Fall 2024-2025

CHEN470 – Chemical Process Design

Professor Fouad Azizi

13 December, 2024

Production of Vinyl Chloride

Roha Fakhro - rsf14@mail.aub.edu

Ahmad Serhal – aks27@mail.aub.edu

Bahaa Eddine Sinno - bns14@mail.aub.edu

Mohammad Turiaki - mmt47@mail.aub.edu

Abstract

This report covers the industrial production of vinyl chloride, a significant monomer for PVC

manufacturing, which finds widespread applications in the construction, automotive, and

consumer goods industries. Two major reactions in this process are the direct chlorination of

ethylene to 1,2-dichloroethane and the pyrolysis of EDC to vinyl chloride and hydrogen chloride.

The first reaction is performed under 1.5 atm pressure at 90°C and gives a high conversion rate

of 97.32%, whereas in the second pyrolysis reaction, the temperature is kept up to 500°C with

pressure kept up to 26 atm provides a conversion rate of 62.63%. The product undergoes

separation via different sets of distillation columns that offer vinyl chloride with a minimum purity

of 98% and a flow rate of 97,420 lb/hr. The key equipment consists of two plug flow reactors, each

with a volume of 10 m³ and 13.5 m³, respectively. In addition, distillation columns at 12 atm and

4.8 atm are used. By applying energy integration through heat exchangers, the design minimizes

utility costs, making the process more sustainable. The cost of the entire system is calculated to

be around $1.62 million. Large costs are associated with the use of distillation columns and

reactors. Safety considerations include pressurized storage and leak monitoring, among others,

as well as adherence to all standards per OSHA for both environmental and operational security.

This comprehensive study has developed the technical and economic feasibility for large-scale

production of vinyl chloride with a production target of 100,000 lb/hr efficiently and safely.

1
Table of contents
Abstract ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1

Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 2

List of figures ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 3

List of Tables .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Theoretical Background..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Historical Development of Vinyl Chloride ................................................................................................................................................................ 6
Safety Measures for Handling Vinyl Chloride ........................................................................................................................................................ 6

Process Description for Vinyl Chloride Production ......................................................................................................................... 6

Aspen HYSYS Simulation............................................................................................................................................................................ 8

Case ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 8
Feed................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9
Reactor Units............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9
Distillation Columns and Recycle Stream ............................................................................................................................................................. 10

Process economics ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 12

Distillation columns ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
Pump ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Compressor ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 14
Heaters and coolers ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Plug Flow Reactors ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 14
Valve ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 15
Mixers ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 15

Profitability Analysis ................................................................................................................................................................................ 16

Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 19

References .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 20

Appendix ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 21

2
List of Figures
Figure 1: Process Flow Diagram .........................................................................................................................................6

Figure 2: Reaction data for Pyrolysis of dichloroethane .............................................................................................8

Figure 3: Reaction data for direct chlorination of ethylene .......................................................................................9

Figure 4: Feed configuration................................................................................................................................................9

Figure 5: Set Up of the first reactor ................................................................................................................................. 10

Figure 6: Set up of the second reactor ............................................................................................................................ 10

Figure 7: Distillation Column set up. .............................................................................................................................. 11

Figure 8: Complete simulation ......................................................................................................................................... 11

3
List of tables
Table 1: Cost Index 2006 and 2024 ............................................................................................................................... 16

Table 2: Direct and indirect operating costs .............................................................................................................. 17

Table 3: PBR cost summary ............................................................................................................................................... 21

Table 4: Valves cost summary .......................................................................................................................................... 21

Table 5: Pump cost summary............................................................................................................................................ 22

Table 6: Heater cost summary.......................................................................................................................................... 22

Table 7: Compressor cost summary ................................................................................................................................ 22

Table 8: Cooler cost summary .......................................................................................................................................... 22

Table 8: Distillation Column cost summary ................................................................................................................. 22

Table 9: mixers cost summary .......................................................................................................................................... 23

4
Introduction

Theoretical Background
Vinyl chloride, 𝑪𝟐 𝑯𝟑 𝑪𝒍 , has acquired international importance because of its vast
industrial use, mainly as the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) monomer. PVC is a versatile, cost-
effective, and durable polymer that finds widespread applications in the construction,
automotive, and consumer goods industries, among others. Vinyl chloride also undergoes
a wide range of copolymerizations, further extending its industrial uses. Vinyl chloride is
also used to manufacture several copolymers, which give improved material properties
such as flexibility, durability, and weather resistance. These copolymers have applications
in specialized plastics, adhesives, and coatings.

