16.2.3 Technical questions

1. Why ethylene dichloride is dried before entering the cracking furnace ?

Ans: To avoid the formation of other compounds during cracking.  Vinyl chloride cracking is a very selective cracking that we wish to happen. The selective cracking needs very clean feed stock.

2. Why quenching is carried out ?

Ans: The selective cracking reaction is a reversible reaction.  Therefore, by doing cold ethylene dichloride quenching, we are suppressing the backward reaction and ensuring that only vinyl chloride gets formed in good quantities. 

3. Can heat integration be carried out in the process ?

Ans: In principle it can be done but in reality no. The reason is that if quenching is not done immediately, then vinyl chloride can get converted back to the ethylene dichloride. Therefore, though there is a hot stream available, heat integration cannot be done due to prevalent process conditions.

4. Can a partial condenser be used in the last distillation column to serve for both quenching, distillation reflux and produce vapour for the ethylene dichloride ?

Ans: Yes, this arrangement will be excellent as all requirements in the process will be met by going for a partial condenser.  But it all depends on the quenching tower requirements and hence if ethylene dichloride needs to be cooled more than its boiling point, then partial condenser will not serve the purpose.

5. What is the effect of pressure on quenching. This question is interesting as the reaction occurs at 4 atm and quenching occurs at higher pressure ?

Ans: Quenching is an operation used for minimizing temperature. As such its not absorption where pressure plays an important role. As such, the effect of pressure will not be significant in the quenching operation.

References:

1. Dryden C. E., Outlines of Chemical Technology, East-West Press, 2008

2. Kirk R. E., Othmer D. F., Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, John Wiley and Sons, 1999-2012