The document summarizes the methanol recovery plant at Ind-Swift Pharmaceuticals. Key details include: - The plant uses a batch distillation column to recover methanol from wastewater, achieving 96% purity. - Methanol vapor rises to the top of the 20m column and is condensed using a series of coolants to about 1-2°C for storage. - The recovered methanol is stored in 10,000L barrels and sent to pharmaceutical processing plants according to their needs. - The recovery plant operates continuously to minimize resource waste and costs, while ensuring environmental compliance.

1. Ind-Swift Pharmaceuticals
INTERNSHIP FINAL
REPORT
METHANOL RECOVERY PLANT
IFZAL HUSSAIN
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING (510/12)
NIT SRINAGAR
The working and the Principal applied to the Methanol recovery Plant

2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to express our deep sense of gratitude to Mr. Atul Kumar Choubey
for granting us permission to undergo training at IND. Swift, barvala, Panjab over a
period of 40 days and for making it happen and providing us with necessary inputs as
and when needed.
We would also like to appreciate and acknowledge the efforts put in by the senior
production managers. In spite of their busy schedule , they were always eager to
help us out and share their vast experience with us. We would also like to heartily
thank the shift engineers and operated who in spite of their arduous task took time
out to explain each and every aspect of the plant . we are really thankful to the staff
of cooperating with us immensely . we are indebted to the following departments
and their heads for their insights of the industry.
SOLVENT RECOVRY PLANT :-
SAURABH SINGH (Plant In charge )

3. IND. SWIFT PHARMACEUTICALS
Ind-Swift is a leading pharmaceutical manufacturing and marketing company in India,
based in Chandigarh. Its strength lies in innovative pharmaceutical products. Ind-
Swift has been ranked 35th in the Indian pharmaceutical industry and is the second
largest among the drug manufacturers in India (north India).
It has spread its network across 45 countries. It is an ISO 9001-2008, WHO GMP
certified company. It is also listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock
Exchange. It has 5 plants in India which include multi-purpose, multi-location
facilities spread across northern India.
The facilities are built according to the current guidelines of MHRA, EU, WHO and
accreditations with ISO 14000 series standards. The company has world class
expertise in finished goods dosage, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API’s) and
herbal products.
Ind-Swift has a workforce of over 5000 multifunctional and multicultural employees,
which includes 1500 man power in the Chandigarh plant .
Ind-Swift possesses a portfolio of over 750 products which includes 90 products
produced in the 18 plants in Chandigarh division.
It have a strong base of financial resources as it done a annual turnover of 6000
million dollars alone from Chandigarh plant .
The Chandigarh plant consumes large amount of electric power so the plant have a
electricity generating plant to produce electric power for use.
The electric plant have a capacity of 6MW and the fuel it use is coal delivered by
Karamchand Thaper.

4. SOLVENT RECOVERYPLANT
Solvent recovery plant(SRP) are an important part of the pharmaceutical companies.
they recovery valuable solvents or assets of the pharmaceuticals industries from the
waste water from the processing plants .
The water which come out of processing plants contains side products and the
desired product in large quantity.
These type of plants recovery the valuable solvent with simple physical operations
.This plant have dedicated reactors for different type of solvents because different
solvents needs different type of reactors and calibrations.
The solvents recovered from SRP is stored for further use or can be use as raw
material for process plant.
The SRP operates according to the input coming from the process plants and the
extent of desired product or raw material in the solution coming .
The regulations and standards should be followed are determined from the extent
of the recoverable material in the solution.
The SRP mainly work on electric power with some help from the man power.
The storage of the material collected is done in large containers. The containers are
designed using material that doesn’t react with the solvents.
The solvents recovered should be standardized pure and can be used in different
type of processes.

5. Applications of Solvent Recovery Plant
There are various applications of the solvent recovery plant related to
pharmaceutical industries.
Firstly, the solvent recovery plant recovers the valuable solvents.
If the industries loose the valuable solvent with the waste coming out of the plant
then it will be great misuse and wastage of the solvent which produced with the help
of valuable natural resources.
The industries always try to make the loses minimum thus the recovery of these
solvents is important to minimize the loses .
Now, secondly the solvent recovered is much valuable then its cost. Actually the
solvent value also depends upon the cost taken in the transportation of the solvent
from the solvent producing plant to the processing plant which uses it.
If the solvent recovered, then it not only save the cost of the solvent but also the
transport cost of the solvent.
Third , the solvent which the recovery plant collects may be harmful to the
environment.
Many of the Raw materials or the by-products and products which the industries use
or produce are harmful to environment. Thus, the removal of these substances from
the output of the plant is important .
So, here the SRP plays an crucial role in recovers the solvents which harm
environment and the profit of the company from the solution which is coming out of
the process plant .
There are many more applications and importance’s of the SRP . As we can observe
that the SRP’s have applications in all field of industries . As it save solvent which
help in production and save large amount of resources that can also be counted into
finance of company. Thus, it also have application in the environment conservation.
We can count this plant in the process step itself because it makes the process
complete as SRP gives a large extent of reflex.
This reflex effect the efficiency of the plant and quality of the product of the process.
This reflex is makes a large difference in the cost involved in that process.

