POLYOL PLANT

Presented by
Mohanasundaram
WHAT IS POLYOL?
 The term polyol in organic chemistry is used
for low molecular weight organic substances
having more than two hydroxyl group.
 Example

 glycerol,
 sorbitol
 propylene glycol
TYPES OF POLYOL
POLYETHER POLYOL
POLYESTER POLYOL
POLYURETHANE
POLYURETHANE
BASIC CHEMISTRY
ISOCYANATES
TERMS
 Starters : Polyhydroxyl raw materials such as
glycerine, Dipropylene glycol,sucrose
 Initiator: Dried KOH saponified starter. This
is the product made in mix drum
 Prepolymer or base: Low molecular weight
(typically 300-800) intermediate made from
initiator
 Crude polyol : Polyol before pottassium
removal and stripping
 The production of polyol involves the stepwise
addition of propylene oxide and ethylene
oxide to an active hydroxyl group.
 KOH is used as a catalyst
 Inititator is prepared by addition of KOH to a
polyhydroxyl starter i.e glycerine, TEA,sugar
etc to form an alkoxide
 Incase of glycerine reaction, water is next
removed to prevent the formation of diols in
the triol products.
 In the case of DPG reaction water is removed
to get a uniform molecular product
 Water removal is not required for most rigid
polyol initiator.
 After the removal of water, the initiator reactor
with oxides to form a prepolymer.
 The prepolymer further reacted with PO or PO/EO
mixture to make a final product.
 The oxide addition occurs at any one of the
hydroxyl site.
 Glycerine based polymers are called triols because
there are three active hydroxyl sites on the
glycerine molecule
 DPG based polymers are called diols because there
are two active hydroxyl sites on the DPG molecule
 The major impurity in the polyol product is unsaturates. Unsaturates
are formed when PO isomerizes to allyl alcohol and the allyl alcohol
further reacts with PO to form monol
 Polyol OH number is one standard empirical measurement of product
quality. OH number is the function of starter functionality and polyol
molecular weight
 Fine tuning of reactor feeds to determine the specific oxides to
starter ratio necessary to produce consistent specification grade
polyol.
 Factors affecting reactor efficiencies are the water content of
PO,EO, activated glycerine and the unsaturation level of the final
product.
 The crude polyol contains the potassium ion catalyst in the form of
alkoxide.
RO-K+ + H2O ------ ROH + KOH
 For most polyols magnesium silicate powder is used to absorb the
KOH before filtration to remove the potassium from the product.
After crystal growth is completed filtration is used to remove the
salts.
INITIATOR PREPARATION
 Initiator is prepared in mix drum by adding KOH to the starter.
 Liquid starters are pumped from storage to the mix drum and
solid starters such as sucrose are charged through the solid
hopper.
 The amount of KOH which is added to the reactor is the quantity
necessary to produce a pre-determined activated concentration
in the prepolymer material
 The liquid KOH solution is mixed with the starter using the
agitator in the mix drum.
 The starter is saponified, water is produced and heat is evolved.
 Water produced is removed by vacuum stripping in mix drum
and the heat required to evaporate water in supplied external
steam jacket and also the heat evolved from the reaction.
 This is to minimize the formation of glycols which would further
react with oxides to form polyether diols
PREPOLYMER REACTION
 Prepolymer is produced by reacting PO with the initiator.
 The initiator is gravity fed to the reactor from the mix drum
 PO is slowly added to the reactor to control the reaction
rate.
 The reaction is exothermic and the heat is removed by
circulating the reactor mass through the tempered water
cooled exchanger.
 The reactor contents are mixed using an agitator to ensure
uniform temperature, oxide concentration and molecular
weight distribution.
 The prepolymer molecular weight is determined by the
amount of Po which is reacted with the initiator.
 The prepolymer is transferred to the prepolymer storage
vessel
POLYMER PRODUCT REACTION
 The required quantity of prepolmer is transferred from the prepolymer storage
vessel to the reactor
 After the reaction initiating temperature is reached, PO and Eo is added slowly
 The polymer reaction is highly exothermic
 The reaction rate is controlled by a recipe driven preset temperature dependency.
 The heat is removed by circulating the reactor mass through the tempered water
cooled exchanger.
 For all products, a predetermined quantity of PO and or EO is added to the
prepolymer to control the polymer molecular weight and OH number.
 After the oxide feed step is complete, the excess oxide which accumulates during
the feed step is allowed to react at a higher temperature called the soak step,
until the oxide concentration is reduced.
 This completes the reaction step for non- capped products.
 To complete the initial step of capped products, the un-reacted PO is stripped
from the polymer.
 Capped product requires an additional reaction step in which only EO is added to
the intermediate molecular weight polymer.
 The capping step is highly exothermic. Since the reaction rate of EO is seven times
higher than PO.
TREATOR
 Crude polyol from reactor is transferred to treator
 The potassium is neutralized by adding pyro phosphate or
magnesium silicate
 The solids are added through the hopper or solid preparatory
vessel.
 The system is agitated to keep the powder suspended in the
polymer and provide adequate surface for the neutralization
process.
 The water in the powder hydrolyzes potassium to KOH which is
then adsorbed on the surface of the solids.
 Then water is stripped and the heat to evaporate water is
provided by steam through the jackets
 The solid/KOH complex is removed from the polyol by filtration.
 The treater pump circulates polyol from the treater through
filter and back into the treater to pre-coat the filter leaves.
CHARACTERISTICS OF POLYOL
 There are several key characteristics which define what performance properties a given
high functionality polyether polyol will impart in a given polyurethane coating. 
 These characteristics include:  the hydroxyl number or hydroxyl value  (OH value), OH
equivalent weight, molecular weight, and the functionality of the polyol.

