This document describes a study for the production of ethylene glycol through the hydrolysis of ethylene oxide with water. It discusses the significance of ethylene glycol and its uses in various industries such as antifreeze and polyester fibers. The most common manufacturing method is described as the hydrolysis of ethylene oxide through a ring-opening reaction. A flow diagram shows the process which involves hydrating ethylene oxide in a reactor, evaporating the water-glycol mixture in multiple stages, stripping remaining water and purifying through distillation. The study aims to design a process capable of producing 100,000 tons per year of ethylene glycol.

1. Full( 2013-2014 ))
University of Benghazi
Faculty of engineering
Chemical Engineering Department

2. Ethylene Glycol
PRODUCTION
This Study by :
Ali Rabeh Younis Aldrace 17798
Ahmed Guma Mohammed 17657
Abd Ulmalk Bobkr Alagily 17783
Supervisor of the project :
Dr – Ali Alhudyre

3. Introduction
The aim of project to design process for production of a
mixture of ethylene glycol by reaction ethylene oxide with
water at liquid phase for productivity amount 100000ton/yr.
based on 8000 hour.

4. The Significance of ethylene glycol
and uses in different industry’s.
1. Ethylene Glycol lowers the freezing point of water. Its ease of handling makes it
perfect antifreeze, which accounts for over 50% of its commercial uses.
2. Commercial antifreezes based on glycol also contain corrosion inhibitors and are
used for example in motor vehicles, solar energy units.
3. Ethylene Glycol is also a commercially important raw material for the
manufacture of polyesters fibers chiefly poly ethylene tetraphthalate. This
application consumes 40% of total consumption of Ethylene Glycol.
4. It is also used for the production of recyclable bottles.
5. Other uses are humectants (moisture retainer), plasticizer, softener, hydraulic fluid.
6. Commonly used as a solvent in chemical industry ,specially for natural gas
dehydration.

5. The manufacturing methods of
ethylene glycol.
Hydrolysis of Ethylene Chlorohydrin
From Synthesis gas
Hydrolysis of Ethylene oxide (Ring opening)
Ethylene carbonate process

6. Hydrolysis of Ethylene oxide (Ring opening )
technology.
 The reason we chose this technology :
Hydrolysis of Ethylene Oxide (Ring opening) is by far the most
widely used method for the production of ethylene glycol.
The simplicity and reliability of the process makes it popular.
Furthermore, it can be used in plants that manufacture
ethylene oxide and glycol together.
This process has been selected in the following Design Thesis
and will hence be dealt in detail.

7. The Flow diagram of Ethylene Glycol plant.

8. The manufacturing of ethylene glycol.
The raw materials to a free standing glycol plant are refined ethylene oxide
and pure water. These are mixed with recycle waters and pumped into the
hydration reactor after being preheated by the exit product stream.
The Ethylene Oxide is thermally hydrolyzed to Ethylene Glycol with out any
catalyst presence.
CH2CH2O + H2O HOCH2CH2OH
ethylene glycol
CH2CH2O + HO(CH2CH2O)2 H HOCH2CH2OCH2CH2OCH2CH2O
triethylene glycol
CH2CH2O + HOCH2CH2OH HOCH2CH2OCH2CH2OH
diethylene glycol

9. A 90 percent yield is realized when the ethylene oxide/water feed
molar ratio is 1:5-8.
For the commercially operating reactors the operating temperature is
190-200ºC and pressure is 14-22 atm depending upon the initial
concentration of Ethylene oxide.
The operating pressure of the reaction is controlled at a level, which
limits or avoids the vaporization of ethylene oxide from the aqueous
solution.
The formation of these higher homologues (DEG, TEG) is inevitable
because ethylene oxide reacts with ethylene glycols more quickly
than with water. To minimize this excess water almost 20 times more is
used, almost 90 % of the Ethylene Oxide can be converted to Mono
Ethylene Glycol the rest is converts to higher glycols.
The manufacturing of ethylene glycol.

10. The water-glycol mixture from the reactor is fed to the first stage of a
multiple stage of the evaporator, which is reboiled using high-pressure
steam.
The remaining stages operate at successively lower pressures, with the
final stage normally under vacuum.
The evaporated water is recovered as condensate and recycled back
to the glycol reaction feed mixing tank.
The concentrated crude glycol solution from the final evaporation
stage is fed to a stripper where the remaining water and light impurities
are removed.
The water-free solution is then distilled in a series of vacuum distillation
towers to separate MEG, DEG and TEG from heavier glycols.
The manufacturing of ethylene glycol.

11. THANKS