INTRODUCTION
A catalyst allows us to activate a chemical reaction and influences the rate of this reaction without undergoing a permanent chemical change. These catalysts are generally very expensive and are usually specific for each individual reaction. It is a reusable agent and is valued throughout the process. It is these parameters that make catalyst recovery very important in any chemical reaction process.
APPLICATION
An intermediate product in the production of Nylon 6 is hexamethylene-diamine. Makers of hexamethylene-diamine use a catalyst called Raney Nickel to complete the reaction process. It is very important that they prevent any carryover of this catalyst off the reactor. If the process stream becomes contaminated with Raney Nickel catalyst, the purification refining columns become plugged and product impurity level increases. In addition, the recovery of the catalyst is desirable since it is expensive to replace. The current method has been random sampling, however substantial amounts of catalyst can travel down the process before being detected. This contributes to downstream maintenance issues along with valuable loss of catalyst. Continuous in-line monitoring is an important step in reducing carryover.
SOLUTION
The Monitek acoustic suspended solids monitor will continuously check the process and will immediately detect the presence of catalyst that has been carried over. The Monitek unit warns the operator of the smallest quantities of contaminants before they reach the refining columns. This enables him to take immediate action.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
The sensors can be constructed from materials that are compatible with the process liquid.
