PRODUCTION OF CAUSTIC

SODA
BY
VIVEK KUMAR TOTALA
M.KARTHIK BABU

UNDER THE GUIDENCE OF,

Dr.Soundarajan Krishnan.

CHEMICAL ENGG, SATHYABAMA

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INTRODUCTION

Company Info
Project Info
Part 1
Part 2

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Project Description (part 1) : Primary
Zone.
Saturator:-
The inlet conc of the brine is 210 gpl.
The outlet conc of the brine is 310 gpl.
The raw salt is maintained for
about 5 metres.
Inner portion of the saturator is rubber

lined, since chlorine is highly

corrosive.
CHEMICAL ENGG, SATHYABAMA
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Part 1 (contd)
Precipitation Zone
The crude from saturator contains
impurities like Ca, Mg, Sulphates. To
remove the impurities it passes thru
precipitating reactors. To remove the
impurities it passes through a set of
precipitating reactors.

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Part 1 (contd.)

Clarification zone.

Allthe reactions are completed and the

precipitates get settled at the bottom.
The suspended solid of this brine is about
20 ppm or less.

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Part 1 (contd.)

FILTERATION ZONE
ANTRACITE FILTER:
It reduces suspended solids content in brine to less
than 10ppm.
PRECOAT FILTER:
It is a Candle type Precoat Filter.
It reduces suspended solids to less than 0.5ppm.
The filter aid used is alpha cellulose.

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Part 1 (contd.) : Secondary Zone
The hardness presents in the brine solution is reduced
to 5ppm which is fed over the chelate resin tank.

The chelate resin tank is partially packed with 4m3

volume of poly phenylene oxide resin.

The hardness of the brine solution is reduced to 20ppb

(parts per billion) in the chelate resin tank.

Thus the brine solution from the chelate resin tank is

called Super Purified Brine which is sent to over head
super purified brine tank.

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Part 1 (contd.)
REGENERATION PROCESS:
STEP CHANGE: There are two towers provided when one is on service
and another in standby.
DISCHARGE: Brine is discharged from the tower from both middle and
the bottom outlet.
FIRST BACKWASH: The polished water is sent from bottom inlet to the
middle outlet. Duration-10mins.
RINSE: Reverse of first backwash. Duration-1hr.
SECOND BACKWASH: Bottom inlet and top outlet. Duration-30mins.
SETTLEMENT: The resin is allowed to settle for 10mins.
HCL FEEDING: The HCl is mixed with polished water and sent through
the middle of the tower and the outlet is at the bottom.
WATER FEEDING: For removal of excess HCl.
NAOH FEEDING: The polished water is added with NaOH and sent
through the bottom of the tower and the outlet is at the middle. Duration-
20mins.
WATER FEEDING: For removal of excess NaOH.
BRINE RINSE: The brine solution is filled up to the top and it is allowed
to remain in the tower. Duration-50mins

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Part 2:
Electrolyzing zone

Introduction

Description

32% caustic is
achieved.

MEES ZONE

Improval of brine
concentration to 48%

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Part 2: (contd.)

CAUSTIC FUSION
Pre Concentrator.
Raising Film Evaporator.
Final Concentrator.
Flaker Drum.

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Part 2: (contd.)
PRE CONCENTRATOR
The concentration of the caustic solution is been improved
to 55% and leaves the preconcentrator.
The vapor produced in the preconcentrator is been

removed and condensed in mixing condensers.

RAISING FILM EVAPOATOR
Here the heating medium used is the vapor that comes
out from the vapor separator, which separates the vapor,
which is produced in the final concentrator.
The solution is evaporated to 76%.

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Part 2: (contd.)

FINAL CONCENTRATOR

CONCENTRATING SECTION

The concentrator tubes acts as a falling film
evaporator.

The heating medium used here is salt with
composition of KNO3 53%, NaNO3 7%, NaNO2
40%.

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Part 2: (contd.)
MOLTEN SALT
HEATING SYSTEM

Description

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Part 2: (contd.)
FLAKER DRUM
The Caustic solution is on the outer side of the drum and
the heat transfer take place; as a result of this the caustic is
changed as flakes.

The temperature at the end of the process is 58 deg C.

The drum revolves at 0.47rpm (rotations per minutes).

The caustic flakes thus produced are being carried away

for packing.

PROPERTIES INVOLVED IN CAUSTIC SODA

MOLECULAR WEIGHT : 40.00
BOILING POINT : 1390 deg C
MELTING POINT : 318 deg C

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CONCLUSION
Aswe are aware that the three types of
electrolytic processes adopted for the
production of caustic. Namely,
1. Membrane cell process
2. Diaphragm cell process
3. Mercury cell process.
Since the diaphragm cell process is expensive
while compared to others and the mercury cell
process is toxic. So membrane cell process is
in practice.

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QUERIES ???

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