Which thermodynamic method does it use?

The PENG-ROBINSON property package, over ethylene, oxygen, ethylene_oxide, co2, water, ethylene_glycol — already selected. You can switch the method on the canvas before running.

Which unit operations are in the flowsheet?

It chains 2× MIX1, 3× RXN, 2× Cool1, 2× Degas, COL. Every block is a real, solvable unit operation you can reconfigure, add to, or remove.

Do I need to install software or buy a license?

No. Ethylene oxide synthesis through to glycol runs entirely in your browser on MaximaLabs — free, no install, no license. Open the model to load it live and run the deterministic solver.

All guides

EO/EG complex, Beaumont, Texas, USA

How to simulate ethylene oxide synthesis through to glycol

The full EO/MEG chain in one flowsheet, upstream of the standalone hydration example: ethylene and oxygen react over a silver catalyst to ethylene oxide (low per-pass ethylene conversion, ~10%, is realistic — high conversion pushes the competing total-combustion side reaction, which this model represents as a second reactor consuming a fixed share of the same ethylene at ~80% EO selectivity). A cooled flash condenses EO (and reaction water) from the unreacted ethylene/oxygen/CO₂ vented for combustion-side purge; the condensed EO then hydrates with fresh water to MEG exactly as in the standalone hydration example. No ethylene/O₂ recycle loop (an honest simplification — real plants recycle unreacted ethylene at high ratio).

Featured in:Steam Cracking Ethylene Oxide / Glycol

Ethylene FEED

O2 FEED

MIX0

Epoxrx

Combrx

Cool0

Condense

Purge GAS

Waterfeed

MIX1

RXN

Cool1

Degas

EO VENT

feed

dist

btms

COL

Water Recycle

MEG Product

1
Open the ready-made model
Open the "Ethylene oxide synthesis through to glycol" model in the MaximaLabs workspace — no install, no license. It loads live on the canvas, ready to edit and run.
2
Confirm the thermodynamics
This process is modeled with the PENG-ROBINSON property package over ethylene, oxygen, ethylene_oxide, co2, water, ethylene_glycol — already selected, so the phase equilibrium and enthalpy are physically consistent from the first run.
3
Review the flowsheet
The flowsheet chains 2× MIX1, 3× RXN, 2× Cool1, 2× Degas, COL. Every block is a real, solvable unit op you can reconfigure on the canvas.
4
Run the simulation
Click Run. The deterministic solver converges the material and energy balances (recycles included) and fills the live stream table — the AI never invents a number.
5
Read the results and iterate
Inspect the converged streams, tweak a spec, and re-run — or ask the AI copilot to explain a result or diagnose a failed solve in plain English.

What you'll build

Thermodynamics: PENG-ROBINSON
Components: ethylene, oxygen, ethylene_oxide, co2, water, ethylene_glycol
Unit operations: 2× MIX13× RXN2× Cool12× DegasCOL

Open this model in the workspace

Opens live on the canvas — free, no install.

Explore the model & flowsheet

Frequently asked questions

What does the Ethylene oxide synthesis through to glycol model simulate?: The full EO/MEG chain in one flowsheet, upstream of the standalone hydration example: ethylene and oxygen react over a silver catalyst to ethylene oxide (low per-pass ethylene conversion, ~10%, is realistic — high conversion pushes the competing total-combustion side reaction, which this model represents as a second reactor consuming a fixed share of the same ethylene at ~80% EO selectivity). A cooled flash condenses EO (and reaction water) from the unreacted ethylene/oxygen/CO₂ vented for combustion-side purge; the condensed EO then hydrates with fresh water to MEG exactly as in the standalone hydration example. No ethylene/O₂ recycle loop (an honest simplification — real plants recycle unreacted ethylene at high ratio).
Which thermodynamic method does it use?: The PENG-ROBINSON property package, over ethylene, oxygen, ethylene_oxide, co2, water, ethylene_glycol — already selected. You can switch the method on the canvas before running.
Which unit operations are in the flowsheet?: It chains 2× MIX1, 3× RXN, 2× Cool1, 2× Degas, COL. Every block is a real, solvable unit operation you can reconfigure, add to, or remove.
Do I need to install software or buy a license?: No. Ethylene oxide synthesis through to glycol runs entirely in your browser on MaximaLabs — free, no install, no license. Open the model to load it live and run the deterministic solver.

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