Production of Ethylene Oxide Process Design 1.Chapter (Introduction to Ethylene Oxide Production)
Written by: Ahmet Musab (Project Leader)
Chemical process design is one of the most fundamental areas of chemical engineering, requiring a deep understanding of both theoretical and practical aspects. As part of the CED 342 Chemical Process Design course at Gebze Technical University, our team embarked on a research project focused on the production of ethylene oxide (EO). The course, led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Esra Bilgin Şimşek, emphasizes key aspects such as process flow diagrams, reactor selection, separation processes, and economic analysis.
Our mission was clear: to conduct an in-depth analysis of ethylene oxide production, covering its chemical properties, industrial manufacturing processes, and global market trends. This blog post details our first week of research, from setting up the groundwork to gathering key academic resources.
Our First Meeting: Defining the Strategy
Once our team finalized our project topic, we wasted no time in organizing our first official meeting via Microsoft Teams on February 26, 2025, at 10:05 PM. This meeting lasted a little over an hour and was crucial in establishing our workflow, team responsibilities, and research objectives.
📌 Participants:
✔ Ahmet Musab (Myself) – Team Leader
✔ Ferhat – Assistant Leader
✔ Aslı Zeynep
✔ Aiman
✔ Waad
✔ Emirhan
✔ Mücahit
📌 Meeting Agenda:
- Establishing team structure and roles
- Defining group work principles
- Setting the research roadmap for Chapter 1: General Information on Ethylene Oxide
- Identifying essential academic resources
Key Decisions Made:
✅ Work Distribution → Responsibilities were assigned to ensure efficiency.
✅ Three-Step Weekly Workflow:
- Tuesday: Consultation with our academic advisor
- Mid-Week: Individual research and source gathering
- Friday: Internal review session before finalizing weekly progress
✅ Role Assignments: - Ferhat was responsible for the first week’s PowerPoint presentation.
- I was in charge of drafting the initial report.
- Mücahit managed our Google Drive to ensure document organization.
Library Research & Source Collection
A well-structured research project requires a strong foundation of credible sources. Following our first meeting, we immediately shifted our focus to gathering academic resources.
📌 Gebze Technical University Library Visit
- Five members of our team visited GTU’s library to examine chemical engineering books related to ethylene oxide production and industrial process design.
- Several essential references were borrowed to guide our research on EO’s chemical properties and production methods.
📌 Expanding Research Beyond GTU
To broaden our source pool, we sent one of our team members to Sabancı University’s library, allowing us to access additional academic papers, industrial reports, and market analysis documents.
Research Process & Team Meetings
With a solid collection of sources in place, our team spent one full week conducting an intensive research process, during which we held four structured meetings:
📌 Face-to-Face Meetings (2 sessions):
✔ Held at Gebze Technical University, allowing for direct collaboration and brainstorming.
📌 Online Meetings (2 sessions):
✔ Conducted via Microsoft Teams, ensuring remote participation for all members.
Key Research Topics Explored:
- Chemical and physical properties of ethylene oxide
- Industrial production methods
- Major global producers and their production capacities
- Historical and current applications of EO
These discussions helped us shape the foundation for our first technical report.
Finalizing Week 1: Report & Presentation
At the end of the first research week, we compiled our findings into a detailed report and PowerPoint presentation, covering:
📌 Technical Report (Edited by Aiman):
- Fundamental properties of ethylene oxide
- Different production processes
- Key industrial players in EO manufacturing
- An overview of EO’s applications in the chemical industry
📌 PowerPoint Presentation (Prepared by Me):
- Summarized key aspects from the report for team review and presentation practice.
This structured approach ensured that our research efforts were well-documented, properly organized, and ready for further analysis in the coming weeks.
What’s Next?
As we move forward, our next research phase will focus on:
✔ The largest ethylene oxide producers worldwide
✔ Production capacities of major EO manufacturing plants (last five years)
✔ Market value, imports, and exports of ethylene oxide globally
✔ Turkey’s EO industry, including key players and production trends
Stay tuned for our insights into the global and Turkish ethylene oxide market in next week’s blog post!
📌 Follow the Journey: musabbesbadem.com
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