1. THE EFFECTS OF AN INSULATED HEMA COLUMN
NICK HUANG
PRODUCTION INTERN
2016 BIMAX INC.

2. BACKGROUND
Reactor 1
 Mitsubishi
 Less MEHQ
 Light ends less stable than DOW
 Less polymer buildup
Reactor 4
 DOW
 More EGDMA
 Significantly more MEHQ
 Substantial polymer buildup

3. BACKGROUND
The Process
 Distillation
 Cutting the deck
 Separating components by boiling points
 Affected by temperature, vacuum, column type
 Blending
 Cuts from past batches

4. BACKGROUND
Various cut windows Fractionation

5. OUR GOAL
 Improve fractionation
 Observe effects on clean out
 Quicker turn around
 Polymerization
 Identify relationships between output
and insulation
 Pot & head temp, vacuum, fractionation,
polymer build up
 Make changes accordingly
 Lower reactor/jacket or column temp

6. PROCEDURE
 Clean reactor 1 & 4
 Run 2 batches with super clean out
 Ordered materials from McMaster
 Pipe/R-30 fiber glass insulation
 Wrapped columns and head
 Thermocouple on side of columns
 Skin temp ~ 58oC

7. DATA
 4 Batches for reactor 1
 Distillation time reduced by ~30 hours
 6 Batches for reactor 4
 Distillation time reduced by ~20 hours

8. DATA

9. DATA
 Polymer data for 4 batches

10. OBSERVATIONS
 Insulated, lower pot temp
 Improve fractionation
 Maintain/reduce the level of polymer
Several scenarios
 Insulated, normal pot temp
 Reduction in distillation time
 Reduced fouling
 Diminished fractionation

11. MOVING FORWARD
 Run more batches
 Meticulously cleaned out
 Monitor cleanliness
 Run numerous batches with reduced pot temp
 Improve fractionation
 Spend more time in cut 1 window
 Observe affect on fouling