Chemical engineering students at the URV visit the Vila-seca II factory

Three students from the last year of chemical engineering at the Escola Tècnica Superior d'Enginyeria Química (“ETSEQ”) of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (“URV”) visited the Vila-seca II factory yesterday as part of their final degree project (“FDP”), focused on the energy optimization of an EDC (1,2-dichloroethane) cracker or reactor.

The objective of the visit was to know the facilities and observe in situ the industrial crackers, high-temperature reactors in which the thermal decomposition of the EDC occurs to obtain VCM and hydrochloric acid. His academic project focuses on analysing how to take advantage of part of the high amount of energy required by this reaction, essential in the production of PVC.

During their stay at the factory, the students were received by Pedro Barba, head of R&D at Vila-seca II, and by Manuel Tierno, head of R&D for the plastics business and tutor for the FDP of URV students, a centre where he has been teaching for more than 20 years.

For more information about the Vila-seca II factory, click here.