Design of Tanks for Storing Inventory for the

Manufacturing of 100 TPM of Phosphoric Acid

Department of Chemical Engineering

Submitted by:
BT24CME006
BT24CME012
BT24CME067
BT24CME072
BT24CME073
BT24CME097
About the Chemical to be Manufactured
Phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄) is one of the most important inorganic chemicals, widely used in
fertilizers, food processing, detergents, and surface treatment industries. In industry, it is
mainly produced by the wet process, where phosphate rock reacts with sulfuric acid to
produce phosphoric acid along with gypsum as a byproduct. This method is preferred because
it is cost-effective and suitable for large-scale production.

Physical and Chemical Properties

Molecular formula: H₃PO₄
Molar mass: 98 g/mol
Appearance: Colourless liquid
Density: 1.65 g/cm³
Melting point: 42.4 °C
Boiling point: 158 °C
Solubility: Completely miscible with water, dissolution is exothermic
Acid strength: Weak acid (can donate three protons)
Corrosivity: Dilute solutions are safe for food use, but concentrated acid is highly corrosive

Chemical Reaction (Wet Process)

In wet-process phosphoric acid production, phosphate rock is digested with sulfuric acid to
produce phosphoric acid. During this process, impurities such as fluorides are released,
mainly in the form of hydrofluoric acid (HF) and silicon tetrafluoride (SiF₄). These fluorides
are highly corrosive, toxic, and harmful to both equipment and the environment. Therefore,
controlling and removing HF from the acid stream is a critical step in ensuring product
quality and environmental compliance.
Main reaction:

Ca5(PO4)3F+5H2SO4+10H2O→3H3PO4+5CaSO4⋅2H2O+HF

Fluoride side reactions:

2HF + SIO₂ → SiF₄ + 2H₂O
3SiF₄ + 2H₂O → 2H₂SiF6 + SiO₂
The most efficient method for removing HF (hydrofluoric acid) from wet-process phosphoric
acid is by adding lime [Ca(OH)₂]. This method is commonly used because:
 It removes about 97–98% of fluoride.
 It is cheap and works well on a large scale.
 It makes solid CaF₂, which is easy to filter out.
 It is simpler than other advanced methods.
Other methods like wet scrubbing and liquid–liquid extraction are also used, but for directly
cleaning the acid, lime treatment is the most reliable and effective.
Products:
 Phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄) – desired product
 Gypsum (CaSO₄·2H₂O) – byproduct
 Hydrogen fluoride (HF) – minor byproduct
Significance:
 This wet-process route is the most common industrial method.
 Gypsum formed can be used in cement and construction industries.
 The reaction is exothermic and needs proper control for efficiency.

Process Flow Diagram

Process Description
1. Raw material feeding: Finely ground phosphate rock is mixed with concentrated sulfuric
acid and water in a reactor.
2. Reaction: An exothermic reaction takes place, producing phosphoric acid and gypsum as a
byproduct.
3. Slurry handling: The reaction mixture forms a slurry, which is sent for solid–liquid
separation.
4. Filtration: Gypsum is filtered out, washed to recover residual acid, and either discarded or
sold.
5. Acid purification: The filtrate containing phosphoric acid is clarified to remove
impurities.
6. Concentration: The purified acid is then concentrated to the required strength, depending
on whether it will be used for fertilizers, food processing, or industrial applications.
7. Storage: The final product is stored in corrosion-resistant tanks (such as stainless steel or
rubber-lined steel) equipped with proper venting and monitoring instruments.

Material Balance Calculations:

Main Reaction:
Ca₅(PO₄)₃F + 5 H₂SO₄ + 10 H₂O → 3 H₃PO₄ + 5 CaSO₄·2H₂O + HF
(Fluorapatite) (Sulphuric acid) (Water) (Phosphoric acid) (Gypsum) (Hydrofluoric acid)

(Main product)

Stoichiometric Analysis (all compounds taken as kmol):

Ca₅(PO₄)₃F (1 kmol) H₃PO₄ (3 kmol)
+ +
H₂SO₄ (5 kmol) → CaSO₄.2H₂O (5 kmol)
+ +
H₂O (10 kmol) HF (1 kmol)
Basis of Calculation:

 1000 tonnes H₃PO₄ / year

 No. of operating days = 300 days
 No. of operating months = 10 months
 Product rate = 3.33 tonnes H₃PO₄ / day

Molar Mass (g/mol) Mass Required (kgs) Mass Required

Normalised for 1000
tonnes of H₃PO₄ as
basis (in tonnes)
Reactants Ca₅(PO₄)₃F = 504 504 × 106 1714
H₂SO₄ = 98 490 × 10⁶ 1667
H₂O = 18 180 × 10⁶ 612

