ABSTRACT

Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) is one ofthe most essential produced chemicals around the world, as it is used in various applications. The manufacturing process encounters many problems regarding its impact on the environment, like the emissions of sulfur and carbon oxide gases. In the present study, the aim is to minimize the emissions by minimizing the acidification potential (AP) and global warming potential (GWP). For better improvements in the processes’ performance, the other two economic objectives are involved simultaneously in two separate optimization cases. The process simulation was done with Aspen Plus with excel-based multiobjective optimization for minimization of AP and total production cost (TPC), and maximization of product sales (PRS) and minimization of GWP. Some operating conditions (decision variables) were selected to carry out the multiobjective optimization (MOO) such as absorbers’ and reactors’ pressure and raw material flow rates. It was noticed that for the case of minimization of AP and TPC, airflow rate was the most affecting decision variable, whereas the water flow rate decision variable was the key in the case considering the minimization of GWP and maximization of PRS. Results exhibited the potential for MOO for H2SO4 production plant for the considered. Flow rates showed the highest effect on the results.