Determination of water in recycled liquid EDC

The purpose of determining water (moisture) content in liquid EDC (ethylene dichloride) is to decrease risk of corrosion and damage to production units downstream. This is determined at two sampling points in the process:

• EDC purification unit – top Light Column
• EDC purification unit – top Heavies Column

Background
Direct chlorination process involves a reaction between ethylene and chlorine using a catalyst (FeCl3) to synthesize EDC. The effluent from the chlorination reactor is highly corrosive, especially at elevated temperature ranges. As little as from about 100 ppm by weight of free chlorine has a highly corrosive effect on downstream equipment when trace amounts of water are present in the effluent.