acetone recovery worker Interview Questions and Answers
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What is acetone and what are its primary industrial uses?
- Answer: Acetone is a colorless, volatile, flammable liquid with a characteristic pungent odor. Its primary industrial uses include solvent in paints, varnishes, and lacquers; as a cleaning agent for electronic components and other delicate instruments; in the production of plastics, fibers, and pharmaceuticals; and as a precursor to other chemicals.
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Describe the acetone recovery process you are familiar with.
- Answer: (This answer will vary depending on the specific process used by the company. A possible answer could be): We use a distillation process. Acetone-containing waste streams are fed into a distillation column. Due to its lower boiling point, acetone is separated from other components and collected as a distillate. The bottoms stream contains the remaining less volatile components.
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What safety precautions are crucial when handling acetone?
- Answer: Acetone is highly flammable, so proper ventilation and grounding of equipment are essential. Eye and skin protection (safety glasses and gloves) are mandatory. Proper respiratory protection should be used in areas with high concentrations. Storage should be in approved containers away from ignition sources.
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Explain the importance of proper ventilation in an acetone recovery facility.
- Answer: Proper ventilation minimizes the risk of fire and explosion by reducing the concentration of flammable acetone vapors in the air to below the lower explosive limit (LEL). It also protects workers from inhaling harmful levels of acetone.
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What are the potential hazards associated with acetone recovery and how are they mitigated?
- Answer: Hazards include fire and explosion, inhalation hazards, skin and eye irritation. Mitigation includes proper ventilation, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), regular equipment maintenance, emergency response planning, and adherence to safety procedures.
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What is your experience with different types of distillation columns used in acetone recovery?
- Answer: (This answer will be based on the candidate's experience. They might mention packed columns, tray columns, etc., and explain their operational differences and suitability for acetone recovery.)
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How do you ensure the purity of the recovered acetone?
- Answer: Purity is ensured through careful control of the distillation process, including temperature and pressure monitoring, and regular analysis of the recovered acetone using techniques like gas chromatography (GC).
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Describe your experience with process instrumentation and control systems in an acetone recovery plant.
- Answer: (This will depend on the candidate's experience. They should mention specific instruments like temperature sensors, pressure gauges, flow meters, and control systems like PLC's or DCS's and explain how they're used in the process.)
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How do you troubleshoot common problems encountered in an acetone recovery process?
- Answer: Troubleshooting involves systematically checking instrumentation, examining the feed stream composition, assessing the column operating parameters (temperature, pressure, reflux ratio), and identifying potential blockages or equipment malfunctions.
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