With Ammonia Synthesis Patents (Class 564/69)
  • Patent number: 5523483
    Abstract: An integrated ammonia/urea process and a plant for carrying out the same. The process comprises recycling a high pressure purge stream made up mostly of air from the urea synthesis cycle to the autothermal reformer in a syngas production unit of the ammonia process. In such a manner, compression energy required for ammonia synthesis can be reduced since a portion of the high pressure air feed to the autothermal reactor is supplied by the urea purge stream recycle. In addition, the equipment needed to clean up the urea purge stream is largely eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1996
    Assignee: The M. W. Kellogg Company
    Inventors: Vishnu D. Singh, Meghji N. Shah, Richard B. Strait
  • Patent number: 5523482
    Abstract: In a process of producing urea in which ammonia and carbon dioxide are reacted in a first reaction space (E-1, R-1) the unreacted carbamate present in the reaction mixture is subjected to a thermal decomposition treatment, so as to obtain ammonia and carbon dioxide which are sent to a second reaction space (R-2) in which they react with a solution of recycled carbamate coming from an urea recovery section (3). Advantageously, the regulation of the temperature and of the ammonia/carbon dioxide molar ratio in the second reaction space (R-2) is carried out by respectively regulating the temperature of the recycled carbamate solution and the temperature of the thermal decomposition treatment of the residual carbamate leaving the first reaction space (E-1, R-1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1996
    Assignee: Urea Casale S.A.
    Inventor: Giorgio Pagani
  • Patent number: 5380943
    Abstract: Process for the industrial synthesis of urea, by reacting ammonia (NH.sub.3) and carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) in at least one reaction space, at high pressures and temperatures and by recirculating at least part of the non-reacted products obtained in a recovery section, characterized by the fact that the following takes place : a synthesis reaction A) between highly pure reagents, and a synthesis reaction B) between less pure reagents, substantially recycled from the said recovery section, the reaction A) being either of adiabatic type A1) or with partial reaction heat removal A2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1995
    Assignee: Urea Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Giorgio Pagani, Umberto Zardi
  • Patent number: 5359140
    Abstract: A urea production process in which the urea solution produced in the reaction zone is treated in sequence with a first thermal decomposer at the same pressure as the reaction, to decompose part of the residual ammonium carbamate into its components, then with an adiabatic stripper in which the free ammonia is stripped with CO.sub.2 operating at a pressure which is 1-7 MPa less than the synthesis pressure, then with two further carbamate thermal decomposition stages at decreasing pressures. The gaseous products obtained from those stages at pressures less than the synthesis pressure are mixed with the recycle solutions from the downstream stages, condensed by heat transfer against said downstream stages, and then recycled to the reaction as liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1994
    Assignee: Snamprogetti S.p.A.
    Inventors: Franco Granelli, Giuseppe Carloni
  • Patent number: 5304353
    Abstract: Urea is formed by the synthesis of ammonia with carbon dioxide at high pressure and temperature in an internal space of reactors through which flow a liquid phase cocurrently with a gas phase. The reactors are divided into compartments to avoid excessive mixing of the entire liquid phase and to allow the intermittent redistribution of the gas in bubbles of a suitable size for increasing the exchange of heat and matter between the two phases. At each passage from one compartment to the next, the liquid phase and the gas phase are made to flow on separate routes and are distributed in each compartment with a continuous, permanent, and even flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1994
    Assignee: Urea Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Mario Dente, Sergio Bozzano
  • Patent number: 5276183
    Abstract: Process for the industrial synthesis of urea, in which ammonia (NH3) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are reacted in at least one reaction space SR at high temperature and pressure and the unreacted materials are treated in a recovery section, said synthesis comprising: a) a reaction between highly pure reagents; and b) a reaction between less pure reagents substantially recycled from said recovery section, characterized by the fact that reaction stage A for high Yield majority synthesis (HEPC), between very pure reagents, operating at a higher pressure (Pmax) for example above 300 kg/cm2 abs and preferably at about 400 kg/cm2 abs, is followed by a flash stage F1 operating at pressures lower by at least 40% than said pressure (Pmax) preferably lower than 200 kg/cm2 abs, the gas effluent GF1 from the above-mentioned flash stage F1 being fed to reaction stage B for minority synthesis of less pure reagents operating at a pressure below 200 kg/cm2 abs, while the liquid effluent EL1 from the abovementioned flash stage, to
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 4, 1994
    Assignee: Urea Casale S.A.