The industrial production of vinyl chloride involves two primary reactions: the direct
chlorination of ethylene and the pyrolysis of dichloroethane:
1. Direct Chlorination of Ethylene
Ethylene (𝐶# 𝐻$ ) reacts with chlorine (𝐶𝑙# ) to form 1,2-dichloroethane (𝐶# 𝐻$ 𝐶𝑙# )

𝑪𝟐 𝑯𝟒 + 𝑪𝒍𝟐 → 𝑪𝟐 𝑯𝟒 𝑪𝒍𝟐 (1)

The reaction rate is described by 𝑟& = 𝑘& [𝐶# 𝐻$ 𝐶𝑙# ] [𝐶𝑙# ]

'!
where 𝑘& = 0.22
'() .,

2. Dichloroethane Pyrolysis
1,2-dichloroethane undergoes thermal cracking to yield vinyl chloride and
hydrogen chloride (𝐻𝐶𝑙):
𝑪𝟐 𝑯𝟒 𝑪𝒍𝟐 → 𝑪𝟐 𝑯𝟑 𝑪𝒍 + 𝑯𝑪𝒍 (2)
-
The rate constant is determined by 𝑘# = 2− ./" 4
231)
Where 𝑙𝑛(𝐴) = 13.6 (𝐴 𝑖𝑛 𝑠 0& ) and 𝐸1 = 24.8 '()

5
Historical Development of Vinyl Chloride

It was first synthesized in 1835 by Justus von Liebig and his student Henri Victor
Regnault by the reaction of ethylene dichloride with potassium hydroxide in ethanol. It
was only in the early years of the 20th century that its industrial potential was realized. In
1912, a German chemist named Fritz Klatte worked out a way to produce polyvinyl
chloride by polymerizing vinyl chloride, thereby leading a path for its commercial use. As
time passed, continuous development of the methods for polymerization and process
optimization resulted in vinyl chloride entering into the modern era and taking industries
related to construction, automobile, and consumer durables to the next stage.

Safety Measures for Handling Vinyl Chloride

Vinyl chloride is a highly flammable, colorless gas with a mild, sweet odor. It is classified
as a known human carcinogen, and long-term exposure has been associated with liver
cancer and other serious health problems. To safeguard employees and the plant,
facilities are required to adopt strong safety measures, such as PPE, advanced ventilation
systems, and continuous air monitoring for leaks. Explosion prevention relies on
pressurized, temperature-controlled tank storage and fire suppression systems. The
employees frequently participate in training, are conscientious, and stand up to OSHA
standards to guarantee a proper environment.

Process Description for Vinyl Chloride Production

Figure 1: Process Flow Diagram

6
The manufacturing process for vinyl chloride is multi-step and starts with the direct
chlorination of ethylene. Ethylene and chlorine are fed into the reactor, (R-100), where
they react in a highly exothermic reaction to form 1,2-dichloroethane. Operating
conditions are 1.5 atm and 90°C. The reactor effluent is first cooled by the condenser, (E-
100), and then pumped by the reactor pump, (P-100) for further processing.

The 1,2-dichloroethane stream is first preheated through the 1,2-dichloroethane

evaporator (E-101) and sent to the pyrolysis furnace (F-100), where it is thermally cracked
at 500°C and 26 atm. This step is for producing vinyl chloride and hydrogen chloride (HCl)
as primary products. The furnace effluent, after rapid cooling in the pyrolysis quench tank
(V-100), is further treated through the pyrolysis quench cooler (E-102) to prepare it for
separation.

Following pyrolysis, the effluent is sent to the hydrogen chloride column (T-100) for the
separation of hydrogen chloride from the mixture. The overhead hydrogen chloride
condenses in the hydrogen chloride column condenser (E-104) and is sent to the
hydrogen chloride column reflux drum (V-101). This hydrogen chloride is again introduced
to the process through the hydrogen chloride column reflux pump (P-102), ensuring that
no potential resource is wasted.

