INTRODUCTION
SODIUM HYDROXIDE (NaOH)
Sodium hydroxide is sometimes called caustic soda or lye. It is
common ingredient in cleaners and soaps, it is a white, odorless solid. Liquid
sodium hydroxide is colorless and has no odor. It can react with strong acids
and with water, and it is corrosive. NaOH can react with moisture from the air
and may generate heat as it dissolves. This heat can be enough to cause a fire
if it is near flammable materials. NaOH is useful for its ability to alter fats.
NaOH is usually sold in pure form as white pellets or as a solution in water.
Sodium hydroxide is used in bar soaps and detergents, also used as
a drain cleaner to unclog pipes. Around 56% of NaOH produced by industry,
with 25% of NaOH used in the paper industry. Some other uses include fuel
cell production, to cure food, to remove skin from vegetables for canning,
bleach, drain cleaner, oven cleaner, soaps, detergent, paper making, paper
recycling, aluminum ore processing, oxide coating, processing cotton fabric,
pickling, pain relievers, anticoagulants to prevent blood clots, cholesterol
reducing medications, and water treatment.
Sodium hydroxide is a potentially dangerous substance. It can hurt
you if it touches your skin, if you drink it or if you breathe it. Eating or
drinking NaOH can cause severe burns and immediate vomiting, nausea,
diarrhea or chest and stomach pain, as well as swallowing difficulties. Damage
to the mouth, throat, and stomach is immediate. Breathing it can cause severe
irritation of the upper respiratory tract with coughing, burns and difficulty
breathing.
HEAT EXCHANGER
Heat exchanger is a device which transfer heat from one medium to
another, a hydraulic oil cooler or example will remove heat from hot oil by
using cold water or air. Alternatively, a swimming pool heat exchanger uses hot
water from boiler or solar heated water circuit to heat the pool water. Heat is
transferred by conduction through the exchanger materials which separate the
mediums being used. A shell and tube heat exchanger passes fluids through
and tubes, where as an air cooled heat exchanger passes cool air through a
core of fins to cool a liquid.
EVAPORATOR
Evaporator is a type of heat exchanger device that facilitates
evaporation by utilizing conductive and convective heat transfer to provide the
necessary thermal energy for phase transition from liquid to vapor.
The four main components of an evaporator assembly are: (1) tubes
or channel where the refrigerant liquid is circulated, (2) fins or other enhanced
surfaces to increase heat transfer area, (3) a source of heat such as steam or
combustion gases directed over the tubes, and (4) distillation of vapor into an
outlet piping system. Heat is transferred through the tube walls to the liquid
inside via conduction, providing the thermal energy needed for evaporation.
Convective currents inside also contribute to heat transfer efficiency.
CRYSTALLIZER
Crystallizers are used in industry to achieve liquid-solid separation. They are
an important piece of chemical processing equipment because they are capable
of generating high purity products with a relatively low energy input.
Crystallizers can be designed to operate in either batch or continuous mode
(and, rarely, combinations of the two). Batch crystallizers are generally easier to
control and is more flexible. It can operate over a wide range of conditions.
Generally, the key parameter is the rate of generation of super-saturated
expressed in terms of cooling, evaporation or addition rate. Continuous
crystallizers produced a consistent product and are generally smaller and more
energy efficient than batch equipment for the same production rate as they
operate at steady-state. Thus, continuous crystallizers are favored for high
production rate systems. However, they operate over only a narrow range of
conditions, so more process knowledge is generally required to make sure they
produce the required product specification. The only adjustable parameters are
usually the feed rate (and hence residence time) and the super-saturation
generation rate.
REFERENCES
1. Crystallizers – Visual Encyclopedia of Chemical Engineering Equipment.
(2022, April 5). Visual Encyclopedia of Chemical Engineering Equipment
- Home for Visual Encyclopedia of Chemical Engineering Equipment.
https://encyclopedia.che.engin.umich.edu/crystallizers/
2. 100012372. (n.d.). Scribd.
https://www.scribd.com/document/584879952/100012372
3. Sodium Hydroxide. (n.d.).
https://www.tn.gov/health/cedep/environmental/environmental-
health-topics/eht/sodium-hydroxide.html
4. Exchangers, T. H. (n.d.). What is a Heat Exchanger? How do Heat
Exchangers Work? http://www.thermex.co.uk/news/blog/160-what-is-
a-heat-exchanger
5. Evaporator. (2023, October 5). Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evaporator