Molar Mass (g/mol) Mass of Products Mass of Products

(kgs) Normalised for 1000
tonnes of H₃PO₄ as
basis (in tonnes)
Products H₃PO₄ = 98 294 × 10⁶ 1000
CaSO₄.2H₂O = 172 860 × 10⁶ 2925
HF = 20 20 × 10⁶ 680

Limiting Reagent and Excess Reagent

 Fluorapatite (Phosphate rock) is taken as a limiting reagent because sulphuric acid is
generally supplied in excess to ensure complete reaction of fluorapatite. If sulphuric
acid is limiting, fluorapatite remains unreacted, reducing yield.
Designing of Storage Tank

Calculations for volume of chemicals:

 Phosphoric acid

Mass of Phosphoric acid produced is 1000 tonnes per annum (10 months as days
of operation = 300)
For the storing inventory of 1 month:

Mass of phosphoric acid = 100 tonnes per month

Density of phosphoric acid = 1650 kg/m3

Volume = Mass / Density =100,000 / 1,650 = 60.6 m3

Given that, H/D = 1.5

Using formula for volume of cylinder:

V = (π/4) × D² × H

Substitute H = 1.5D:
V = (π/4) × D² × (1.5D) = (1.5π/4) × D³

Now solve for D³:

D³ = (4V) / (1.5π)

Substituting V:
D³ = (4 × 60.6) / (1.5 × 3.1416) = 242.44 / 4.7124 = 51.46
D (diameter) = ³√51.46 = 3.72 m

H (height) = 1.5×D = 1.5×3.73 = 5.58 m

 Sulphuric acid

Mass of Sulphuric acid required is 1667 tonnes per annum (10 months as days of
operation = 300)
For the storing inventory of 1 month:

Mass of sulphuric acid = 166.7 tonnes per month

Density of sulphuric acid = 1826 kg/m3
 Volume = Mass / Density = 166,700 / 1,826 = 91.3m3

Given that, H/D = 1.5

Using formula for volume of cylinder:

V = (π/4) × D² × H

Substitute H = 1.5D:
V = (π/4) × D² × (1.5D) = (1.5π/4) × D³

Now solve for D³:

D³ = (4V) / (1.5π)

Substituting V:
D³ = (4 × 91.3) / (1.5 × 3.1416) = 365.2 / 4.7124 = 77.497
D (diameter) = ³√77.497 = 4.27 m

H (height) = 1.5×D = 1.5×4.27 = 6.4 m

 Water

Mass of Water required is 612 tonnes per annum (10 months as days of operation
= 300)
For the storing inventory of 1 month:

Mass of water = 61.2 tonnes per month

Density of water = 1000 kg/m3

Volume = Mass / Density = 61,200 / 1000 = 61.2m3

Given that, H/D = 1.5

Using formula for volume of cylinder:

V = (π/4) × D² × H

Substitute H = 1.5D:
V = (π/4) × D² × (1.5D) = (1.5π/4) × D³

Now solve for D³:

D³ = (4V) / (1.5π)
 Substituting V:
D³ = (4 × 61.2) / (1.5 × 3.1416) = 244.8 / 4.7124 = 51.94
D (diameter) = ³√51.94 = 3.73 m

H (height) = 1.5×D = 1.5×3.73 = 5.6m

 Fluorapatite (Phosphate rock)

This is hard solid and thus stored in industrial hoppers and hence doesn’t require any
storage tanks.

 Handling of by-products (Gypsum and Hydrofluoric Acid)

 Gypsum is removed from the product mixture via filtration and collected.
 HF (Hydrofluoric acid) is removed through chemical precipitation using lime
(Ca(OH)2). It produces solid CaF2 which can be easily filtered afterwards.
2HF + Ca(OH)2 → CaF2↓ + 2H2O
This method is widely used in industries as it achieves fluoride removal
efficiencies of 97-98%.

Material Selection for Storage Tanks

 For Phosphoric Acid Storage Tank

 Rubber-Lined Carbon Steel :-

Phosphoric acid produced by the wet chemical process contains many
impurities like fluorides, sulphates etc. These impurities originate from the
phosphate rock used in the process and the reaction with sulfuric acid. Due to
the presence of these impurities, the phosphoric acid produced is highly
corrosive in nature and hence need stronger and durable material which in this
case is taken as rubber-lined carbon steel (ASTM A516 GRADE 70), same as
for the case of a stronger acid like sulphuric acid.

 For Sulphuric Acid Storage Tank

 Rubber-Lined Carbon Steel :-

Material for the manufacturing of storage tank is Rubber Lined Carbon Steel.
Rubber lining done inside the storage tank provide good durability and
corrosion protection. A specific grade of steel is used i.e. ASTM A516
GRADE 70.

 For Water
  High Density Polyethylene (HDPE):-
These plastics are corrosion-resistant, durable, and cost-effective suitable for
storing clean or treated process water.

