Energy efficiency and cost saving opportunities for ammonia. The ammoniaoxidation process is the most commonly used process for producing weak 50 to 70 percent nitric acid. One of the case studies is concerned with the manufacture of nitric acid and calcium ammonium nitrate at ifi, arklow. Processes for the production of nitric acid are based on the ostwald process. In the first industrial process of nitric acid production by ammonia oxidation designed by ostwald at the beginning of the 19th century, pure platinum gauzes served as the catalyst. While nitric acid plant technology has made production more efficient and environmental controls more effective, the process remains the same. It is a rather usual process of industrial production of nitric acid. Energy efficiency and cost saving opportunities for. The absorption tower, common to all ammoniaoxidation nitric acid production. Quality control the gas streams at the nitric acid plants. Muhammad sajid lecturer department of chemical engineering university of gujrat,pakistan contents introduction properties history process description chemistry of reactions uses health safety and environment introduction. The original alarm and safety system in the nitric acid. Process basis process basis ammonia is reacted with air on platinumrhodium alloy catalysts in the oxidation section of nitric acid plants.
This sectoral guideline covers process related n 2 o nitrous oxide emissions from the production of nitric acid. Calculating n2o emissions from the production of nitric. In this article the author outlines some of the principal features of this process, and describes in some detail the chemical reaction taking place at the platinum surface. Understanding the 3 different nitric acid production. Uses of nitric acid what are the uses of nitric acid. Among the special features which make this possible are. Pdf nitric acid production engr sajid chaudhary academia. Emission of n 2 o from nitric acid production has been estimated at 11. The process comprises forming a reaction mixtures by mixing air, ammonia, oxygen and an inert cooling fluid, preferably water, and then reacting the ammonia with oxygen in a reaction zone to form nitric oxide. A process for the production of oxalic acid wherein ethylene glycol andor glycolic acid are oxidized in the presence of nitric acid with introduction of oxygen. Whichever technology a nitric acid plant uses, each reaction in the production process releases energy, which can be recovered and used throughout the plant. The global nitric acid market size was valued at usd 24. Therefore, the ammonia oxidation efficiency is a key factor for the nitric acid production 3.
Online chemistry tutorial iit, cbse chemistry, icse chemistry, engineering and medical chemistry entrance exams, chemistry viva, chemistry job interviews. Pdf process flow diagram for production of nitric acid and. However, for nitrations and other applications a more concentrated nitric acid. Weak nitric acid processes produce nitric acid in the concentration range of 5065 wt %. He also discusses the changes that occur in the gauze leading to metal loss during operation. Booklet nr 2 production of nitric acid by fertilizers. Provided is a process having an increased production capacity for nitric acid, which moves can be operated safely and efficiently. In this process, anhydrous ammonia is oxidized to nitric. There are three types of sulphuric acid process, according to the condition of the calci. There are 9 small businesses which own a total of 18 nitric acid facilities. A stepbystep approach is used to cover every phase of the calculation process from data gathering to reporting. There are 2 basic types of systems used to produce weak nitric acid. Potassium nitrate reacts with concentrated nitric acid on heating to give nitric acid.
Production of nitric acid commercially nitric acid is made from ammonia in a threestep process known as the ostwald process. Figure 3 process flow diagram for highstrength nitric acid production from weak nitric acid source. The modern nitric acid process proceeds essentially in three stages. The current production route of nitric acid is known as the ostwald process and has been used for nearly a century. The ostwald process is a mainstay of the modern chemical industry, and it provides the main raw material for the most common type of fertilizer production. The objective is to design a plant from raw material to product for the production of aniline by direct amination of benzene. The fertilizer industry uses weak nitric acid in the range of 50 to 65% strength and thus the high concentration above 70% weight nitric acid production process is not included.
With over a century of involvement in nitric acid plant design and construction, more than 80 years of experience in. Technical support document for the nitric acid production sector. Nitric acid clarke major reference works wiley online. Us6264910b1 process for the production of nitric acid. Nitric acid is most commonly manufactured by ostwald process. Process intensification in nitric acid plants by catalytic. It is these gases which are visible as a redbrown plume. Oxidation of ammonia with air to give nitric oxide oxidation of the nitric oxide to. Design of an industrial process for the production of. Production processes is, however, still used as feedstock for nitric acid production. Nitric acid is also used in organic oxidation to manufacture terephthalic acid. The production of nitric acid is the largest source of nitrous oxide from the chemical process industries, and it equates to circa 50% of the total greenhouse gas emissions from nitric acid. The largest market for nitric acid is the production of ammonium nitrate an and calcium ammonium nitrate can, accounting for almost 77% of the total world consumption of nitric acid. For these processes acid strengths of 5565% hno 3 by weight socalled dilute acid.
