DEVELOPMENT OF A CARBON TETRACHLORIDE INFERENTIAL MODEL ON A VCM PRODUCTION UNIT
Virtual Analyzers, Soft Sensor, Carbon Tetrachloride and VCM Production.
In the production of Vinyl Monochloride (MVC) the 1,2-Dichloroethane (1,2-DCE) must undergo a purification process, as the 1,2-DCE cracking process is highly susceptible to inhibition and deposition by traces of impurities. It must have a purity greater than 99.5 %wt/wt. One of the impurities with the greatest inhibiting capacity in the cracking reaction is the presence of Carbon Tetrachloride (CCl4). Therefore, having an online CCl4 measurement at the output of the 1,2-DCE purification process allows for greater control of the cracking reaction, avoids production losses, allows for an optimization of the process, in addition to generating a reduction in the campaign time of the cracking ovens. The importance of this real-time analysis, the need to control this impurity and the difficulties in maintaining the analytical instruments motivated the work of developing a model for inferring the analysis. The partial results obtained indicate paths of input variables for inference of the composition of CCl4, in addition to a viable virtual analyzer model so that these results can be included in the process control.