Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
PROCESSES
The other important step is to obtain nitrogen (N2) from air. As it is shown in
the figure below this is done by reacting the oxygen in air with part of the
hydrogen produced in the reaction noted above.
Now we have both of the necessary raw materials, i.e. N2 and H2, and
ammonia is to be synthesized over iron (Fe3O4) catalyst.
As noted on the PFD, the ammonia synthesis is an exothermic reaction which
has to be run at around 450 C and at about 200 atm of pressure.These reaction
conditions have been found to be near optimal when the reaction rate (T), the
reaction equilibrium (T & P), catalyst life (T), and catalyst cost (e.g. osmium is a
better catalyst but very expensive) and the reactor design and manufacturing
conditions (T&P) are considered as a whole.
The reaction chemical equilibrium data, originally obtained by Haber and his
co-worker Rosignol, which establish the foundations of the ammonia synthesis
part of the process are given below.
As noted from these graphs high reaction temperatures are not desireable for a
high eqilibrium conversion. Whereas high pressures favor high equilibrium
conversions. On the other hand, relatively high reaction temperatures are
needed to obtain reasonably high reaction rates.
H 2O ( g )
CH 4 ( g )
(steam)
CH 4 ( g ) H 2O ( g ) Ni 3H 2 ( g ) CO ( g )
CO ( g ) H 2O ( g ) Fe CO2 H 2 ( g )
Remove via absorption
H2
Air O2 N 2
H2
N2
450C
200
Atm
(cat)
More generally:
Cn H m ( g ) nH 2O( g ) Ni nCO ( g ) (
CO ( g ) H 2O( g ) Fe CO2 H 2 ( g )
N 2 ( g ) 3H 2 ( g ) 2 NH 3 ( g )
m
n) H 2 ( g )
2
Now that you have fixed the nitrogen you can use
NH3, i.e. ammonia, to make many nitrogenous
compounds.
Let us start with Nitric Acid, NHNO3, as a process for its
manufacture is depicted on the next page. The basis of
the process is the oxidation of ammonia.
Before we go further on with the inorganic , i.e. manufacture of ammonia and other
nitrogenous compounds are inorganic chemicals, let us dwell upon some organic
processes with examples from the petrochemicals industries.
Prior to introducing you to some example petrochemical industries, it will be
appropriate to note the similarities between the petroleum refining and the
petrochemical industries.
The basic similarity petroleum refining and petrochemical processes is that in both the
raw materials are petroleum based.
However, where petroleum refining in general uses the crude petroleum as its raw
material, petrochemical industries in use some portions of the crude, but more
frequently use pre-processed portions of the crude. So, frequently petroleum refineries
and petrochemicals complexes may have considerable materials exchange between
them. The amount of this exchange depends on the type of the crude which is used
in the refinery, as well as on the types of products which are produced both in the
refinery and in the petrochemical plants constituting the petrochemical complex.
Petrochemical Industries:
In contrast to petroleum refineries, the various plants in the
petrochemicals complexes are designed, built and operated to produce
products of very well defined chemical compositions from quite pure
chemical feeds.
The feeds to the petrochemicals producing plants are either prepared
in the complex in auxiliary plants, i.e. cracking, reforming, etc, or they
are obtained from refineries.
The petrochemicals complexes may also transfer some materials,
which they find uneconomical or unfit to process, back to refineries to
be blended into various fuels or processed further for such purposes.
The products of petrochemicals plants are seldom directed to the end
users, as are the petroleum refinery products. The petrochemicals are
generally used as raw materials or intermediate chemicals in the
manufacture of many many other chemicals.
So, now we will see in summary some PFDs for some petrochemicals
plants. However, prior to that let us see an incomplete range of
petrochemicals.