The amount of n2o formed during the nitric acid production process. Nitric acid is a chemical of great commercial importance because of its use in the manufacture of explosives like nitroglycerine, trinitrotoluene, gum cotton nitrocellulose, picric acid, etc. In 1991, there were approximately 65 nitric acid hno manufacturing plants in the. The crucial step in nitric acid production, the catalytic combustion of ammonia, was developed by ostwald around the turn of the century. In this process, anhydrous ammonia is oxidized to nitric oxide, which is then reacted with oxygen in air to form nitrogen dioxide. It is used in manufacturing several types of polymers like polyamides and polyurethane. Understanding the 3 different nitric acid production processes. The no2 and liquid dimer mixture are pumped into the bottom of an absorption tower, with additional liquid dimer introduced at a higher point in the tower. The production of nitric acid takes place in 3 process. The ostwald process is a chemical process used for making nitric acid hno 3.
Production of nitric acid is via the ostwald process, named after german chemist wilhelm ostwald. The final step for the production of weak nitric acid is absorption, as shown in reaction 3. Nitrogen oxides gases generated in the process are oxidized to nitric acid with oxygen during the reaction. The ammonia, initially, is converted to nitric oxide over the precious metal gauze.
Nitric acid h no 3, also known as aqua fortis latin for strong water and spirit of niter, is a highly corrosive mineral acid the pure compound is colorless, but older samples tend to acquire a yellow cast due to decomposition into oxides of nitrogen and water. Wilhelm ostwald developed the process, and he patented it in 1902. The ammonium nitrate is sent for use in the can plant. Process intensification in nitric acid plants by catalytic oxidation of. A nitric acid recovery process using composite distillation columns was modeled and simulated. Liquefied ammonia is vapourised and preheated before being mixed with preheated air. Appendices explanation on how energy is used in the industry and in various processes and. Some nitric acid is used as an intermediate in the polymer industry for manufacturing polyamides and polyurethanes. Flow diagram of typical nitric acid plant using singlepressure process. All plants for the production of nitric acid are currently based on the same basic chemical operations.
Nitric acid is a colorless liquid that is used in the manufacture of inorganic and organic nitrates and nitro compounds for fertilizers, dye intermediates, explosives, and many different organic chemicals. Nitric acid video a short video clip illustrating the process of nitric acid production that can be viewed online by students or downloaded for. Nitric acid manufacture vapor, nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide. Nitric oxide and water are formed in this process according to the main equation.
The clean air is recycled through the ammonia recovery plant. According to the facilitylevel bottomup inventory, there are 45 nitric acid production plants operating in 25 states with a total of 65 process units. Us3678107a process for the production of oxalic acid. In the most used industrial process, the benzene reacts with the nitric acid in the presence of a catalyst, the sulphuric acid.
The manufacture of nitric acid johnson matthey technology. Some 99% acid is required for the manufacture of, for example, organic nitrocompounds for the explosives and dye industries. Alternative control techniques document nitric and adipic. Table 1 contains a list of all nitric acid facilities.
Process emissions from nitric acid manufacturing process emissions from nitric acid plants consist primarily of nitric oxide no, nitrogen dioxide no 2, and nitrogen oxide nox from the tail gas of the acid absorptioin tower, nitrous oxide n 2o, trace amounts of nitric acid. This example corresponds to a dualpressure nitric acid production process. However, for nitrations and other applications a more concentrated nitric acid is required. Commercial grade nitric acid solutions are usually between 52% and 68% nitric acid. A process for the production of nitric acid using the dualpressure process in which the ammonia is burnt at an initial low pressure with the aid of compressed process air and the nitrous gases formed during combustion are at least partly absorbed by water at a second pressure which is higher than the first. Most of the world production of nitric acid is used in the production of agricultural fertilisers, either for ammonium nitrate or in the various nitrophosphate processes. Nitric acid concentration process for many purposes, 55 to 60% nitric acid is satisfactory. The composite distillation columns consist of a multistage vacuum tower and. The process is substantially an oxidation of ethylene glycol andor glycolic acid by oxygen in an acid. Nitric acid manufacturing process uses ostwald process. The most important design parameters for a nitric acid plant were determined. Nitric acid is produced through the oxidation of ammonia to nitrogen oxides, which are then absorbed by water to produce nitric acid.
