Alfa Laval's Compabloc is saving both money and space for Rhodia in Brazil
The Rhodia petrochemical company operates 110 factories worldwide. When the company needed a new reboiler for its petrochemical plant at Paulínia, Brazil, Rhodia turned to Alfa Laval for a solution.
DATE 2023-11-28
The result was the installation of a Compabloc thermosiphon reboiler at the base of a stripping tower that separates alcohol from water. Deciding on the extremely compact Compabloc solution instead of installing a traditional shell-and-tube reboiler enabled Rhodia to save both money and space.
The reboiler installed in the Paulínia plant is a good example of the Compabloc thermosiphon reboiler concept – the most compact reboiler solution available on the market today. The installation is also a good example of how well Compabloc welded heat exchangers are suited for condensing and reboiling duties.
The compact, fully welded Compabloc heat exchanger is designed to operate with a wide range of aggressive media and at high temperatures and pressures.
The Compabloc reboiler has a smaller hold-up volume than a shell-and-tube, which means the start-up process is quicker. The Compabloc also reacts more rapidly to changes in control parameters, which makes operation both simpler and more efficient.
Claudio Thiele, Process operator