Conceptual process design for Boric Acid: A case study for engineering education

An effective teaching strategy for conceptual process design can be by using case studies as method, based on the hierarchy decisions introduced by Douglas. The case study allows to analyze and discuss real cases from a learning perspective. For metallurgical process designs, the production of boric acid (H3BO3) from ulexite minerals is a suitable case. This case study gives different alternatives of design depending on the hypothetical context, as well as objectives and limits proposed at the beginning of the process synthesis. This article describes the application of Douglas hierarchical methodology to metallurgical conceptual process design, using as case of study the production of H3BO3 from ulexite. The aim is to provide to undergraduate chemical engineering students a suitable case study for metallurgical process designs. The production of H3BO3 from ulexite is a proper example, because it provides alternatives of analysis based on several previous researches. The methodology described allows students to use a holistic view of the synthesis process, in order to improve their skills such as their capacity of comprehension and analysis of real problems, the capacity to propose and evaluate alternatives for the improvement of the problem considered, to work collaboratively, also their capacity of information management and synthesis of problems.