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Ammonia Fertilizer: Chemical Process Technology
Ammonia Fertilizer: Chemical Process Technology
Ammonia Fertilizer: Chemical Process Technology
Chemical Process
Technology
Engr. Sibtain
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Process Description In
Details
The natural gas contain about 94% methane, 4 % nitrogen and organic Sulphur
up-to 10 ppm
The concentration of organic Sulphur in the feed gas must be less than 0.25
ppm because Sulphur compounds may come in contact with catalyst which is
used in the process
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Ammonia Block Diagram
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Ammonia Process Flow
Diagram
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Desulphurization Of Natural Gas
Natural gas is heated in pre heater in such a way that burners automatically
stops when its temperature reaches up to 400 ºC
S + H₂ H₂S (399
ºC)
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The reaction takes place in the presence of Co or Mo as catalyst and at a
temperature of 399 c and 40 kg/cm2
desulphurizers
The exit gas from the desulphurizer now contains 0.25 ppm or less Sulphur
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Engr. Sibtain
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Steam
Reforming
Steam reforming is the process of cracking natural gas
The process is divided into two steps,
1- Primary Reforming
2- Secondary
Reforming
Primary
Reformer
The desulphurized gas from desulphurizers is now introduced to the primary
reformer
Primary reformer contains metallic Ni as
catalyst
Methane in the feed gas reacts with steam to form CO and CO₂ along with
H₂
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The following reaction will take place,
CH₄ + H₂O CO +
3H₂
CH₄ + 2H₂0 CO₂ +
4H₂
In the primary reforming section, un-reactive methane is 9 – 10 % at a
temperature of 823 ºC
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Secondary
Reformer
The reaction in the primary reformer is controlled in such a way that 10% of
the methane remained un-burnt
catalyst used in this process is Ni, that,s why we call this as high pressure and
high temperature plant
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The temperature can be controlled by air supply
The more the air is supplied the less the temperature is and vice versa
So, we supplied fixed quantity of air in this section in order to keep the
temperature up-to 1000 ºC
Now the methane content in gas is only up-to 0.4%
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Now you have to remove CO and CO₂ so that we only have hydrogen and
nitrogen
The removal of CO and CO₂ is necessary they cause poisoning to the iron
catalyst
The removal of CO₂ is easy as compared to the removal of CO, so that,s why
CO is converted to CO2
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Shift Conversion
The gases leaving from the secondary reformer are very hot and its
temperature is more above 1000 ºC
Their heat is utilized to produce high pressure steam
The pressure of high pressure steam is 110 kg/cm²
The high pressure steam is used to run high pressure compressor
The process of shift conversion is divided in two steps, these are
I. High Temperature Shift
Conversion
II. Low Temperature Shift
Conversion
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High Temperature Shift
Conversion
The hot gases from secondary reformer are cooled down to the temperature
of 371 ºC after passing through waste heat re-boilers
The reformed gas leaving the secondary reformer contains 12.7 % CO which is
then oxidized to CO₂ by the reaction with steam which is already present in
gas
The reaction takes place at 371 ºC and reduced Fe (iron) is used as a catalyst
CO + H₂O CO₂ +
H₂
The reaction in HTS is exothermic and temperature reaches up-to 431 ºC
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Low Temperature Shift
Conversion
The gas now has temperature up-to 431 ºC and is cooled down to 242 ºC by
passing it through waste heat boilers.
The cooled gas is then fed to LTS where it again reacts with steam in the
presence of Cu as catalyst
CO + H₂O CO₂ +
The reaction is also exothermic and temperature of gas after LTS is 255
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CO₂
Removal
Now the gas contains 0.5% CO and 17.5 % CO₂ we have to remove CO₂ and the
process of removal of CO₂ is called “Catacarb
System”
In this process CO₂ is absorbed by catacarb solution (potassium carbonate
solution)
This solution contains 25 % potassium carbonate and rest are additives,
inhibitors, anti foaming agents
Additives increases the rate of absorption , inhibitors makes the solution
corrosion resistant and antifoaming agents are used for the removal of any
foam produced
The following reaction takes place here
CO₂ + K₂CO₃ + H₂0
2KHCO₃
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CO₂ absorption is done in packed bed absorbers
These beds contain rashing rings
Gas is introduced from the bottom and cata-carb solution is sprayed from the
top of the column
Due to rashing rings, time of contact between cata-carb solution and gas
increases and the rate of absorption of CO₂ also
increases
The solution flows down and is called rich CO₂
solution
From the top of the absorber the gas containing 0.1% CO₂ is released and the
CO₂ rich solution is given to stripping tower from the bottom in order to
regenerate the cata-carb solution
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Re-generation of Cata-carb
Solution
Regeneration of catacarb solution is carried out in stripper
I. High
Temperature
II. Low
Pressure
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Methanization
After secondary reforming the gas contains 0.3-0.4 % methane and now it has
1.1% methane gas
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Now the quantities of CO₂ and CO are less than 10 ppm which is acceptable
for catalyst
Methane 1.1%
Hydrogen 74%
Nitrogen rest
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Synthesis Gas Compression
Now the synthesis gas is cooled to 38 ºC and is pressurized upto 151 kg/cm²
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Ammonia Conversion
3H₂ + N₂
2NH₃
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The reaction takes place at 500 ºC
The synthesis gas is fed from bottom that travels to the top and contact with
beds while travelling up
The contact time is very short being not more than 30 sec
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