Titanium Used for The Production of Acetone
The acetone is a very important organic compound and solvent in chemical industry. It is usually produced from propylene through the oxidation process. The reaction relies on a catalyst combination composed of copper chloride, palladium chloride, cupric acetate, and hydrochloric acid, which are extremely corrosive. The working temperature is amid 110°C ~ 120°C under the working pressure of 1.0 MPa to 1.2 MPa.
Given the harsh conditions, any equipment except for some non-metallic parts in contact with the catalyst solution shall be made from titanium materials (typically Ti grade 2). These equipment and apparatus include pressure vessels such as carbonylation tubular reactor, flash evaporator, oxidation seperator, catalyst regenerator, cycling pump, tubing, valves, flanges and fittings. Generally commercially pure titanium grade 2 will be applied. In order to avoid crevice corrosion, titanium with palladium addition (Grade 7) or Ti-0.3Mo-0.8Ni (Grade 12) are recommended for the joint material selection such as flange connections.