Calculating various parameters for designing of storage tanks

1. For Phosphoric acid tank

For the material Rubber-lined steel,
the yield stress (σ ) = 260 MPa
Semi-vertical angle of cone (θ) = 45o = 0.7854 rad
Mass of Phosphoric acid = 100 tonnes = 105 kg
Density (ρf) = 1650 kg/m3
Volume = 60.6 m3
Joint Efficiency (J) = 85%
Height of liquid column (H) = 5.58m
Diameter of liquid column (D) = 3.72m

Absolute Pressure (P) = Patm + Pgauge = 101325 + ρgh

= 101325 + 1650×9.81×5.58
= 101325 + 90,378.57
= 191700 Pa

 To safely store 60.6m³ of phosphoric acid, the tank capacity is increased by 10% as a
typical safety margin for chemical storage.

Total required volume of tank = 66.66m³.

For H/D = 1.5
Inner Diameter of tank (Di) = 3.84m
Height of the tank (H) = 5.76m
Area of Cross-Section (A) = 11.58m2

Calculating various types of thickness :

 t = 191700×3.84 / 2×260×106×0.85 - 191700
= 1.67mm
tc = 191700×3.84 / 4×260,000,000×0.85×sin(0.7854)
= 1.18mm
tb = (3×1650×5.76×134.13 / 884,000,000) ^ (1/3)

= 65.9mm

2. For Sulphuric acid tank

For the material Rubber-lined steel,
the yield stress (σ ) = 260 MPa
Semi-vertical angle of cone (θ) = 45o = 0.7854 rad
Mass of Sulphuric acid = 166.7 tonnes = 1.667×105 kg
Density (ρf) = 1826 kg/m3
Volume = 91.3 m3
Joint Efficiency (J) = 85%
Height of liquid column (H) = 6.4m
Diameter of liquid column (D) = 4.27m

Absolute Pressure (P) = Patm + Pgauge = 101325 + ρgh

= 101325 + 1826×9.81×6.4
= 215900 Pa

 To safely store 91.3m³ of sulphuric acid, the tank capacity is increased by 10% as a
typical safety margin for chemical storage.
 Total required volume of tank = 100.43m³.
For H/D = 1.5
Inner Diameter of tank (Di) = 4.43m
Height of the tank (H) = 6.65m
Area of Cross-Section (A) = 15.41m2

Calculating various types of thickness :

t = 215900×4.43 / 2×260×106×0.85 - 215900

= 2.03mm
tc = 215900×4.43 / 4×260×106×0.85×sin(0.7854)
= 1.43mm
tb = (3×1826×6.65×237.47 / 884,000,000) ^ (1/3)

= 100.7mm

3. For Water tank

For the material HDPE,
the yield stress (σ ) = 21 MPa
Semi-vertical angle of cone (θ) = 45o = 0.7854 rad
Mass of Sulphuric acid = 61.2 tonnes = 0.612×105 kg
Density (ρf) = 1000 kg/m3
Volume = 61.2 m3
Joint Efficiency (J) = 85%
Height of liquid column (H) = 5.6m
Diameter of liquid column (D) = 3.73m

Absolute Pressure (P) = Patm + Pgauge = 101325 + ρgh

= 101325 + 1000×9.81×5.6
= 156260 Pa

 To safely store 61.2m³ of water, the tank capacity is increased by 10% as a typical
safety margin for chemical storage.

Total required volume of tank = 67.32m³.

For H/D = 1.5
Inner Diameter of tank (Di) = 3.85m
 Height of the tank (H) = 5.77m
Area of Cross-Section (A) = 11.63m2

Calculating various types of thickness :

t = 156260×3.85 / 2×21×106×0.85 - 156260

= 16.9 mm
tc = 156260×3.85 / 4×21×106×0.85×sin(0.7854)
= 11.9 mm
tb = (3×1000×5.77×135.257 / 71,400,000) ^ (1/3)

= 181.4 mm

Final Results
Sr. no Tank no. Chemical Material used Capacity Dimensions Thickness (mm)
(m3) H × D (m2) t tc tb
1 T-9773 H₃PO₄ Rubber-lined 66.66 5.76 × 3.84 1.67 1.18 65.9
carbon steel
2 T-0612 H₂SO₄ Rubber-lined 100.43 6.65 × 4.43 2.03 1.43 100.7
carbon steel
3 T-6772 H2O HDPE 67.32 3.85 × 5.77 16.9 11.9 181.4

Measures To Prevent Collapsing of Storage Tank

 Corrosion resistant materials should be taken such as HDPE, Carbon-Steel with

rubber lining, 316L stainless steel for storage of corrosive acids.
 Tanks should have pressure relief vents to avoid vacuum pressure inside the tank.
 Temperature of tanks should be measured from time to time to avoid excessive
thermal expansion which can lead to weakening of structures.
 Tank capacity is taken more than the volume of chemical to be stored to avoid
overfilling and spilling of chemical.
 Regular inspection and maintenance of the storage tanks should be adopted to avoid
any losses.