 Hydroxyl number (OH ) is the measure of the hydroxyl group content of gram of
polyol.  Hydroxyl value is measured by titrating a known mass of polyol against
potassium hydroxide (KOH), and is expressed as mg KOH/g.  Lower hydroxyl values
indicates lower hydroxyl content and a higher molecular weight for the overall polyol.

 OH equivalent weight is the number of grams of a given product that contains one
equivalent of  hydroxyl groups (NCO).  Equivalent weight = 56100/OH
 Molecular Weight is determined by multiplying the equivalent weight by the polyol
functionality

 Polyol functionality refers to the number of OH groups per  molecule.  Increasing

the number of OH groups results in greater crosslinking.  Greater crosslinking yields
stiffer, harder products with enhanced chemical and thermal resistance.  Polyols that
contain 2 hydroxyl groups are called diols, polyols with 3 functional groups are called
triols, polyol groups with 4 hydroxyl groups are called tetrols.
 Interlocks

[Link] SD sequence Tag No Conditions Actions

1 Emergency vent to flare 03 HS 201 Hard wired PB pressed 03 PSV 016 pilot safety opens
        03XV211,03XV 216 closes
        03XV201, 03XV230,03XV229 closes
        03TV201opens
        p323 stops and hence 03XV231 closes
        03XV701 opens
         
2 Reactor pressure high trip 03PSH 201A/B/C Pressure high set 6kg/cm2g 03 PSV 016 pilot safety opens
    03 PSHH 201 A/B/C Pressure high high set 6.2kg/cm2g 03XV211,03XV 216 closes
        03XV239, 03XV213 opens
        03TC201opens
        Max cool actions
        03XV701 opens
         

3 Reactor temperature high trip 03TSH 203/4/5 Temp high high set 135 degC 03 PSV 016 pilot safety opens
    03 TSHH 203 /4/5 Temp high set 130 degC 03XV211,03XV 216 closes
        03XV239, 03XV213 opens
        03TC201opens
        Max cool actions
        03XV701 opens
         
4 EO high flow trip 03FSH201 EO flow high 1800kg/hr 03XV211 EO first block valve closes
        03 XV 213 opens
         
5 PO high flow trip 03FSH202 PO flow high 2800kg/hr 03XV216 PO first block valve closes
        03 XV 239 opens
6 Max cool 03HS202 Hardwired PB pressed 03TC201 ,03PC204 opens
        03XV239,03XV230 closes
        p323 stops and hence 03XV231 closes
 BASE POLYOL

Anti Cloud
Moist Na & K Fre po
Product OH Visocosity Density oxidant point Functiona
Starter ure (ppm Colour pH ( % wt/wt Applications
Name Number (cPs) (g/cc) (ppm deg lity
( %) wt/wt) )
wt/wt) celsius

