DL Methionine Production from Acrolein and Methyl Mercaptan

This report proffers an exhaustive cost evaluation of the production of DL-Methionine from acrolein and methyl mercaptan. This multi-step process involves reactions like mercaptan synthesis, condensation, amination, hydrolysis, and decarboxylation. In this process, firstly methyl mercaptan (methanol and hydrogen sulfide are reacted to produce methylmercaptan) is condensed with acrolein using a base catalyst. The resulting methylmercaptopropionaldehyde (MMP) undergoes hydrolysis, amination with ammonia, and decarboxylation at high temperature. The crude DL-methionine formed is purified by crystallization or ion-exchange chromatography. 

Sodium hydroxide solution is added to this and heated to give salts of dl-methionine, followed by heating the mixture, cooling the dl-methionine solution, decolorizing, and neutralizing to obtain precipitated dl-methionine, led by the addition of hydrochloric acid to completely precipitate dl-methionine followed by filtering and evaporation of hydrochloric acid to give pure dl-methionine finally.

The project economic analysis provided in the report discusses a Germany-based plant:

• Manufacturing Process
  • Process Flow
  • Material Flow
  • Material Balance
• Raw Material and Product's Specifications
  • Raw Material Consumption
  • Product and Co-Product Generation
  • Capital Investment
• Land and Site Cost
  • Offsites/Civil Works
  • Equipment Cost
  • Auxiliary Equipment Cost
  • Contingency
  • Engineering and Consulting Charges
  • Working Capital
• Variable Cost
  • Raw Material
  • Utilities
• Fixed Cost
  • Labor Requirement & Wages
  • Overhead Expenses
  • Maintenance Charges
• Financing Costs
  • Interest on Working Capital
  • Interest on Loans
• Depreciation Charges
• General Sales and Admin Costs
• Production Cost Summary