Abstract: A fluid bed granulation process and apparatus, wherein a suitable fluid bed of a particulate material is maintained in a granulator fed by an input flow comprising a growth liquid and by a flow of seeds adapted to promote the granulation, and wherein a part of said input flow is taken upstream the feeding of the fluid bed, and used in a seeds generator, to produce the seeds for the fluid bed.

Abstract: A process of prilling of a urea melt comprising the use of calcium lignosulfonate or carboxymethyl starch as additive to obtain a formaldehyde-free urea product.

Abstract: A process for the synthesis of melamine from urea, preferably of the high-pressure type, wherein offgas quenching is performed in a quenching vessel wherein in the upper part of the vessel, a rising flow of offgas is contacted in counter-current with liquid ammonia to obtain precipitation of melamine contained in the offgas and melamine-free anhydrous washed offgas; in the lower part of the vessel, the solid melamine is contacted with a liquid solvent to form a solution of melamine or a melamine slurry.

Abstract: A process for the purification of a melamine melt (5) containing melamine and by-products, comprising the steps of: (a1) In quenching of said melamine melt; (a2) decomposition of by-products with alkali, providing an alkaline aqueous solution of melamine (26); (b) stripping of said alkaline aqueous solution of melamine (26); (c) crystallization of melamine with a first alkali-containing solution (6b) and separation of solid melamine (7) from a mother liquor (8); (d) treatment of said mother liquor, providing a waste water stream (11) containing carbonates; (e) decomposition of at least part of the carbonates contained in said waste water stream (11) into carbon dioxide and alkali, providing a second alkali-containing aqueous solution (30); (f) recycle of at least part of said alkali-containing aqueous solution (30) to at least one of said steps (a1), (a2) and (c).

Abstract: A process for the purification of a melamine melt (5) containing melamine and by-products, comprising the steps of: (a1) In quenching of said melamine melt; (a2) decomposition of by-products with alkali, providing an alkaline aqueous solution of melamine (26); (b) stripping of said alkaline aqueous solution of melamine (26); (c) crystallization of melamine with a first alkali-containing solution (6b) and separation of solid melamine (7) from a mother liquor (8); (d) treatment of said mother liquor, providing a waste water stream (11) containing carbonates; (e) decomposition of at least part of the carbonates contained in said waste water stream (11) into carbon dioxide and alkali, providing a second alkali-containing aqueous solution (30); (f) recycle of at least part of said alkali-containing aqueous solution (30) to at least one of said steps (a1), (a2) and (c).

Abstract: A method for revamping a catalytic converter wherein: said catalytic converter comprises a pressure vessel and a catalytic cartridge containing at least one catalyst bed, the pressure vessel includes a cylindrical shell with a full aperture and includes a removable cover of said aperture, and the catalytic cartridge is removable through said upper aperture, and the method includes: installing an additional shell over the aperture of the original shell, thus obtaining an axially extended shell of the pressure vessel; providing an axially extended catalytic cartridge having an axially extended room for holding catalyst in the so obtained axially extended shell.

Abstract: A shell and tube apparatus (1) includes an outer shell (2); a first tube bundle (3) and a second tube bundle (4) coaxial with each other; a first inner shell (5) and a second inner shell (6); the first inner shell surrounds the first tube bundle and is arranged between the two tube bundles; the second inner shell surrounds the second tube bundle and is arranged in the space between the second tube bundle and the outer shell (2); the first tube bundle (3) operates as a preheater; the second tube bundle (4) operates as a boiler; the coaxial inner shells (5, 6) define a counterflow path for a hot fluid which passes through the shell side.

Abstract: A process for the production of biuret from urea wherein: a urea aqueous solution (24) withdrawn from the recovery section of a urea plant is processed to remove water and obtain a concentrated urea melt (25); said urea melt is processed under biuret-forming conditions to decompose urea into biuret and ammonia and obtain a high-biuret urea melt (26); said high-biuret urea melt (26) is diluted with water or with an aqueous stream obtaining a solution (28); the solution (28) is subject to crystallization and precipitation of a solid phase containing biuret which is separated from the aqueous phase.

Abstract: A process for the production of feed grade urea starting from a liquid urea melt, the process comprising processing the urea melt (6) to promote the formation of biuret until a concentration of at least 3% biuret, and subjecting the so obtained biuret-containing urea melt (8) to a shaping process to obtain a granular urea product.

