Modification of existing processes for the use of flue gas and polyethylene waste as raw materials with an applied intelligent calculation technique

Raw material selection is very important in industrial production, and technical, environmentally sustainable and economic criteria must be taken into account. Purified flue gas and useless polyethylene waste are proposed for use as sustainable raw materials, thus minimizing wastes and emissions and protecting the environment. The use of flue gas in this way could reduce CO2 emissions by 1.9 106 kmol/a. This study uses an applied intelligent calculation technique to analyze the replacement of natural gas with wastes. This technique includes applied upgrades and offers environmental benefits: Modification of existing processes with well-known technology, using wastes as raw materials Predicting constant applied assumptions of industrial production within effective process units with sensitivity analyses using the Aspen Plus simulator Using mathematical calculations to determine optimal and sustainable production rates and energy and raw material consumption. The constant applied assumptions provide measurable effects on optimal sustainable product production with the same quality. This technique was tested on an industrial methanol process, replacing natural gas with purified flue gas and useless polyethylene waste. By determining constant applied production assumptions within effective reactors, a hypothetical plant could generate an additional profit of 3.8 MEUR/a. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Institution of Chemical Engineers.