Brapecan: indústria de polietileno verde

Abstract

The use of plastics is highlighted in numerous industrial sectors, since they have properties that favor its use when compared to other materials. However, plastic resins, in general, originate from petroleum naphtha, a non­renewable source of energy, which has numerous environmental effects. Thus, there is a need to develop new technologies that use more sustainable routes for the production of these resins. An alternative that stands out in the polymer market is the production of high­density polyethylene through renewable sources, such as ethanol from sugar cane, being classified as a bioplastic. In its production process, it promotes a reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases, acting directly on the carbon sequestration of the atmosphere, since it removes an average of 2.5 tons of carbon dioxide for each ton of green polyethylene produced. The production process of green polyethylene is summarized in the production of ethanol, followed by its catalytic dehydration to obtain ethylene, which will ultimately serve as a basis for the polymerization process.Thus, the work aims to develop the project for a green polyethylene industrial unit, Brapecan. The project presents the market and target audience analysis, company characteristics, location decision, detailed industrial process, material and energy balance, energy integration, company layout, dimensioning and specification of the equipment involved and financial analysis. Also implemented during the process: a green butene production plant to guarantee a fully renewable polymer composition and a CO2 capture, purification and condensation plant, aiming at its commercialization. To carry out the energy balance, codes were developed using complex state equations, rigorous distillation tower design methods and determination of binary iteration parameters by adjusting experimental data. Favorable values were found for the implementation of the industry, with an TIR of 21.01% and payback of 6 years and 8 months from the beginning of the operation