Alfa Laval's Compabloc is saving both money and space for Rhodia in Brazil

The Rhodia petrochemical company operates 110 factories worldwide. When the company needed a new reboiler for its petrochemical plant at Paulínia, Brazil, Rhodia turned to Alfa Laval for a solution.

DATE 2023-11-28

The result was the installation of a Compabloc thermosiphon reboiler at the base of a stripping tower that separates alcohol from water. Deciding on the extremely compact Compabloc solution instead of installing a traditional shell-and-tube reboiler enabled Rhodia to save both money and space. 

The reboiler installed in the Paulínia plant is a good example of the Compabloc thermosiphon reboiler concept – the most compact reboiler solution available on the market today. The installation is also a good example of how well Compabloc welded heat exchangers are suited for condensing and reboiling duties.

 

Alfa Laval Compabloc heat exchangerThe compact, fully welded Compabloc heat exchanger is designed to operate with a wide range of aggressive media and at high temperatures and pressures. 

More about Compabloc 

The Compabloc reboiler has a smaller hold-up volume than a shell-and-tube, which means the start-up process is quicker. The Compabloc also reacts more rapidly to changes in control parameters, which makes operation both simpler and more efficient.

Claudio Thiele, Process operator