A POLLUTION REDUCTION METHODOLOGY FOR CHEMICAL PROCESS SIMULATORS

A pollution minimization methodology was developed for chemical proces s design using computer simulation. It is based on a pollution balance that at steady state is used to define a pollution index with units o f mass of pollution per mass of products. The pollution balance has be en modified by weighing the mass flowrate of each pollutant by its pot ential environmental impact score. This converts the mass balance into an environmental impact balance. This balance defines an impact index with units of environmental impact per mass of products. The impact i ndex measures the potential environmental effects of process wastes. T hree different schemes for chemical ranking were considered: (i) no ra nking, (ii) simple ranking from 0 to 3, and (iii) ranking by a scienti fically derived measure: of human health and environmental effects. Us e of the methodology is illustrated with two examples from the product ion of (i) methyl ethyl ketone and (ii) synthetic ammonia.