The bottom stream from the hydrogen chloride column goes to the vinyl chloride column
(T-101), which separates the vinyl chloride product from the unreacted 1,2-dichloroethane
and other impurities. Vinyl chloride condensed in the vinyl chloride column condenser (E-
106) is stored in the vinyl chloride column reflux drum (V-102), and withdrawn as the final
product. The unreacted 1,2-dichloroethane present in the reactor is then cycled back into
the process by the vinyl chloride recycle pump (P-104).

Energy integration is also crucial in the process, where several heat exchangers, such as
the hydrogen chloride column reboiler (E-103) and the vinyl chloride column reboiler (E-
105), recover heat from different streams to minimize utility costs. The integration of
separation, recycling, and heat recovery systems ensures high efficiency and
sustainability while meeting the production target of 100,000 lb/hr of vinyl chloride with at
least 98% purity.

7
Aspen HYSYS Simulation

Case
To start simulating the production of vinyl chloride via the direct chlorination of ethylene,
the case had to be properly set up. First, the component list had to be inputted, it
contained: ethylene, chlorine gas, hydrogen chloride, vinyl chloride, and dichloroethane.
Next, a suitable fluid package was selected. Since the components involved are
hydrocarbons, haloalkanes, haloalkenes, and hydrogen chloride, the Peng-Robinson fluid
package was chosen due to its accuracy in approximating their thermodynamic
properties. Following this, the chemical reactions were defined. The reactions, along with
their associated kinetics, were obtained from the project description and are detailed
below.

Figure 2: Reaction data for Pyrolysis of dichloroethane

8
 Figure 3: Reaction data for direct chlorination of ethylene

Feed
The feed to the plant consists of a gas mixture of ethylene and chlorine gas. Before being
introduced to the reactor, two feed streams both at 25°C at 1 atm one containing pure
ethylene and the other pure chlorine were mixed inside a mixer. After mixing the feed was
pressurized to 1.5 atm using a compressor and heated to 90°C using a heater. Then the
feed was introduced to the reactor.

Figure 4: Feed configuration

Reactor Units
The simulation begins with a hot feed introduced to a plug flow reactor (PFR), operated
isothermally at 90°C. In this reactor, ethylene reacts with chlorine to produce
dichloroethane. To achieve the required high conversion, a tube length of 4 m and a
reactor volume of 10 m³ were specified. This setup resulted in a heat flow of 1.486 × 10⁸
kJ/hr, enabling a high conversion rate of 97.32% in the first reactor. This high conversion
indicates that almost all of the ethylene and chlorine fed to the reactor had been
consumed.

9
 Figure 5: Set Up of the first reactor

The effluent from the first reactor is then cooled to 20°C using a cooler and subsequently
pressurized to 26 atm with a pump. Following this, the stream is heated to 500°C with a
heater and introduced to the second reactor. This reactor, also a PFR, facilitates the
pyrolysis of dichloroethane into vinyl chloride and hydrochloric acid. Operated
isothermally at 500°C, the second reactor employs a tube length of 5 m and a reactor
volume of 13.5 m³, achieving a final conversion of 62.63%. Then the effluent of the second
reactor was depressurized to 12 atm using a valve and then cooled down to 6°C using a
cooler.

Figure 6: Set up of the second reactor

Distillation Columns and Recycle Stream

After the reaction took place and the effluent was cooled to a safe temperature, the
products underwent a series of separation steps to isolate the desired product. The
reactor effluent was first fed into a distillation column to separate hydrogen chloride (HCl)
from the mixture. This column operated at a constant pressure of 12 atm, with 18 stages,
and the feed entered at the 13th stage. HCl exited from the top of the column at a flow
rate of 56,857.23 lb/hr.

10
The bottom stream, containing a mixture of mainly vinyl chloride and dichloroethane, was
directed to a second distillation column. This column operated at a constant pressure of
4.8 atm, also with 18 stages, and the feed entered at the 12th stage. In this column, vinyl
chloride was separated at the top, exiting at a flow rate of 97,420.49 lb/hr.

