Abstract

Ammonia is one of the most important chemicals used for the production of a variety of
industrial products. It is used extensively for manufacturing fertilizers, drugs, vitamins,
explosive, cosmetics, plastic materials, fibers, etc. Ammonia is also a very good refrigerant,
and is used for food preservation and beverage production as well as cold storage facilities. In
spite of its numerous uses, the major consumer of ammonia is urea, a nitrogenous fertilizer.
More than 80 percent of the ammonia is used for making urea worldwide. Increasing ammonia
demand by the nitrogenous fertilizers industry is projected to drive the global ammonia market
over the next decade.

Ammonia is synthesized by using nitrogen and hydrogen gases. For this purpose, the
nitrogen is obtained through the air, while the hydrogen is produced (as a constituent of
syngas) mainly by steam-methane auto thermal reforming or by partial oxidation processes
from natural gas or coal. Natural gas is the primary feedstock for ammonia and syngas
production in most of the regions of the world. In China, coal is gasified with oxygen and steam
to produce the syngas, which serves as the source for hydrogen production.

This review will be of particular interest to those looking for information on ammonia
process fundamentals and technologies.

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Summary
The manufacture of ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen takes place in two main
stages. First, the manufacture of hydrogen, next, the synthesis of ammonia (the Haber Bosch
process). Hydrogen is produced from a variety of feedstocks, mostly from natural gas or
naphta via steam reforming. The heart of Haber-Bosch process is the reaction between
hydrogen and nitrogen in a fixed bed reactor. The gases in stoichiometric proportions are
heated and passed under pressure over a catalyst.

The proportion of ammonia in the equilibrium mixture increases with increasing

pressure and with falling temperature according to Le Chateliers principle.

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

1. Introduction.............................................................1
1.1. Uses of ammonia.......................................................1

1.2. The HaberBosch process..............................................................1

1.3. Methods of production......................................................................2

2. Ammonia...................................................................4
2.1. Desulphurization Section.....................................................................6

2.1.1. Hydrogenation........................................................................6

2.1.2. Absorption...............................................................................8

2.2. Reforming Section............................................9

2.2.1. Adiabatic Prereformer......................11

2.2.2. Primary Reformer.............................11

2.2.3. Secondary Reformer........................13

2.3. Gas Purification section.14

2.4. Shift Section.15

2.5. Carbon Dioxide Removal Section17

2.6. Methanation...............21

2.7. Ammonia Synthesis Section.23

2.8. Ammonia Wash Section29

2.9. Process Condensate Stripping Section..31

3. Thermodynamics Aspects33

4. Kinetic Aspects...35

5. Conclusion36

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6. References.37

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 List of figures

Figure 1. Ammonia plant Process block diagram...........................................................4

Figure 2. GV Process Flow Diagram...............................................................................19

Figure 3. GV Process Second stage................................................................................20

Figure 4. Ammonia Plant...................................................................................................24
Figure 5. Equlibrium of ammonia synthesis..................................................................33
Figure 6. Reaction rate of NH3 synthesis.......................................................................35

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 List of Tables

Table 1. Yield at equilibrium at various tepreture and pressure...34

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