of the acid.

35. Solution
Proper cleaning up should be done to minimize
the wall effect.
Complete (or maximum) conversion of chlorine
should be ensured.