Haber Process

Raw materials
Hydrogen
(1) Cracking ethane using high temperature and catalyst
C2H6 (g) C2H4 (g) + H2 (g)
ethane ethene + hydrogen

(2) Reaction between natural gas and steam using nickel catalyst
heat + nickel catalyst
CH4 (g) + H2O (g) CO (g) + 3H2 (g)
methane + steam carbon monoxide + hydrogen

Reaction between carbon monoxide and steam to remove carbon monoxide

which can poison the catalyst
CO (g) + H2O (g) CO2 (g) + H2 (g)
Reaction
1. Mixture of Nitrogen and hydrogen (1:3 volume) is compressed
2. Compressed gases pass into a converter
Condition:
Catalyst: Iron
Temperature: 450oC
Pressure: 200 atm
15% of nitrogen and hydrogen are converted to ammonia
N2 (g) + 3H2 (g) ⇋ 2NH3 (g)
3. Mixture is passed to a cooling chamber. Ammonia condenses and is removed.
4. Unreacted nitrogen and hydrogen are returned to converter
Contact process
Raw materials
1. sulfur
- sulfur from beneath the ground
- sulfide ores
- hydrogen sulfide from petroleum or natural gas
2. air
3. water

Reaction
1. A spray of molten sulfur is burned in furnace in a current of dry air
S (l) + O2 (g) SO2 (g)

2. Sulfur dioxide is cooled and reacted with excess air in a converter

Condition:
Catalyst: Vanadium (V) oxide
Temperature: 450oC
Pressure: 1-2 atm
 2SO2 (g) + O2 (g) ⇋ 2SO3 (g)
sulfur dioxide + oxygen ⇋ sulfur trioxide

3. Sulfur trioxide is absorbed into 98% solution of sulfuric acid in an absorber

SO3 (g) + H2SO4 (l) H2S2O7 (l)
sulfur trioxide + sulfuric acid oleum

4. Oleum is mixed with a little water to make concentrated 98% sulfuric acid
H2S2O7 (l) + H2O (l) 2H2SO4 (l)

5. Some 98% acid is returned to absorber and rest is run off to be used as
concentrated sulfuric acid.