    Inventors: Giorgio Pagani, Umberto Zardi
  • Patent number: 5223238
    Abstract: A method is described which enables ammonia plant process condensate contaminated with ammonia, carbon dioxide and methanol and urea plant condensate contaminated with urea, ammonia, carbon dioxide and other combined forms of ammonia and carbon dioxide to be simultaneously converted, in a single treatment vessel, substantially and continuously to a vaporous stream rich in ammonia, carbon dioxide and methanol and an liquid stream poor in ammonia, carbon dioxide, methanol and urea. The vaporous stream thus produced is recycled and employed as a feedstock in the reforming section in the ammonia plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1993
    Assignee: The M. W. Kellogg Company
    Inventor: Thomas A. Czuppon
  • Patent number: 5185139
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for producing carbon dioxide and nitrogen from combustion exhaust gas containing less than about 10% oxygen by weight which comprises the steps of (a) treating the exhaust gas to remove particulate matter, (b) compressing the exhaust gas to a pressure in the range from about 25 psia to about 200 psia, (c) purifying the exhaust gas to remove trace contaminants, (d) separating the exhaust gas to produce a carbon dioxide rich fraction and a nitrogen rich fraction, (e) liquifying the carbon dioxide rich fraction and distilling off volatile contaminants to produce pure carbon dioxide, (f) purifying the nitrogen rich fraction to remove contaminants, and (g) cryogenically fractionally distilling the nitrogen rich fraction to produce pure nitrogen. In another embodiment, the invention is directed to a method for producing carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and argon from a combustion exhaust gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1993
    Assignee: The BOC Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Ramachandran Krishnamurthy, Mark J. Andrecovich
  • Patent number: 4988491
    Abstract: The process of the present invention which produces the flexible integration for the production of ammonia and urea uses adiabatic reforming of the carbonaceous feedstock such as natural gas. With adiabatic reforming of natural gas, a surplus of carbon dioxide is produced. With adiabatic reforming, substantially pure oxygen and nitrogen may be used which does not involve inert gases such as argon in the system. More importantly, adibatic reforming allows operation at much higher pressure than standard primary reforming, namely, between 700 and 3000 psig. When these pressures are used, the process includes a recycle of the methane and hydrogen from the ammonia synthesis loop to the adiabatic reformer.The process of the present invention uniquely removes the carbon dioxide which is produced by the reforming of the carbonaceous feedstock and treatment by the watergas shift reaction in two independent stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 29, 1991
    Inventors: Christiaan Van Dijk, Lowell D. Fraley
  • Patent number: 4869887
    Abstract: An integrated ammonia urea process where the reaction of carbon dioxide and ammonia is in a urea reactor having a condensing section, a reaction section having more than one stage and a stripping section. The raw ammonia synthesis gas containing carbon dioxide is introduced into the stripping section of the urea reactor at a pressure selected within the range of 2000 and 3500 psig. The stripping effluent removed from the stripping section comprises the raw ammonia synthesis gas, carbon dioxide and ammonia which is introduced into a state of the reaction section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1989
    Inventor: Christiaan P. Van Dijk
  • Patent number: 4690812
    Abstract: The combined production of ammonia and urea by the reaction of gases containing hydrocarbons with steam is conducted by using a steam reformer, downstream secondary reformer, and shift converter. The ammonia synthesis gas (hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide) is subjected to a high pressure scrubbing step with a physical solvent, to remove the acid impurities, especially CO.sub.2. The pressure on the loaded solvent is reduced to a first intermediate pressure for degasing of the coabsorbed inerts and then to a second intermediate pressure for removal of the bulk of the absorbed CO.sub.2, which is then used for urea synthesis. To remove residual CO.sub.2, the solvent is stripped with air and the resultant air stream containing the stripped residual CO.sub.2 is fed to the secondary reformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1987
    Assignee: Linde Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Gerhard Ranke, Ulrich Schrader
  • Patent number: 4652678
    Abstract: An improved process for recovering usable components from waste streams containing urea, including a dilute aqueous urea solution, which result from the preparation of particulate urea products. The dilute aqueous urea solution is used to wash a urea containing waste gas stream whereby urea contained in the gas stream is dissolved in the aqueous urea solution. The aqueous urea solution thus obtained is then subjected to a hydrolysis treatment whereby the urea contained therein is hydrolyzed, and the ammonia and carbon dioxide thus formed are separated from the residual liquid stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1987
    Assignee: Stamicarbon B.V.
