Ammonia production by integrated intensified processes

Abstract

An ammonia production process is disclosed. The process uses gasification of biomass waste and the like to produce syngas which, using an integrated system including using nitrogen enriched air and a porous coated catalyst, produces ammonia in a plasma reactor. The ammonia is finally recovered using sulphonated PolyHIPE Polymer which can be used as a fertilizer after neutralisation.

Description

technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of producing ammonia and in particular, but not exclusively, to a method of gasifying biomass to produce ammonia in an integrated system. Background technique

[0002] The most common method of large-scale ammonia production utilizes natural gas as a source of hydrogen and energy for conversion. Gasification of biomass and similar fuel sources can also be used to produce hydrogen, and this can similarly be used for ammonia production. However, these ammonia production methods involve repeated pressurization-depressurization, heating-cooling and adsorption-desorption stages, making them energy intensive and inefficient processes and making natural gas the most economical source of hydrogen for ammonia production.

[0003] Preferred embodiments of the present invention seek to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art. Contents of the invention

[0004] According to one aspect of the present...

Examples

example

[0133] In the catalytic plasma synthesis of ammonia and its recovery, the following steps are taken: a) Preparation of solid acid and water absorbent, which is ultimately used as a synthetic rhizosphere in the soil to promote plant growth; b) Preparation is suitable for plasma reaction The grading of the pores in the reactor and the structured catalyst with high surface area; c) The high dielectric constant catalyst is used in the plasma reactor, where at least one electrode is in contact with the catalyst; d) The plasma reactor is configured to make the ammonia yield Maximize and minimize energy consumption. The following examples are provided to illustrate these steps.

example A

[0134] Example A. Preparation of PolyHIPE polymer for ammonia and water adsorption and formation of synthetic rhizosphere (SRS) media and slow release of fertilizer materials for the preparation of synthetic rhizosphere (SRS) media polymer

[0135] All chemicals are reagent grade. Monomer (styrene), crosslinking agent (divinylbenzene, DVB), polymerization initiator (potassium persulfate), sulfonating agent (0.97 g sulfuric acid / g solution) are all supplied by Aldrich.

[0136] Preparation of synthetic rhizosphere media polymer

[0137] SRS media polymer is a nanostructured cross-linked hydrophilic elastic ionic microporous material, generally called PolyHIPE polymer (PHP), which is prepared by the high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) polymerization and subsequent functionalization route as disclosed by Akay et al. in US Patent 7 820 729. The preparation of functionalized PHP has 3 stages: 1) stable HIPE formation; 2) polymerization; and 3) functionalization.

[0138] Preparation of...

example B

[0147] Example B. Preparation of nanostructured microporous supported catalyst

[0148] The prior art related to the preparation of supported metal catalysts uses particulate porous supports such as aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ; Alumina) or silicon oxide (SiO 2 ; Silica). An aqueous solution of metal catalyst precursor salts (such as nickel, cobalt, iron, ruthenium nitrates) is used to impregnate the support, and the resulting system is heat-treated at high temperature (typically 600°C) to decompose the catalyst precursor salt to obtain metal oxides , And then reduce it at a similar temperature to reduce the metal oxide to an active metal catalyst.

[0149] We have found that instead of using porous solid catalyst supports, high surface area supported catalysts can be obtained by using stable nano-scale support particles dispersed in water, and the dispersion also contains catalyst precursor salts such as Ni(NO 3 ) 2 ), this is because the nitrate of the catalytic metal is highly sol...

technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of producing ammonia and in particular, but not exclusively, to a method of gasifying biomass to produce ammonia in an integrated system. Background technique

[0002] The most common method of large-scale ammonia production utilizes natural gas as a source of hydrogen and energy for conversion. Gasification of biomass and similar fuel sources can also be used to produce hydrogen, and this can similarly be used for ammonia production. However, these ammonia production methods involve repeated pressurization-depressurization, heating-cooling and adsorption-desorption stages, making them energy intensive and inefficient processes and making natural gas the most economical source of hydrogen for ammonia production.

[0003] Preferred embodiments of the present invention seek to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art. Contents of the invention

[0004] According to one aspect of the present...

Examples

example

[0133] In the catalytic plasma synthesis of ammonia and its recovery, the following steps are taken: a) Preparation of solid acid and water absorbent, which is ultimately used as a synthetic rhizosphere in the soil to promote plant growth; b) Preparation is suitable for plasma reaction The grading of the pores in the reactor and the structured catalyst with high surface area; c) The high dielectric constant catalyst is used in the plasma reactor, where at least one electrode is in contact with the catalyst; d) The plasma reactor is configured to make the ammonia yield Maximize and minimize energy consumption. The following examples are provided to illustrate these steps.

example A

[0134] Example A. Preparation of PolyHIPE polymer for ammonia and water adsorption and formation of synthetic rhizosphere (SRS) media and slow release of fertilizer materials for the preparation of synthetic rhizosphere (SRS) media polymer

[0135] All chemicals are reagent grade. Monomer (styrene), crosslinking agent (divinylbenzene, DVB), polymerization initiator (potassium persulfate), sulfonating agent (0.97 g sulfuric acid / g solution) are all supplied by Aldrich.

[0136] Preparation of synthetic rhizosphere media polymer

[0137] SRS media polymer is a nanostructured cross-linked hydrophilic elastic ionic microporous material, generally called PolyHIPE polymer (PHP), which is prepared by the high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) polymerization and subsequent functionalization route as disclosed by Akay et al. in US Patent 7 820 729. The preparation of functionalized PHP has 3 stages: 1) stable HIPE formation; 2) polymerization; and 3) functionalization.

[0138] Preparation of...

example B

[0147] Example B. Preparation of nanostructured microporous supported catalyst

[0148] The prior art related to the preparation of supported metal catalysts uses particulate porous supports such as aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ; Alumina) or silicon oxide (SiO 2 ; Silica). An aqueous solution of metal catalyst precursor salts (such as nickel, cobalt, iron, ruthenium nitrates) is used to impregnate the support, and the resulting system is heat-treated at high temperature (typically 600°C) to decompose the catalyst precursor salt to obtain metal oxides , And then reduce it at a similar temperature to reduce the metal oxide to an active metal catalyst.

[0149] We have found that instead of using porous solid catalyst supports, high surface area supported catalysts can be obtained by using stable nano-scale support particles dispersed in water, and the dispersion also contains catalyst precursor salts such as Ni(NO 3 ) 2 ), this is because the nitrate of the catalytic metal is highly sol...

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