Benzene Hydrogenation – Achieving Process Heat Integration and Intensification

Choices between plant capital and plant energy efficiency are ever present in our industry.  The hydrogenation of benzene offers a good example of these trade-offs, which are made by process design engineers daily.  The current application of benzene hydrogenation process technologies and how they recover heat will be discussed.  Simple flowsheet modifications for existing technology will be analyzed, and more heat integrated process options will be compared.  Pros and cons to the various choices will be discussed and conclusions drawn for the two primary industrial applications of benzene hydrogenation.