    Inventor: Adolphe M. Douwes
  • Patent number: 4552979
    Abstract: A process and apparatus are described which enable urea plant process condensate, which is contaminated with urea and other combined forms of ammonia and carbon dioxide, to be converted substantially completely and on a continuous basis, to a gaseous stream comprising steam, ammonia, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbon gas (introduced in the processing of the condensate). The gaseous stream so recovered is employed as feedstock for use in the reformer of the ammonia plant which supplies ammonia and carbon dioxide feedstocks for the synthetic urea plant from which the treated process condensate was derived. In a preferred embodiment the hydrocarbon fuel gas is natural gas. The process of the invention obviates the environmental and like problems hitherto encountered in the handling of urea plant process condensate and also provides marked advantages including improving the economics of operation of the urea plant and associated ammonia reformer plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1985
    Assignee: James Chemical Engineering Inc.
    Inventor: Keith J. Stokes
  • Patent number: 4539077
    Abstract: An improved process for the preparation of urea from carbon dioxide and excess ammonia at elevated temperature and pressure. The urea solution from the urea synthesis zone is heated and stripped at an elevated pressure to decompose a portion of the ammonium carbamate contained therein and the ammonium and carbon dioxide containing off-gas produced is condensed in a first condensation zone. The stripped urea solution is heated at a reduced pressure in a decomposition zone to decompose a further portion of ammonium carbamate, and the ammonia and carbon dioxide containing off-gas thereby produced is condensed in a second condensation zone to form an aqueous ammonium carbamate solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1983
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1985
    Assignee: Unie van Kunstmestfabrieken B.V.
    Inventors: Kees Jonckers, Petrus J. M. Van Nassau, Andreas J. Biermans
  • Patent number: 4410503
    Abstract: An improved process for the removal of urea, ammonia, and carbon dioxide from process condensate derived from coupled urea and ammonia syntheses by hydrolysis of urea and desorption of ammonia and carbon dioxide. Process condensate poor with respect to ammonia is treated at a pressure of between about 15 and 42 bar and a temperature of between about 200.degree. C. and 320.degree. C. in a reaction column with steam to form a gas mixture containing ammonia, carbon dioxide, and water vapor, and an aqueous liquid virtually free of urea, ammonia, and carbon dioxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1982
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1983
    Assignee: Unie Van Kunst-Mestfabrieken
    Inventors: Petrus J. M. van Nassau, Adolphe M. Douwes
  • Patent number: 4327068
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for reusing the processing condensates in a combined plant for the production of ammonia and urea. The condensates are combined into a single stream, filtered to remove the solid substances in suspension, if any, and fed to a boiler for the production of steam while exploiting the sensible heat. Pollution of sewage waters is prevented while obtaining a considerable economy in the running costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1981
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1982
    Assignee: Snamprogetti, S.p.A.
    Inventors: Vincenzo Lagana, Umberto Zardi
  • Patent number: 4320103
    Abstract: In an integrated flexible installation for producing ammonia and urea, the improved method which consists in that a portion of the gaseous stream comprising carbon dioxide, hydrogen and nitrogen is fed to a complementary decarbonation area and then admixed with a portion of a similar, but non-decarbonated stream of gas prior to entering the carbon-dioxide-absorption unit. Liquid ammonia is recovered from a portion of the ammoniated aqueous solution used for abating the ammonia and sent to a distillation column to recover liquid ammonia therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1980
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1982
    Assignee: Snamprogetti S.p.A.
    Inventor: Giorgio Pagani
  • Patent number: 4291006
    Abstract: In an integrated or combined process for the production of ammonia and urea, the improvement consisting in that the absorption of CO.sub.2 from the raw gas going to the synthesis reactor for ammonia is carried out with an absorption apparatus which is divided into two sections, one being of the plate type and the other of the thin film type. The predominant fraction of CO.sub.2 is stripped in the thin-film section, the remainder in the adiabatic plate section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1981
    Assignee: Snamprogetti S.p.A
    Inventors: Giorgio Pagani, Vincenzo Lagana, Francesco Saviano