The bottom stream from the second column, consisting of 99.9% mol dichloroethane, was
cooled to 90°C and recycled back to the system. It was combined with the effluent of the
first reactor using a mixer.

Figure 7: Distillation Column set up.

Figure 8: Complete simulation

11
Process economics
The total cost of a process is evaluated based on the equipment and raw materials cost
where the cost of equipment depends on different factors such as equipment type,
capacity, construction materials, and given temperature and pressure conditions.

Distillation columns
Distillation columns are vertical pressure vessels used for separation. Two distillation
columns were used for this model. The cost is divided into the cost of the column shell
and the cost of the total trays inside the column.
For the first part, the purchase cost is:
𝐶4 = 𝐶5 𝐹6 + 𝐶47 (Eq.1)

• CV: empty vessel cost

𝐶5 = exp (7.2756 + 0.18255[ln(𝑊)] + 0.02287[ln(𝑊)]# 9,000 < W < 2,500,000 lb

• W: Weight
• FM: Material Factor
• For Carbon Steel FM=1
• CPL: Added cost, 𝐶#$ = 300.9 × (𝐷% )&.())*( (𝐿)&.+&*(*

Weight (lb) can be calculated using the following equation

𝑊 = 𝜋𝜌(𝐷8 + 𝑡, )(𝐿 + 0.8𝐷8 )𝑡, (Eq.2)
• 𝜌: Density (Carbon Steel=490 lb/ft3)
• 𝑡𝑠: Shell thickness (ft)
• 𝐿: Length of the column (ft)
• 𝐷𝑖: Inner diameter (ft)

Where L accounts for the cylinder and 0.8Di accounts for the two heads.
To calculate 𝑡𝑠, 1/8 inch represented by the corrosion allowance is added to tv which is
computed by the average of tp, the thickness of the top, and tw, the thickness of the
bottom.
The shell thickness designed to withstand internal pressure can be calculated by:

12
 4 9
, -
𝑡4 = #:-0&.#4 (Eq.3)
,

• Pd: Internal pressure design in psig (10 < 𝑃& < 1000 psig),
𝑃; = 𝑒𝑥𝑝{0.60608 + 0.91615[𝑙𝑛 𝑙𝑛 (𝑃< ) ] + 0.0015655[𝑙𝑛 𝑙𝑛 (𝑃< ) ]# } (Eq.4)
• S: maximum allowable stress of the shell material at the design temperature (S=15000 psi for -
20°F < 𝑇/ < 650°F).
• E = fractional weld efficiency.

Distillation columns are vertical vessels

<.##(90 ?&@)71
𝑡= = :90 1
(Eq.5)

Ts can be then substituted to calculate the weight.

As for the trays, the total cost is:
𝐶/ = 𝑁/ 𝐹B/ 𝐹// 𝐹/6 𝐶C/ (Eq.6)
• NT: total number of trays
• FTT: Tray type
4.45
• 𝐹23 = *.&6*6!"

• FTM: Material of construction factor

• 𝐶73 = 468exp (0.1739𝐷% )

The total cost is calculated then by the summation of 𝐶4 and 𝐶/ for both columns, which
is equal to 234732$.

Pump
One stainless steel centrifugal pump was used in the model. Its cost can be calculated
by the following equation:
𝐶4 = 𝐶C 𝐹/ 𝐹6 (Eq.7)
• CB: base cost of the pump
• FT=1
• FM=2

13
The base cost of the pump can be calculated by:
𝐶C = 𝑒𝑥𝑝 {9.7171 − 0.6019[𝑙𝑛 (𝑆) ] + 0.0159[𝑙𝑛 (𝑆) ]# } (Eq.8)
𝑆 = 𝑄(𝐻)<.D (Eq.9)
• S: size factor (gpm/ft0.5)
• Q: volumetric flow rate (gpm)
• H: pump head (ft)

The cost of the pump is calculated to be 10785.99$

Compressor
A stainless-steel centrifugal pump is used in the model with a horsepower of 749.1 hp.
The cost can be calculated using the following formula:
𝐶4 = 𝐶C 𝐹9 𝐹6 (Eq.10)
● C8 = exp (7.58 + 0.8 ln (Pc)

● FD=1.25 (gas turbine)

• FM=2.5 (stainless-steel)

