Sodium methanol production line process design

Sodium Methoxide is an important organic base, which is widely used in pharmaceutical, dyestuff, spice, pesticide and other industries. Its production is usually achieved through the reaction between metallic sodium and methanol. The following is a simplified process flow and main equipment composition of sodium methanol production line.

1 Process flow

1.1 Raw material preparation

- Methanol storage tank: store industrial grade anhydrous methanol to ensure stable raw material supply. Methanol should meet the requirement of high purity to reduce the influence of impurities on the reaction.

- Sodium metal storage tank: store sodium metal, equipped with nitrogen protection system to prevent dangerous reaction when sodium comes into contact with moisture in the air.

- Nitrogen cylinder: used to provide inert gas to ensure that the whole production process is carried out in an oxygen-free environment to prevent sodium from reacting with oxygen.

1.2 Nitrogen replacement

- Nitrogen replacement device: before the reaction, use nitrogen to replace the reactor and pipeline to eliminate oxygen and moisture in the air to ensure the safety and stability of the reaction environment.

1.3 Reaction process

- Reactor: put a fixed amount of sodium metal into the reactor, and then slowly add methanol. During the reaction, the sodium metal reacts with methanol to produce sodium methanol and hydrogen: 

2CH3OH+2Na→2CH3ONa+H2

o The reaction temperature is generally controlled at 60-80°C and the reaction time is 1-2 hours.

o Hydrogen produced during the reaction can be discharged through the exhaust pipe or recycled as fuel.

1.4 Cooling and separation

- Condenser: Methanol volatilised during the reaction is cooled by a condenser and returned to the reactor to reduce raw material losses.

- Hydrogen treatment system: Hydrogen produced by the reaction can be burned through the heat-conducting oil furnace to heat the heat-conducting oil and provide heat for the subsequent drying process.

1.5 Product blending and storage

- Reconciliation storage tank: The sodium methanol solution after the reaction will be pumped into the reconciliation storage tank, and the concentration and quality of the product will be adjusted according to the customer's demand.

- Finished product storage tank: store the qualified sodium methanol solution in the finished product storage tank, waiting for packing and delivery.

1.6 Drying (optional)

- Vacuum dryer: For the products which need solid sodium methanol, liquid sodium methanol can be sent into vacuum dryer for drying to get solid sodium methanol.

- Crusher: the dried solid sodium methanol will be crushed into powder for easy packing and shipping.

1.7 Packaging and storage

- Packing equipment: Pack the finished sodium methanol according to the requirements, using moisture-proof and oxidation-proof packaging materials, such as aluminium foil bags or plastic drums.

- Storage warehouse: Store the finished products in a cool, dry and well ventilated place, avoid direct sunlight and high temperature environment.

2. Main equipment composition

2.1 Raw material supply system

- Methanol storage tank: used for storing industrial grade anhydrous methanol, the capacity is determined according to the production scale.

- Sodium metal storage tank: for storing sodium metal, equipped with nitrogen protection system.

- Nitrogen cylinder: used to provide inert gas to ensure safe operation.

2.2 Reaction system

- Reactor: used for the synthesis reaction of sodium methanol, the volume is selected according to the production scale, usually 1-5 cubic metres. The kettle should be made of corrosion-resistant materials, such as stainless steel or glass fibre reinforced plastic lining.

- Stirrer: used for stirring the reactants to ensure the reaction is carried out evenly.

- Heating system: such as electric heater or steam boiler, used to control the reaction temperature.

- Cooling system: used to control the reaction temperature and prevent overheating.

2.3 Cooling and separation system

- Condenser: used to condense the volatile methanol and reduce the loss of raw materials. You can choose stainless steel condenser or tube condenser.

- Hydrogen treatment system: it is used to treat the hydrogen produced by the reaction to ensure safe discharge or recycling.

2.4 Product blending and storage system

- Reconciliation storage tank: used to adjust the concentration and quality of products, the capacity is determined according to the production scale.

- Finished product storage tank: used to store qualified sodium methanol solution, the capacity is determined according to the production scale.

2.5 Drying system (optional)

- Vacuum dryer: used to dry liquid sodium methanol into solid, suitable for the production of solid sodium methanol.

- Crusher: used to crush the dried solid sodium methanol into powder.

2.6 Packaging and storage system

- Packing equipment: used to pack the finished sodium methanol to ensure product quality and safety. Automatic packaging machine can be used to improve the packaging efficiency.

- Storage warehouse: used for storing the finished products to ensure that the storage conditions meet the requirements. The warehouse should have good ventilation and fire prevention facilities to ensure safety.

2.7 Safety and environmental protection system

- Explosion-proof design: the production equipment should adopt explosion-proof design to ensure safety.

- Ventilation system: the production workshop should be equipped with a good ventilation system to prevent the accumulation of harmful gases and protect the health of employees.

- Exhaust gas treatment system: the exhaust gas generated in the production process should be purified through the exhaust gas treatment system and discharged according to the standard.

- Wastewater treatment system: Wastewater generated in the production process should be treated to remove harmful substances and ensure that it meets the environmental standards and then discharged.

- Waste residue treatment system: the waste residue generated in the production process should be reasonably disposed of to avoid pollution to the environment.

2.8 Automation control system

- PLC/DCS system: adopting advanced automation control system to realise the whole automation operation and ensure the stability and safety of the production process.

- Online monitoring system: real-time monitoring of reaction parameters (such as temperature, pressure, pH value, etc.) through online monitoring instruments, timely adjustment of operating conditions to ensure product quality.

- Remote monitoring system: through the remote monitoring system, real-time grasp of the production situation, timely detection and problem solving, to ensure production safety and stability.

3. Summary

The process flow of sodium methanol production line includes the main steps of raw material preparation, nitrogen replacement, reaction process, cooling and separation, product blending and storage, drying (optional), packaging and storage. The main equipments include reaction kettle, condenser, hydrogen treatment system, blending storage tank, finished product storage tank, vacuum dryer (optional), crusher (optional), packaging equipment and so on. Through reasonable process design and advanced automatic control system, it can improve production efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and ensure product quality and production safety.

If you have specific project requirements or want to know more detailed information, we suggest you contact Shandong Lianlian Heavy Industry, which can provide personalised solutions according to your specific requirements.