Abstract: A method for removing nitrogen oxides NOx from a gaseous current, comprising the steps of: passing the gaseous current through a de-NOx catalytic bed with iron exchanged zeolite as a catalyst with the addition of ammonia as a reducing agent, wherein the molar ratio of NH3 over NOx is greater than 1.33.

Abstract: Process for the synthesis of methanol comprising: reforming a hydrocarbon feedstock into a synthesis gas containing carbon oxides and hydrogen in a molar ratio (H2—CO2)/(CO+CO2) lower than 1.7; elevating said molar ratio to a value of at least 1.9; compressing said synthesis gas and converting the same into crude methanol; separating said crude methanol into a liquid stream of methanol and a gaseous stream containing unreacted synthesis gas; subjecting at least 50% (vol) of said gaseous stream to hydrogen recovery and mixing the recovered hydrogen with said synthesis gas in order to elevate its molar ratio to a value of at least 1.9.

Abstract: Use of a ferritic stainless steel containing at least 23% chromium for the manufacture of components of the high-pressure urea synthesis section of a urea plant.

Abstract: A catalytic bed for a chemical reactor, said catalytic bed having an annular-cylindrical geometry and comprising at least one collector made with a gas-permeable cylindrical wall, containing at least a first catalyst and a second catalyst, wherein the second catalyst has a finer particle size than the first catalyst, and wherein the first catalyst forms a layer of catalyst adjacent to and in contact with said collector.

Abstract: Plant for the synthesis of melamine starting from urea, wherein the stream of offgas containing NH3 and CO2 produced by the synthesis of melamine is converted into urea in a dedicated urea plant.

Abstract: Method for revamping a refining section of a methanol distillation plant comprising a medium pressure (MP) column a low pressure (LP) column, wherein both said columns comprise at least one bottom boiler, a gaseous stream of distilled methanol withdrawn from the MP column is fed to at least one bottom boiler of the LP column and a liquid solution containing methanol withdrawn from the MP column is fed to the LP column, the method of revamping comprising the installation of a high pressure (HP) column; the installation of a line feeding a gaseous stream of distilled methanol from the HP column to at least one bottom boiler of the MP column and the installation of a bottom line for exporting from the HP column a liquid stream consisting essentially of water.

Abstract: A process for synthesis of urea from ammonia and carbon dioxide comprising the synthesis of urea in parallel in a first urea reactor (1) at a first urea synthesis pressure and in a second urea reactor (2) at a second and lower urea synthesis pressure; a stripping step of the reaction effluent of the first reactor, which is performed in a stripper (4) operating at a stripping pressure lower than the first urea synthesis pressure; the reaction effluent (21) of the second reactor (2) and the stripper liquid effluent (11) are sent to a recovery section (13) where a carbamate-containing recycle solution (17) is produced, and said recycle solution (17) is sent partly to said first reactor and partly to said second reactor.

Abstract: A multi-bed catalytic converter comprising: a plurality of catalytic beds which are traversed in series by a process gas, sequentially from a first catalytic bed to a last catalytic bed of said plurality, and at least one inter-bed heat exchanger (7) positioned between a first catalytic bed and a second catalytic bed of said plurality, wherein at least the last catalytic bed of said plurality is adiabatic and is made of fine catalyst with a particle size not greater than 2 mm.

Abstract: A process for the synthesis of melamine from urea, preferably of the high-pressure type, wherein offgas quenching is performed in a quenching vessel wherein in the upper part of the vessel, a rising flow of offgas is contacted in counter-current with liquid ammonia to obtain precipitation of melamine contained in the offgas and melamine-free anhydrous washed offgas; in the lower part of the vessel, the solid melamine is contacted with a liquid solvent to form a solution of melamine or a melamine slurry.

Abstract: A process for synthesis of urea from ammonia and carbon dioxide wherein: the urea synthesis is performed with a stripping process in a synthesis loop including at least a reactor (1), a stripper (2) and a condenser (3); the reactor effluent is treated in the stripper to remove unreacted ammonia and carbon dioxide; the urea solution (14) from the stripper is sent to a low-pressure recovery section (4); the stripper vapours are split into a first portion (151) directed to the reactor and a second portion (152) sent to the condenser; the condenser (3) is a shell-and-tube kettle condenser where condensation of stripper vapours is performed in the tube side (30); a carbamate-containing effluent (20) from the condenser is returned to the reactor.

Abstract: A process for purifying a urea-containing aqueous stream, such as the aqueous stream from the recovery section of a urea plant, comprising a step of removing biuret from the urea-containing stream by reverse osmosis in one or more reverse osmosis stages.