The total cost of this compressor is 1220208.461$

Heaters and coolers

3 coolers and 2 heaters were used in the model. For one heater/cooler, the cost can be
determined using the following reaction
𝐶E = exp (9.593 − 0.3769 × log(𝐷) + 0.03434 × log (𝐷)# ) (Eq.11)
The total cost of the coolers is 17542.27$
The total cost of the heaters is 11748.28$

Plug Flow Reactors

A total of two carbon steel plug flow reactors were used in the model. The cost of the
vessel is evaluated by the formula:
𝐶4 = 𝐶5 𝐹6 + 𝐶47 (Eq.12)
For a vertical vessel: 1,000 < W < 920,000 lb
𝐶5 = exp (7.2756 + 0.18255[ln(𝑊)] + 0.02287[ln(𝑊)]# (Eq.13)

14
Added Cost:

𝐶47 = 300.9 × (𝐷8 )<.FGG&F (𝐿)<.@<&F& (Eq.14)

W can be calculated using the same method in distillation columns.

The total cost of the 2 plug flow reactors is 108185.63$

Valve
One valve was used in the model, for a size of 24 inches and a valve opening of 50%,
using the tables, the cost would be equal 9989$

Mixers
A total of 2 mixers were used in the model, the total cost can be approximated by the
following formula:
𝐶 = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑆 H (Eq.15)
• a,b: cost constants
• S=size parameter
• n=exponent for the equipment type

The total cost of those two mixers is 7538.311$

Total cost of the system: 1620729.9$

15
Profitability Analysis
At the end of the day, all chemical plants aim to make a profit. This is why we are conducting a
profitability analysis: to see if this plant is feasible and profitable. The total operating costs
should be calculated, which is why the working capital (WC) and the total capital investment
(TCI) need to be determined. The bare cost of each unit should be changed while considering
the new cost index for 2024. however, I could only find the cost index for January to June of
2024 on the internet, and using this value, I got that the average cost index for 2024 is 799.1
.We used the following formula to get the new cost:
𝐶𝑜𝑠𝑡2 = 𝐶𝑜𝑠𝑡1 ∗ (𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑥2/𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑥1) (Eq.16)
Cost2: the new cost in dollars
Cost1: the bare cost in dollars
Index2: 799.1 which is the cost index for 2024
Index1: this is the cost index for 2006 which is the year the bare costs were determined for
𝐸 = 1.1 ∗ 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙
𝐹𝐶𝐼 = 𝐸 ∗ 5.04
𝑊𝐶 = 𝐸 ∗ 0.89
𝑇𝐶𝐼 = 𝐹𝐶𝐼 + 𝑊𝐶

Cost Index 499.6 799.1

Distillation
Columns 234732.00 375449.04
Pump 10785.99 17251.97
Compressor 1220208.46 1951698.52
Coolers 17542.27 28058.50
Heaters 11748.28 18791.13
Plug flow reactors 108185.63 173040.71
Valve 9989.00 15977.20
Mixers 7538.31 12057.37
Total 1620729.94 2592324.45
E 1782802.94 2851556.90
FCI 8985326.80 14371846.77
WC 1586694.61 2537885.64
TCI 10572021.41 16909732.41

Table 1: Cost Index 2006 and 2024

16
For the next step, we need to calculate the total annual direct operating costs (ADOC) and the
total annual indirect operating costs (AIOC), and the total annual operating costs (AOC) which is
the sum of ADOC and AOIC.
𝐴𝑂𝐶 = 𝐴𝐷𝑂𝐶 + 𝐴𝑂𝐼𝐶 (Eq.17)
The following assumptions were considered to calculate the values in the table below which
summarizes the total annual operating costs.
Working hours/year: 8000hr/year
Employees: 35
Wages: 15$/hr
Ethylene: 1.014$/kg
Chlorine: 0.2$/kg
Power: 0.06$/KWh
Direct Operating Costs
Cost ($)
Item Rate Cost per year
20366.23
Ethylene kg/hr 1.014$/kg 165210857.8
51437.37
Chlorine kg/hr 0.2$/kg 82299792
112,226.92
Power kW 0.06$/kWh 53868921.6
Labor(L) 35 15$/employee*hr 4200000

