CHEMICAL PLANTS

The course introduces to the knowledge of the more widespread process industry plants and equipment (Unit Operations), providing the fundamental elements for the choice and the calculation of the main units used in the operations of phase separation and for their management. At the end of the course, the student will be able to correctly determine the specifications of the individual devices and to evaluate the effects of a variation of operating parameters on the performance of the process.

Lectures and computer exercises, technical visits

ENGLISH 1. Introduction to the course and the issues involved in chemical plant design, skills assessment.

2. SEPARATION THROUGH CHEMICAL TRANSFORMATIONS AND PHYSICAL PROCESSES – (notes from the teacher); 2-1 Introduction; 2-2 Characteristics of the particles to be separated; 2-3 Coagulation theory; 2-4 Sizing the coagulation process; 2-5 Flocculation theory; 2-6 Mixing theory; 2-7 Sizing mixing plants; 2-8 Operation and maintenance; 2.9. Simple gravity separation; 2.10 Improved separation using lamellar packs.

3. REACTORS FOR BIOLOGICAL SUBSTRATE TRANSFORMATION (notes from the teacher) 3.1 Design of a biological reactor with a bi-substrate and population 3.2 Principles of industrial symbiosis between processes for the biological transformation of the substrate and processes with energy production: mass balances, energy balances, and preliminary plant sizing

4. ADSORPTION - C&R, vol. 2 – chap. 17 4.1 Introduction 4.2 The nature of adsorbents 4.3 Equilibrium in adsorption 4.4 Multicomponent adsorption 4.5 Adsorption from gases and liquids 4.6 Equipment and sizing

5. SEPARATION COLUMNS (DISTILLATION, ABSORPTION, AND EXTRACTION) (notes from the teacher) – C&R, vol. 6 – chap. 11 5.1 Introduction and Theoretical Basis of Distillation 5.2 Continuous Distillation: Process Description 5.3 Continuous Distillation: Basic Principles 5.4 Design Variables in the Distillation Process 5.5 Design Methods for Binary Systems 5.6 Multicomponent Distillation: General Considerations 5.7 Multicomponent Distillation: Expeditious Methods for Determining the Number of Stages and Flow Rates 5.8 Multicomponent Systems: Rigorous Solution Procedures (Computer-Based Methods) 5.9 Batch Distillation 5.10 Plate Efficiency 5.11 Rough Column Sizing

6. MEMBRANE SEPARATION PROCESSES – C&R, vol 2 – chap. 8 and lecturer's notes 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Classification of membrane processes 6.3 The nature of synthetic membranes 6.4 General equation for membrane systems 6.5 Microfiltration 6.6 Ultrafiltration 6.7 Reverse osmosis 6.8 Membrane modules and plant configuration 6.9 Membrane fouling 6.10 Electrodialysis 6.11 Reverse osmosis

7. LEACHING - C&R, vol. 2 – chap. 10 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Mass transfer in leaching operations 7.3 Leaching apparatus 7.4 Backwashing of solids 7.5 Calculating the number of stages 7.6 Number of stages for backwashing using graphical methods

1. Coulson & Richardson's Chemical Engineering, vol 6 – Chemical Engineering Design (reference book)

2. Coulson & Richardson's Chemical Engineering, vol 2 - Particle Technology and Separation Processes (reference book)

3. Lecture notes (reference book) Given on pend drive at the first lecture

Oral exam. Elements to be evaluated: relevance of the answers, quality of their contents, ability to connect with other topics within the program, ability to report examples, quality of technical language, and overall expressive ability.