PRAPERANCANGAN PABRIK MESITILENA DENGAN KAPASITAS 4.000 TON/TAHUN MENGGUNAKAN METODE ISOMERISASI PSEUDOCUMENE

Abstract

The demand for mesitylene in Indonesia is increasing due to its extensive use in various industrial applications. Mesitylene, also known as 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, is a valuable aromatic hydrocarbon used as a solvent, in the synthesis of fine chemicals, and as an intermediate in the production of high-performance polymers. A mesitylene plant using pseudocumene as the raw material is designed with a capacity of 4,000 tons per year, operating for 330 days per year. The required raw material amounts to 6364,410846 tons per year. Mesitylene is produced through the isomerization process of pseudocumene, yielding mesitylene as the main product and xylene and hemimellitene as by-products. The process involves isomerization and transalkylation reactions in a Continuous Stirred-Tank Reactor (CSTR) using a ZSM-5 catalyst, at a pressure of 50 bar and a temperature of 340°C. The separation and purification process uses three distillation columns, resulting in mesitylene with 99% purity and an annual production of 4,000 tons. The utility units include the water supply unit, the steam supply unit, the electricity supply unit, and the fuel supply unit. The plant is operated as a Limited Liability Company with 74 employees, divided into two categories: shift and non-shift workers, to ensure continuous production processes. Economic analysis indicates a net profit of Rp20.000.444.483.590, a Rate of Return (RoR) of 23%, a Pay Out Time (POT) of 3,6 years, and a Break-even Point (BEP) of 44.56%. The economic evaluation confirms that a mesitylene plant with a production capacity of 4,000 tons per year is feasible to establish.

Keywords:Isomerization, Mesitylene, Pseudocumene.