HYDROCARBON

PROCESSING ETHYLENE DICHLORIDE (EDC)/

VINYL CHLORIDE MONOMER (VCM)
CUSTOMER PROCESS BROCHURE

• Proven expert in the • Safe surrogate calibration • Proven experience in

build of EDC/VCM gas eliminates the need to solving complex EDC/
analysis systems, with use toxic gases, while VCM analysis issues,
more than 35 projects Servomex expertise in hot with full, independently
installed in a global sampling systems avoids verified SIL
customer base effects of condensation reports available
and corrosion

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is the third-most
widely produced polymer in the world
after polyethylene and polypropylene.
Popular because of its chemical resistance
and mechanical strength, PVC can be
manufactured in rigid and flexible forms
and is used in a wide range of products.
Consequently, global demand for PVC
is high.
There are two routes to manufacturing
PVC: the ethylene-based route has
become the predominant application, but
the acetylene-based route has advantages:
e.g. in China, approximately 60 percent of
VCM capacity is acetylene based due to a
shortage of ethylene cracker feedstock.
PVC manufacture is achieved through the
production of Ethylene Dichloride (EDC)
and Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM),
which are intermediate products with no
direct applications.
VCM is produced by reacting acetylene
with hydrogen chloride. VCM is mixed
with water in the presence of polyvinyl
alcohol, lauryl peroxide or isopropyl per
carbonate, where a catalytic reaction takes
place. After a few hours this produces PVC
granules, which can be moulded to form
many commercial products.
Servomex is an expert in the supply
of analyzers and systems designed to
meet the requirements of both EDC and
VCM processes. We offer an industry-
leading range of analyzer solutions for
EDC/VCM gas and liquid analysis that
overcome common process problems
including condensation, corrosion and gas
absorbence issues.
Supported by a global network of Service
and Support, our expertise in both EDC
and VCM production enables Servomex to
consult, design and build systems that are
safe, reliable and highly productive.
ETHYLENE DICHLORIDE PROCESS APPLICATION MAP
KEY:
APPLICATION
TYPES: PROCESS CONTROL QUALITY SAFETY EMISSIONS COMBUSTION

H H
CHLORINE SpectraExact 2500
ETHYLENE 1 C=C
CI2 0-100% C2H4 H H

CHLORINATION
REACTOR

2 OxyExact 2200
0-10% O2

SpectraExact 2500
3
0-40% C2 H4

HEAVY EDC CLEAN-UP LIGHT ENDS + WATER

ENDS FRACTIONATOR CAUSTIC SCRUBBER

CL CL Ethylene
C C Dichloride 4 SpectraExact 2500
H H
H H (Crude EDC) 0-10% NaOH

SpectraExact 2500 PURE EDC

5
0-50ppm Water in EDC
RECYCLE
EDC

OxyExact
13 2200 FluegasExact 2700
0-10% O2 PYROLYSIS 6
O2 /CO2 Fluegas

OXY CHLORINATION
REACTOR
VINYL CHLORIDE
+ SpectraExact 2500
HCl 7
0-50ppm Water in EDC

ETHYLENE O2
EDC
QUENCH
RECYCLE
SpectraExact 2500 OxyExact 2200
0-100% C2H4 90-100% O2

12 11

VINYL CHLORIDE
HYDROGEN
HCl SPLITTER CLEAN-UP
CHLORIDE HCl FRACTIONATOR

SpectraExact 2500
9
0-100% HCI
VINYL STORAGE
CHLORIDE TANK
LaserExact 2950
10
HCL 0-1000ppm
Oxy 1900 H H
8
SpectraExact 2500 0-10% O2 C=C
14 H CL
0-10% VCM in HCl

