ABSTRACT
The design of a large process plant is a quite complex activity which is carried out in stages over a period of time and involves people of many disciplines. The decisions which are made in the early stages, particularly those concerning the process route are influenced by diverse circumstances: research and development, which define the technical possibilities and constraints; safety, health and environmental studies which indicate further constraints; economical studies that indicate the productions costs and sales returns together with the sensitivity to the various factors (Lees, 1996).