6. Methanol
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood
spirits, is a chemical with the formula CH3OH (often abbreviated MeOH). Methanol
acquired the name "wood alcohol" because it was once produced chiefly as a by-
product of the destructive distillation of wood. Modern methanol is produced in a
catalytic industrial process directly from carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and
hydrogen.
Methanol is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colourless, flammable liquid
with a distinctive odour very similar to that of ethanol (drinking alcohol). However,
unlike ethanol, methanol is highly toxic and unfit for consumption. At room
temperature, it is a polar liquid, and is used as an antifreeze, solvent, fuel, and as a
denaturant for ethanol. It is also used for producing biodiesel via transesterification
reaction.
Methanol is poisonous to the central nervous system and may cause blindness,
coma, and death. However, in small amounts, methanol is a natural endogenous
compound found in normal, healthy human individuals, concluded by one study
which found a mean of 4.5 ppm in the exhaled breath of the subjects.
Methanol have a density of 0.7925 g/cm3
at 20 °C and have a boiling point of 64.7 °C. so,
methanol can be separated from water with batch distillation.
This time the market of the methanol is really wide so, the market cost of methanol
is also really high . this time the methanol cost is decided by the industrial authorities
of India for Indian market. Now as decided by the authorities this time the cost of
methanol is 416 USD /MT of methanol.

7. Applications of Methanol in industries
Methanol, a common laboratory solvent, is especially useful for HPLC, UV/VIS
spectroscopy, and LCMS due to its low UV cut-off.
I. The largest use of methanol by far is in making other chemicals. About 40% of
methanol is converted to formaldehyde, and from there into products as
diverse as plastics, plywood, paints, explosives, and permanent press textiles.
II. Methanol is used on a limited basis to fuel internal combustion engines. The
main advantage is that methanol is compatibles with modern internal
combustion engines . Methanol is the most basic alcohol. It is easy to
transport, readily available, and has a high octane rating that allows for
superior vehicle performance compared to gasoline. Many countries have
adopted or are seeking to expand methanol fuelling programs, and it is the
fastest growing segment of the methanol marketplace today. This is driven in
large part by methanol's low price compared to gasoline or ethanol, and the
very small incremental cost to modify current vehicles to run on blends of
methanol fuel. Methanol also produces much less toxic emissions than
reformulated gasoline, with less particulate matter and smog forming
emissions.
III. Methanol is a traditional denaturant for ethanol, the product being known as
"denatured alcohol" or "methylated spirit".
IV. Methanol is also used by municipal and private wastewater treatment
facilities to aid in the removal of nitrogen from effluent streams. As
wastewater is collected in a treatment facility, it contains high levels of
ammonia. Through a bacterial degradation process this ammonia is converted
into nitrate. If discharged into the environment, the nutrient rich nitrate in
sewage effluent can have a devastating effect on water ecosystems - creating
miles long algae blooms that sap oxygen and sunlight from aquatic
life. Methanol, which quickly biodegrades, is a cost-effective way to help
revitalize waterways tainted by the effects of nitrates.

8. V. Methanol is used as a key component in the development of different types of
fuel cells - which are quickly expanding to play a larger role in our energy
economy. From large-scale fuel cells to power vehicles or provide back-up
power to remote equipment, to portable fuel cells for electronics and
personal use, methanol is an ideal hydrogen carrier.
VI. In the process of making biodiesel fuel, methanol is used as a key component
in a process called transesterification - to put it simply, methanol is used to
convert the triglycerides in different types of oils into usable biodiesel fuel.
The transesterification process reacts methanol with the triglyceride oils
contained in vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled greases, forming fatty acid
alkyl esters (biodiesel) and the byproduct glycerin. Biodiesel production
continues to grow around the globe, with everything from large-scale
commercial operations to smaller, backyard blenders mixing this
environmentally-friendly fuel for everyday use in diesel engines.
VII. Different companies are also exploring the use of methanol to drive turbines
to create electricity. There are a number of projects currently underway that
are using methanol as the fuel source to create steam to drive turbines -
which is an excellent option for areas rich in resources other than traditional
electricity sources.

