Rhymer Chemical Industries Ltd has earned reputation as the world's foremost international supplier of high-quality industrial fuel additives. Through innovation, dedication to total quality and customer satisfaction, as well as commitment to research and development, we have succeeded in meeting the needs of a broad range of customers worldwide. Thanks To Rhymer Chemical Industries Ltd

1. WELCOME TO MY PRESENTATION
Presented by:
Shourov Paul
Bsc in Chemical Engineering,JUST

2. Rhymer Chemical Industries Ltd.
Start Production :August 17, 2004
Communication : Roads
Plant Location :Kashore , Habirbari, Masterbari, Valuka, Mymensingh.
Phone&Fax : +880-2-8951741, 0088028952212.
Main Product : LABSA(Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulphonic Acid).
By Product : Oleum
Capacity : 50 M.T.
Corporate office : H# 16, R# 06, Sector# 03, Uttara,Dhaka-1230
Website :www.rhymerchemical.com

3. Raw Material:
 LAB (Linear Alkyl Benzene)
 Sulphur
 Air
Product:
• Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulphonic Acid (LABSA)

4. Physical and Chemical Properties:
 Physical State : Brown Liquid
 Melting Point : 10℃
 Boiling Point : 315 ℃
 Specific Gravity : 1.2
 Solubility : Partially Soluble In Water
 Flash Point :149℃
 Density :1.08g/ml
 Molar Mass :326 g/mol
 Molecular Formula :C18H30O3S

5. Specifications of LABSA:
 Appearance : Brown Liquid
 Active Matter : 96.0% Min.
 Neutralization Number as mg KOH/g : 170.00 to 195.00
 Free Oil : 1.80% Max.
 H2 SO4 : 1.80% Max.
 Water : 2.00% Max.
 Klett : 45.00 Max.

6. Applications of LABSA:
 Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulphonic Acid (LABSA) –is mainly used
to domestic detergent powders, dishwashing liquids and other
household cleaners.
 It is used as degrease agent in electroplate and Leather
manufacturing.
 In pesticides to improve the quality of spray.
 It is used in Anionic specialty formulations.
 It is used for increasing the surface area of distempers.
 It is used as mercerizing or washing agent.

7. Advantagesof LABSA:
 A common cost effective, anionic surfactant.
 It is a biodegradable product, which means that it can be used without any
risk of causing environmental hazards.
 Outstanding performance with other anionic surfactants due to its
synergistic effect.
 Consumes less alkali for neutralization.
 Compatible within enzyme and builders.
 No problem to use with hard water.

8. Manufacturing process of LABSA:
Roots Blower
Cooling
Blower
Glycol
Tower
Chiller
Regeneration
Blower
Silica Bed
MeltingTowerFurnaceSO2 Cooler
Heat
Exchanger
ConverterSO3 Cooler
Demister Reactor AgingTank ESP Storage
Air
Sulphur
LAB

9. Air Drying:
 The air taken from
outside is compressed
and dehumidified by
means of following
unit:
1. Intermediate Cooling
Unit.
2. Silica gel Dehumidifying
Tower.
Fig: Air is taken from outside
by means of Roots Blower.

10. Air Drying:
 The cooling has the purpose to remove the humidity
from the air.
 The silica gel air drying has the object to reduce to
very low values (dew point -60 approx) of the
moisture content of air.
 Air is cooled by passing it through a heat exchanger
containing the coolant mono-ethylene glycol.

11. Air Drying:
 After cooling air to the required temperature it
has to be dried to remove traces of moisture
present in it.
 This purpose air is passed through a cylinder
filled with silica gel.
 Two cylinders with silica-gel are used; one for
drying the air, the other is reconditioned.

12. Sulfur Melting Unit:
 Sulfur is melted to
allow Sulfur that has
been acquired has to be
melted prior to its
ignition.
 This is done by heating
it in the melter at
temperatures of 135℃
to 145℃.
Fig: Sulphur Melting Unit.

13. Sulfur Melting Unit:
 If the temperature exceeds 145℃ it would
result in vaporization of sulfur.
 Temperature of 140℃ is maintained to prevent
wastage of sulfur due to vaporization.
 The solid sulfur is melted and filtered to avoid
the pump valves clogging and then fed to the
sulfur burner by a proportioning pump.

14. Sulfur Trioxide Production:
 In the furnace, the sulfur is fed through a pipe and
falls on a surface of refractory balls, while the
combustion air is supplied.
 To start the reaction in furnace, the catalyst layers
of the first & second stage of the conversion
tower have to be brought to the necessary
temperature.
 This is reached by preheating with hot air and the
upper part of the catalyst tower is heated up to a
temperature of 400-420℃

15. Sulfur Trioxide Production:
 The temperature of the gas at the burner outlet
is around 700 ℃.
 Thereafter a heat exchanger cools the gas so
that it reaches the conversion tower at the
required temperature.
 The conversion tower is composed of three
layers of V2O5 catalyst.

16. Sulfur Trioxide Production :
 The gas, passing from a
layer to next one,
crosses a heat
exchanger to take the
gas temperature to
optimum conversion
values on every stage.
Fig: SO2 –SO3 Converter

17. Reactor:
 This SO3 is sent to the reactor where it reacts
with Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB).
 The reactor has small tubes in which the SO3
passes and the LAB passes through its sides.
 The main reaction takes place at bottom of
these tubes and during maintenance these
tubes are thoroughly cleaned.
 The liquid product is sent to the aging vessel
and the gases are sent to cyclone separator.

18. Ageing & Hydrolysis:
• It is composed by an ageing unit and stabiliser.
 The product after being sulphonated overflows
into the bottom of the ageing unit.
 It is then conveyed into the stabilizer together
with water.
 Afterwards it is transferred with the help of a
pump to the neutralization unit.

19. Gas Separation:
 Cyclonic separation is a method of removing
particulates from air stream, without the use of
filters, through vortex separation.
 Rotational effects and gravity are used to
separate mixtures of solids and fluids.
 The liquid product and reactants which still
have to react are sent to the aging vessel but
the product in the form of vapour and gases
are sent to Electro Static Precipitator (ESP).

20. Gas Scrubbing:
 The unit is designed to treat exhaust gas
stream coming from the sulphonation reactor
before being sent to the atmosphere in order to
remove any possible organic, unreacted SO₃
traces and unconverted SO₂.
 The exhausted gases coming from the reactor
pass through a cyclone which provides to
separate the acid mist before getting into the
electrostatic precipitator and SO2 scrubber
column.

21. Electro Static Precipitator (ESP):
 An ESP is a particulate collection device that
removes particles from a flowing gas using the
force of an induced electrostatic charge.
 The LABSA is separated and sent to the aging
vessel.

22. Packaging:
 LABSA is packaged
into plastic drums and
then transported.
 Each drum contains
210kg of the product.
Fig: Packaging

23. Colour Klett andAcid Value Determination :
 A Klett colorimeter allows light to
pass through and determines the
colour Klett of the substance.
 Lesser the color Klett, better the
quality of the product.
 The sample of the product is then
titrated with ethanol, drop by drop
after adding the indicator.
 The amount of ethanol required to
reach the point is noted and the
acid level of the product is
calculated.
Fig: Colour klett
determination and acid value
determination