0.1
GP 400   280 250                 starter
max
0.1ma
GP1640                       starter
x

PP1050                         starter

ELASTOMER TYPE

1.000
base molecular
2E400 250 ~ 270 70 ~ 90 ~~1.02 1500 min  
weight
0

1.000
E1000 105 ~ 115 140 ~ 180 ~~     Anti foaming
1.020
50 max
1.000
MPG(or
E2000 53 ~ 58 280 ~ 340 0.1ma ~~   6.0 ~~   Anti foaming
)DPG + 10 max 0.50 max 2
x 1.020 7.5
KOH
1.015
E4000 27 ~ 29 800 ~ 1000 ~~     Anti foaming
1.025
31.5 ~
33.5 / 1.015
E4022 27 ~ 29/ 650 ~ 850 ~~   100 max 48 ~~ 54 Shoe sole
48 ~ 1.025
54(cld pt)
 FLEXIBLE TYPE

low molecular
weight
F1000 163 ~ 173 225 ~ 275   1500min  
for special
appication
1.01
F3000 54 ~ 57 450 ~ 550 ~~  
1.02
1.005 0.50 max
F3002 55 ~ 57 451 ~ 550 ~~  
1.015 flexible faom
4500min
1.005 stock
F3502 46 ~ 48 500 ~ 700 0.1ma ~~  
x 1.015
GLYCERI 1.015
F4002 NE 40 ~ 42 600 ~ 800 ~~  
+ 1.025 15 max 100 max 6.0 ~~ 7.5 3
KOH 55 ~~ 60/ triol cold cure
41 ~ 43/34 1.015
57 ~~ mould,
F4922 ~ 36/ 1100 ~~ 2200min 0.01 max
60(haritha furniture &
54 ~ 58 1.025
) seating

F5000 30 ~ 32     4500 min    

0.50 max
1.080
1300 ~ 0.2
F6080 26 ~ 30 ~~   cell opener
1900 max
1.100
2200 min 56 ~~ 62/ triol cold cure
30 ~ 32/26 1.015
0.1 58 ~~ mould,
F6522 ~ 28/ 1500 ~~ 0.01 max
max 60(haritha integral skin
56 ~ 61 1.025
) & seating
 RIGID TYPE
9
3500 ~ 2200
R1283   420 ~ 460   75 max max( gardn      
4000 min
er)
SUGAR(85%)
1.080
+ 4800 ~ 2200mi
R1400 380 ~ 420 ~~ 75 max 6 max 0.05 max   7.7
SORBITOL(15 6250 n
1.100
%)
3000 ~
R3700   420 ~ 460              
4000
8000 ~
R5600   480 ~ 500              
10000
1.035
TRIEHYLENE 325 ~
R400 390 ~ 430 ~~ 75 max   7 max     4
AMINE 425
1.055
1.080
SORBITOL + 8000 ~ 1500mi
R700 470 ~ 490 ~~ 75 max 8 max 0.50 max     insulation,
WATER 10000 n
0.2ma 1.100 panel,
1.080
SORBITOL + 8000 ~ x 1500mi thermoware &
R646 480 ~~ 75 max 8 max     6 pipe section
KOH 9000 n
1.100 6.0 ~~ 7.5
15000
1500mi
R848 SUGAR + KOH 410 ~   75max 8 max     8
n
16000
dark
8000 ~ 1500mi
R444 OTDA + KOH 420   75 max reddish,     4
9000 n
brown
R3844 SUGAR + KOH                 8
8000 ~
R3845 SUGAR + KOH 480             8
9000

SORBITOAL
1500 ~
R2634 + 310              
2500
GLYCERIENE

116 ~
120/100 ~
GYLCERIENE
2FEJ422 104/                    
+ TPG
78 ~ 82
(cld pt)
 SYSTEM POLYOL
[Link] Grade Application Customer

1 1-8HLD Seatings Karur balaji,Select

foam,pinnacle,kawasiki
Flexible
2 1-8HLD V Seatings Vorrac
3 300/10L Seatings Lear
4 HST 200/11 Thermoware Milton
5 HSR 200/2XF Spray application -
6 HSR 200/6XF Pipe support Bearshell,Lloyds,suraksha
7 Rigids HSR 200/7XF Panel application -
8 HSR 200/9XF PIR  
9 PST 200/1 Appliance Whirlpool
10 MST 200/11 Thermoware Milton

11 Shoe sole WSF 300/3 Shoe sole VKC, Chinthamani,Vcube

12 Integaral MSF 300/4 Hosiptal bed, arm rest,

Ragam Poly,ammul poly,sriram foams
13 skin MSF 400/4p airport seat

14 Flexibond 101 Binder Supereme

15 SWP 104 Water proof coating -

Prepolymer
16 STP131 Leak arrest,crack seal -

17 SFU 140 Spray coating