HCN reactor improvement projects
A number of projects have been completed that involved increasing reactor yield, reactor operational life and reactor output.
Changing of reactor feed stock
At TICOR Chemicals, the reactors were converted from a butane hydrocarbon feedstock to a natural gas feedstock. The design for the new feed system included pressure drop calculations, line sizing, pressure reduction, emergency shut-down safety systems and a new pressure-temperature compensation for implementation as part of the reactor feed gas control. As ammonia was also used in the reactors, a system was developed to prevent formation of ammonium carbonate/carmate in the presence of the natural gas feed.
Reactor back pressure control
The hydrogen cyanide reactor system suffered from downstream pressure fluctuations and associated influences on the fluidised bed. A back-pressure control system was designed and implemented to stabilise reactor operating pressure. This system also allowed further manipulation of reactor operating conditions, thereby increasing reactor performance and output.
