Recovery of Unconverted Reactants using Distillation Columns D-1 and D-2

The assignment content discusses the production flow diagram for producing BTX (benzene, toluene, xylene) and aromatics from ethane using a recycle flow feed into the process. The study concludes that efficient separation techniques can recover unconverted reactant ethane and ethylene, reducing raw material requirements and increasing profitability. Heat integration is also recommended to reduce energy consumption. The design should be carefully monitored for potential issues such as column dry-ups and compressor damage. Future research directions include investigating assumptions made during the process design, evaluating the effects of scale-up on conversions, and developing methods to reduce or eliminate hydrogen and methane.