Chemical Engineering June 2023 - 9

World's largest double, re-slurry crystallization
unit starts up in China
L
ast month, the world's largest
double re-slurry para-xylene
crystallization unit was started as
part of Shenghong Refining and
Chemicals Co. Ltd.'s integrated refining/
chemicals project
in Lianyungang, Jiangsu
Province, China. Double re-slurry
crystallization takes advantage of freezing-point
differences among the three
xylene isomers to separate and purify
para-xylene. The unit, capable of producing
2.8 million metric tons per year of
para-xylene, uses double re-slurry crystallization
to separate para-xylene from a
feed containing ortho- and meta-xylenes,
as well as other aromatic compounds.
Crystallization technology for separating
xylene isomers was originally developed
by BP (now INEOS Aromatics)
and competes with conventional separation
technologies relying on selective
adsorption and desorption. Over
time, the technology has been refined
and improved, with double re-slurry
crystallization being first introduced
to the marketplace in 2010. Lummus
Technology LLC (Houston; Tex.; www.
lummustechnology.com) is now the
worldwide licensor for the technology.
The full para-xylene unit has an isomerization
section, a fractionation section,
and then the crystallization section
with a recycle loop. The double
re-slurry crystallization technology
evolved from an original process with
two refrigerated crystallization stages
into a highly energy-efficient process
that employs a refrigerated crystallization
stage, followed by two re-slurry
stages. With this arrangement, no additional
refrigeration is required beyond
the first stage. As Lummus Technology
business development director Steven
Cho explains, double re-slurry crystallization
has several advantages over
competing para-xylene purification approaches,
including greater energy efficiency
and lower emissions, because
of crystallization's lower energy requirements
in fractionation, and lower capital
cost, because one of the crystallization
stages is eliminated.
was found to have protein content
in the range of 62 to 65%, which is
relatively high compared to other
algal and fungal microorganisms.
G. sulphuraria proteins also contain
all essential amino acids, and are
rich in cysteine and methionine.
G. sulphuraria also contains a
high concentration of a natural
blue pigment commonly used as
a colorant in cosmetics and food.
The researchers developed a mixotrophic
production process to
increase the concentration of the
blue pigment, and demonstrated
the process in a 1,300-L pilot bioreactor
at Wageningen University.
NEW FOODS
The University of Bath (U.K.; www.
bath.ac.uk) will lead a new sevenyear,
£12-million ($15-million) project
to develop new approaches to
making food products. The Cellular
Agriculture Manufacturing Hub is
being funded by the Engineering
and Physical Sciences Research
Council, under its Manufacturing
Research Hubs for a Sustainable
Future initiative. The multidisci(Continues
on p. 10)
CHEMCAD process simulation
software can't bake the
perfect cake.
But it can handle your recipe for plant design.
CHEMCAD models your tough chemistry, makes effi cient use of
your simulation time, and let's you pay for the power you need,
when you need it. Contact us today for a free trial.
CHEMSTATIONS.COM/CAKE15
ChemE's
HAVE A NEW
SUPER
HERO.
Discover CHEMCAD NXT -
The evolution of simulation software
For details visit adlinks.chemengonline.com/84648-04
23-CMS-9119 CE NXT Cake 7x4.875 May.indd 1
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM
JUNE 2023
5/3/23 2:37 PM
9
http://www.lummustechnology.com http://bath.ac.uk http://adlinks.chemengonline.com/84648-04 http://WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM
Chemical Engineering June 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering June 2023