Supervision (S) 0.15 * L 630000

Maintenance and
repair
(MR) 0.07 * FCI 1006029.274 8048234189
Lab Supplies 0.15 * L 630000
Operating Supplies 0.15 * MR 1207235128
Total: 9562308889
Indirect Operating
Costs
Item Rate Cost
Property Taxes 0.02 * FCI 287436.9353
Insurance 0.01 * FCI 143718.4677
0.6 *
Overhead (L+S+MR) 4831838514
Adminstration 0.2 * L 840000
Total: 4833109669
Total AOC: 14395418558

Table 2: Direct and indirect operating costs

17
Finally, the total revenue, net earnings, and return on investment must be calculated. Vinyl
chloride and hydrochloric acid are assumed to be sold at 0.88185$/kg and 0.086$/kg
respectively.

!.##$#%$ ))$*+.,,'( !.!#+$ ,%/*0.!0'( $.!$)$ %)+.%'( !.,$

𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑢𝑒 (𝑇𝑅) = > '(
∗ -.
+ '(
∗ -.
+ '(
∗ -.
+ '(
∗
$0),.*'( #!!!-. 00+$,,*)%.%$
-.
?∗ 123.
= 123.
(Eq.18)

𝐺𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 = 𝑇𝑅 – 𝐴𝑂𝐶 = −14059295613$/𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟 (Eq.19)

𝑁𝑒𝑡 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 = (1 − 𝑡) ∗ 𝐺𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 = −8435577368$/𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟 (Eq.20)

t is the tax percent and is equal to 40%

𝑅𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛 𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 (𝑅𝑂𝐼) = (𝑛𝑒𝑡 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠)/𝑇𝐶𝐼 = −498.859 (Eq.21)

𝑉𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 (𝑉𝑃) = 𝑛𝑒𝑡 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 – (𝑖 𝑚𝑖𝑛 ∗ 𝑇𝐶𝐼) = −8438959314$/𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟 (Eq.22)

i min= 0.2

𝐴𝑛𝑛𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡 (𝐴𝐶) = 𝐴𝑂𝐶 + (𝑖 𝑚𝑖𝑛 ∗ 𝑇𝐶𝐼) = 14398800505$/𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟 (Eq.23)

The company is expected to break even in 1.707 years, we got this value using the following
formula: |𝐴𝑂𝐶/𝑛𝑒𝑡 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠| = 1.707 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠

18
Conclusion

Vinyl chloride has a technically feasible and economical production process with a capital
investment of $16.91 million, annual operating costs of $14.40 billion, a break-even
period of 1.707 years, high conversion rates, and energy integrations that ensure the
efficiency of the process. High-purity vinyl chloride and HCl sales are the main product
streams in this process flow. Nevertheless, distillation and reactor operations use a great
amount of energy, which is a huge cost driver that still requires further optimization.
Advanced optimization of reactor performance by applying better-quality catalysts,
improved efficiency in separation, alternatives in feedstocks, and integration with
renewable energies are highly recommended for improved profitability. Safety can be
strengthened by advanced monitoring systems, periodic staff training, and hard
equipment maintenance to reduce risks while working with hazardous materials. Market
trend monitoring and price monitoring of raw materials would be essential to stay
competitive and create long-term stability. In addition, the implementation of various
sustainable practices, such as carbon capture, will contribute to reducing the
environmental impact of the plant and operational costs. Possible extension into emerging
markets with strong demand for PVC will further increase revenues. Collaboration with
suppliers may reduce feedstock price volatility through stable and reasonably priced
contracts. These partnerships with downstream PVC manufacturers may provide an
assured market and improve demand forecasting. The digitalization and automation of
the plant operations would, therefore, be in focus for more efficiency, cost reductions, and
overall process reliability.

19
References

American Chemistry Council. (n.d.). Vinyl chloride production and its industrial
importance. Retrieved December 11, 2024, from https://www.americanchemistry.com

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Appendix

Table 3: PBR cost summary

Table 4: Valves cost summary

21
 Table 5: Pump cost summary

Table 6: Heater cost summary

Table 7: Compressor cost summary

Table 8: Cooler cost summary

Table 8: Distillation Column cost summary

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Table 9: mixers cost summary

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