There are three stages in the production of nitric acid the oxidation of ammonia. Nov 12, 2012 a short video clip illustrating the process of nitric acid production that can be viewed online by students or downloaded for showing in class. World nitric acid consumption has exhibited a steady upward trend since 2000, with average annual growth rates of 2. A short video clip illustrating the process of nitric acid production that can be viewed online by students or downloaded for showing in class. Nitric acid chemical economics handbook ceh ihs markit. This may be nitric, hydrochloric or sulphuric but this booklet is concerned only with processes using the sulphuric acid route since this is the process normally used in the production of fertilizers in europe. Technical support document for the nitric acid production. The complete process chain for the production of different fertilizers. Nitric acid, nitrous acid, and nitrogen oxides michael thiemann, uhde gmbh. The industrial production of nitric acid from atmospheric air began in 1905 with the birkelandeyde process, also known as the arc process.
Nitric acid occurs in nature in the form of nitrate salts. Nitric acid production by the oxidation of ammonia on platinum. In the first industrial process of nitric acid production by. Ptrh finemesh gauze, where the rh provides strength. Process emissions from nitric acid manufacturing process emissions from nitric acid plants consist primarily of nitric oxide no, nitrogen dioxide no 2, and nitrogen oxide nox from the tail gas of the acid absorptioin tower, nitrous oxide n 2o, trace amounts of nitric acid hno 3 mist from the. The process design is started on a conceptual level and ended on. In addition, the type of process batch or continuous and the uses of the products must be identified. Environmental, health, and safety guidelines for nitrogenous. Modeling and simulation of a nitric acid recovery process. Another use for nitric acid is in the oxidation process for the manufacture of adipic acid ho 2 cch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 co 2 h that is a dicarboxylic acid used in the production of nylon.
May 21, 2014 the dow chemical company page 2 of 6 manufacture of product capacity angus chemical company angus has manufactured products from nitroalkanes and their derivatives for more than 70 years. Nitric acid and water form an azeotropic mixture, with a maximum boiling point of 395 k, containing ca 68% nitric acid by mass. Nitric acid production by the oxidation of ammonia on platinum gauzes constitutes one of the worlds major chemical industries. Nitric acid is the building block chemical for the production of many other chemical compounds. The largest market for nitric acid is the production of ammonium nitrate an and calcium ammonium nitrate can, accounting for almost 77% of the total world consumption of nitric acid in 2016. The absorption tower, common to all ammoniaoxidation nitric acid production facilities, is the primary source of no x emissions. The two main types of weak acid process are the monopressure process and the dual. N2o emissions and nitric acid production process n2o emissions from nitric acid are a byproduct of the process stream and therefore characterized as industrial process emissions. By far, the major source of nitrogen oxides no x is the tailgas from the acid absorption tower. Nitric acid is produced in a dual pressure process in two identical production lines with an overall production capacity of 810 td of 100 % hno 3.
Ostwald process for producing nitric acid worldofchemicals. The manufacture of nitric acid the role of platinum alloy gauzes in the ammonia oxidation process by h. These runs allowed identifying the temperature, the molar feed ratio between benzene and nitric acid and the interfacial area as the most influent variables on reaction extent and process selectivity. Calculating n2o emissions from the production of nitric acid. Birkeland and eyde process or arc process, ostwald method. Online chemistry tutorial iit, cbse chemistry, icse chemistry, engineering and medical chemistry entrance. Nitric acid with a concentration of up to 68% can be produced with the uhde azeotropic process. Process flow diagram for production of nitric acid and ammonium nitrate.
The production of nitric acid takes place in 3 process steps shown by the following main equations. Formation and control of n2o in nitric acid production. Pdf process flow diagram for production of nitric acid. For instance, the air used to oxidize the ammonia must be filtered, compressed and heated. Ostwald process is the commercial process to used to prepare nitric acid in industrial scale.
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