Simulation of an Industrial Carbon Black Reactor Using Collision Kinetics

Purpose: Objective of the work was to test efficacy of the proposed flame chemistry and collision kinetics for prediction of process parametres through determination of the effect of basic process parameters on yield (which includes but not limited to grade of carbon black produced). Methodology: The research methodology in this work was simulation of an industrial Carbon Black Reactor based on reaction kinetics from flame chemistry which assumes that primary particle formation and particle growth is strictly by collision of molecular nuclei with gas molecule as proposed by the collision theory. Decant oil from the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU) of the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited of Nigeria represented by naphthalene was used as feedstock in the simulation while methane gas is the fuel for combustion needed to attain the reaction temperature. Findings: Results showed an excellent quantitative prediction of trends by models. Qualitative predictions gave far higher parameter values, something easily attributable to the excessively high values of kinetic data used for model testing. Recommendation: The simplifying assumptions of these models completely ignored microscopic phenomena such as interface mass and heat transfer and other similar processes. Consequently, the model can be improved upon by introducing some of these processes as identified.