9. Methanol recovery plant
Methanol recovery plant is the part of SRP of pharmautical campanies .
methanol is generally used in chemical processes in the pharmaceutical
industries.
Methanol is used as raw material in the pharmaceutical industries and use in
liquid form.
Methanol recovery is done by distillation of water coming from the process
plant . this water containing large quantity of methanol, as it was used in the
process.
The water coming from the process plant is first tested by the simply testing
in lab . the lab testing gives the extant that the methanol is present in the
water and if the percentage of methanol in the solution is found enough to
recover methanol from the solution .
As, according to the regulations given from the government authorities . the
regulations are compared by the quality analysis of the company and then the
solution is given the opening to the SRP.
Now when the quality control and the lab gives the permission to the liquid to
go to SRP then the solution is filled in the reactor according to the solvent to
be recovered .
If the methanol will be recovered then the reactor will be batch type reactor .
Now when the liquid is filled to the safe capacity of the reactor then the first
thing is to be done is to note the temperature of the liquid to determine the
heating that will be given to the liquid so that it will reach the boiling point of
the methanol .
Methanol is flammable so the heater is set to make the solution just to the
boiling point and for homogeneity of the heating process of the liquid , the
liquid is stirred continuously with agitator. These agitators have their own
motor and designed to give the maximum heat homogeneity of the liquid.

10. Methanol Recovery Plant at ind. Swift
The methanol recovery plant at ind. Swift is a traditional one and have the
simple batch distillation column .
The methanol recovery column is highly effective and work round the clock .
The unit is a batch reactor and have a capacity of 10,000 litres per batch .The
column have height of 20 meters and have width of 5 meters.
The methanol recovery plant have the heating column so that the heating of
the liquid in the distillation column can be done. The column is packed and
have coated with many numbers of fibres layer for minimum heat lose from
the container.
The recovery plant have a composition report from the lab of the input liquid .
according to this report the extant of the recovery is done . if the percentage
of the solvent is high then the operation is done on the liquid for larger
interval and if the percentage is found low then the interval of the operation is
decreased.
The reactor have a agitator to make the sure the heating homogeneity and to
make the surface more easy from the vapour to escape the liquid phase. This
help to increase the efficiency of the reactor .
The simple paddle agitator is used here for the operation in the company and
a independent motor is attached to it so that it can be switch on as per the
need of operation .
A 15 hp electric motor is uses so that is operation of agitation can be done.
The agitation is done as per the requirement.
the operation is continued until the temperature of the solution reaches in
between 70-75 degrees Celsius . the input solution commonly have a
temperature of 50 around. The vaporising of the methanol is starts at 65
degrees that is the boiling point of the methanol so, methanol at this
temperature starts escaping the solution and going to condensation column
that is at the height of 20 meters.

11. Condensation of the methanol
The condensation of the methanol is the process where methanol in vapour
form coming from the distillation reactor is converted again in the liquid form
but this time the methanol is 96% pure.
The process of condensation need coolants that lower the temperature of the
vapour to a suitable extent for filling in the storage vessels .
The coolant utilities which are used are as following
 Raw water- the raw water which is commonly stored in the plant is having a
temperature of 25-30 degrees Celsius. raw water is first utility to be used so
that the temperature of the methanol can be decreased to approx 5-10
degrees .
 Chilled water – this water have a temperature of 1-5 degrees and used as
second utility to the methanol condensation process . the chilled water lowers
the temperature of the methanol to 10-15 degrees.
 The chilled water is prepared by the atmospheric cooling system
which is an eco friendly process for cooling the water to a great
extent .
 This system use the cooled winds flowing at the heights to cool
the water by making them come into contact. The water is freely
dropped from height with drop wise flow so that contact of
water and air should be maximum and the water get maximum
heat transfer to the air. This system is highly eco friendly and
helps the plant to save energy on the condensation process.
 Brine- It is a mixture of chemicals which have a great heat capacity and
have temperature around -1 to -5 degrees Celsius. this is the third
utility for the condensation of the methanol and takes the methanol to
the storage tank. This utility give the needed cool methanol for storage
in the tank. The needed temperature of the methanol is nearly 1-2
degree for the storage.
 Liquid Nitrogen- this utility is optional and have a temperature range of
-20 to -200 degrees . this utility is use sometimes when the process is

12. taking long time or process of condensation should be fasten due to
input to the SRP is more then the capacity.
Storage process
This process is done manually and there is no machines analysing this step of the
recovery operation.
This is simple step. The condensed methanol is stored in a large containers and each
container have a capacity of 10456 litres.
The methanol stored is now filled in barrels by man power. Then the methanol send
to the needed plant from where the requirement of the methanol has comes.
The barrels have 159 litres capacity and the count gives the amount of methanol is
recovered from the recovery plant.
The barrels methanol is tested so that the quality of the methanol can be ensured.
The quality ensured by the regulations given by the industrial authorities.