ETHYLENE PROCESS SERVOTOUGH FluegasExact 2700 to monitor O2 and COe

A SERVOTOUGH SpectraExact 2500 measures the 0-100%
ethylene (C2H4) stream into the chlorination reactors (1). The
oxygen (O2) measurement is critical: efficiency drops if too
little O2 is present, but too much O2 can create an explosive
mixture in the reactor. For maximum process safety, multiple
SERVOTOUGH OxyExact process O2 oxygen analyzers in a
safety voting system are used (2).
The crude EDC stream, monitored by a SpectraExact (3), is
sent to the clean-up fractionator to produce pure Ethylene
Chloride (EDC), where the production of light ends require
another SpectraExact to measure 0-10% sodium hydroxide
(NaOH) following caustic scrubbing (4). Large amounts
of Hydrogen Chloride (HCl), EDC and residual water can
increase corrosion damage, so an H2O measurement in the
EDC stream is critical (5), (7). Pyrolysis requires a
combustibles for maximum combustion efficiency (6), before
the combined Vinyl Chloride and HCl stream is quenched and
sent to a splitter. As VCM is flammable, O2 incursion in the
product is measured by a SERVOTOUGH Oxy 1900 (8) to
eliminate flammability risks when it is sent to storage or PVC
manufacture. The HCl gas recycled from the stripper needs
to be high purity, so a SpectraExact (9) and SERVOTOUGH
LaserExact 2950 (10) are used to measure 0–100% and
0-1000ppm HCl respectively for optimum reactor control.
The HCl stream is fed back into an Oxychlorination reactor,
where the SpectraExact measures the incoming crude C2H4
stream (11) and an OxyExact monitors the incoming O2
stream (12). 0-10% O2 is also monitored by an OxyExact as
the crude EDC stream is fed back into the process (13).
Often the VCM content of the HCl re-cycle feed is monitored
(14).
CALCIUM CARBIDE APPLICATION MAP
KEY:
APPLICATION
TYPES: PROCESS CONTROL QUALITY SAFETY EMISSIONS COMBUSTION

Ionic membrane
brine electrolysis
system

LaserSP 2930 MultiExact 5400

1 ppm or %H2O
2
ppm H2

CHLORINE HYDROGEN
CI2 H2

HCl MIXER
Reactor

Acetylene
C2H2

H C C H
Hydrochloric
Acid Pre-heat OxyExact 2200 %O2 in acetylene
HCl 5 LaserSP 2930 %O2 in acetylene

Cl H
3
SpectraExact 2500 90-100% HCl
SpectraExact 2500 ppm Cl2
4

VCM
reactor

Vinyl Chloride H Cl
Monomer C C
VCM
H H

PVC OxyExact 2200 %O2 in VCM

6
polymerization LaserSP 2930 %O2 in VCM

ACETYLENE PROCESS The H2 and Cl2 are reacted to make HCl, which has safety
measurements for 90-100% HCl (3) and ppm Cl2 (4) made

(CALCIUM CARBIDE) by the SpectraExact. The HCl is then combined with

Hydrogen (H2) and Chlorine (Cl2) are created from the
electrolysis of brine, with the SERVOTOUGH LaserSP 2930
(1) measuring ppm moisture in the Cl2 stream, to avoid
corrosion in the compressor, and SERVOPRO MultiExact
5400 (2) monitoring ppm levels in the H2 stream.
acetylene (C2H2) to produce VCM. Either an OxyExact or
LaserSP can be used for measuring % oxygen levels both
in the C2H2 stream (5) and, once the VCM is reacted, and
sent to the PVC polymerization process (6), a %O2 safety
measurement is made using either an OxyExact
or LaserSP (6).
 EDC/VCM ANALYSIS SOLUTIONS
FluegasExact 2700
SERVOTOUGH

SERVOTOUGH
OxyExact 2200
HIGH
AWARD-WINNING SPECIFICATION
DIGITAL O2 PROCESS O2
ANALYZER ANALYZER

LaserExact 2950 MultiExact 5400

SERVOTOUGH

SERVOPRO
DIGITAL SINGLE
EXTRACTIVE TDL
GAS ANALYZER
TRACE ANALYZER
WITH NEW TCD
MEASUREMENTS

SpectraExact 2500 LaserSP 2930

SERVOTOUGH
SERVOTOUGH

RUGGED REAL-TIME LIGHT

PHOTOMETRIC HYDROCARBON
GAS ANALYZER GAS ANALYZER
FOR DEMANDING
PROCESS
APPLICATIONS

CP/HP7 Rev. 1 06/16

Oxy 1900
SERVOTOUGH

AWARD-WINNING
DIGITAL O2
ANALYZER

ANALYZERS SERVICE SYSTEMS EXPERT

S E RVO M E X .CO M
Servomex has a policy of constant product improvement and reserves the right to change specifications without notice.
© Servomex Group Limited. 2014. A Spectris company. All rights reserved.