Abstract: A process for preparing urea comprises preparing formamide based on carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and ammonia, forming methyl formate or ammonium formate as an intermediate in a catalytic reaction, and preparing urea by reacting the formamide and possibly ammonia in the presence of a catalyst. The source of carbon dioxide is a liquid laden with chemically and/or physically bound carbon dioxide and selected from a methanol phase or an aqueous ammonia solution obtained by gas scrubbing of a syngas for removing carbon dioxide using a scrubbing fluid. The scrubbing fluid can be a methanol phase, or carbon dioxide is desorbed from the scrubbing fluid and absorbed into a methanol phase to give a carbon dioxide-laden methanol phase that is then reacted as carbon dioxide-containing stream with a hydrogen-containing stream in the presence of a catalyst to form methyl formate. The methyl formate is reacted with an ammonia-containing stream to form formamide.

Abstract: An integrated process contains the following steps of: (i) pyrolysis of hydrocarbons to carbon and hydrogen, (iia) removal of at least a part of the produced carbon in step (i) and at least partly further processing of said carbon into a carbon containing electrode, and (iib) removal of the hydrogen produced in step (i) and at least partly using said hydrogen for providing energy, preferably electric energy or heat, for the electrode production in step (iia). A joint plant is also useful, which contains (a) at least one reactor for a pyrolysis process, (b) at least one reactor for the production of electrodes for an aluminum process, (c) a power plant and/or at least one gas-fired burner, and optionally, (d) at least one reactor for the electrolysis for producing aluminum.

Abstract: A process and a plant for producing nitric acid involves oxidizing ammonia in the presence of catalysts to provide nitrogen monoxide-containing process gas in an oxidation reactor. The formed nitrogen monoxide may be supplied with oxygen-containing gas, and nitrogen monoxide is oxidized to provide nitrogen dioxide that is reacted with water in an absorption apparatus to give nitric acid, nitrous acid, and/or solutions of nitrates and/or nitrites. Oxidation of the nitrogen monoxide may be effected in an additional reactor positioned between the oxidation reactor and the absorption apparatus and traversed by the process gas. The oxidation of the nitrogen monoxide may be effected in an additional reactor parallel and connected to the absorption apparatus and traversed by the process gas. The disclosed processes and plants feature a high energy efficiency combined with a simple construction, and existing plants are easily upgradeable.

Abstract: A ruthenium-phosphine complex can be used as a catalyst in a method for the catalytic synthesis of urea. The method may comprise more particularly a reaction of formamide or of formamide with ammonia in the presence of the catalyst to form urea and hydrogen. Through the use of the ruthenium-phosphine complex as the catalyst, catalytic preparation of urea from formamide or from formamide with ammonia is provided for the first time. This allows for synthesis under mild conditions and virtually no formation of byproducts. Further, using an acid as a cocatalyst in the catalytic synthesis or the reaction can lead to an improvement in urea yield.

Abstract: A reformer for production of synthesis gas may include a reformer firing space having a reformer base, reformer walls, and a reformer roof. The reformer may include a first reformer tube and a second reformer tube, with at least sections of the first reformer tube and the second reformer tube being arranged within the reformer firing space. At least one reformer burner is disposed outside the reformer firing space. A cooling duct on or beneath the reformer base is disposed between the first reformer tube and the second reformer tube. The first reformer tube and the second reformer tube can be connected to a collecting system outside the reformer firing space, with the collecting system being disposed beneath the reformer base.

Abstract: A process for preparing methanol by a methanol synthesis reaction of carbon dioxide with hydrogen may involve a distillation step and a condensation step following the synthesis of a crude methanol. A volatile component and water may be separated off from a methanol-containing product stream, and a gas stream containing a volatile component that has been separated off may be discharged at least partially as offgas. At least part of the gas stream that has been separated off may be recirculated into the methanol synthesis reaction. A plant for preparing methanol can store or utilize electric power generated from renewable energy sources and provide facilities for discharging the offgas stream, which can be purified by catalytic after-combustion. Alternatively, the plant can be configured without discharge of an offgas substream, or the offgas streams are so small that they can be released without treatment into the environment at a suitable position.

Abstract: A process for synthesizing methanol may involve supplying a CO2 stream consisting predominantly of carbon dioxide and an H stream consisting predominantly of hydrogen to a methanol reactor arrangement for conversion to methanol. A tail gas stream comprising unreacted hydrogen may be obtained from the methanol reactor arrangement. The unreacted hydrogen may be at least partly recycled to the methanol reactor arrangement. The tail gas stream is supplied to a hydrogen recovery arrangement to obtain a return stream comprising the unreacted hydrogen. The molar proportion of hydrogen in the return stream may be higher than in the tail gas stream.

Abstract: A low-temperature heat utilization assembly may be configured to decouple low-temperature heat from process gas at temperatures below 200° C. and to provide the process gas at a lowered intermediate temperature or at a still further lowered final temperature for at least one subsequent process. In the low-temperature heat utilization assembly the process gas may be fed to a first unit, by means of which the temperature may be lowered to the intermediate temperature. The process gas may in some cases be provided to a heat exchanger stage for further lowering to the final temperature. The first unit is an ORC unit for energy transformation of the heat energy into electrical energy and may be coupled to an electrical consumer unit. The ORC unit may be configured for energy feedback of electrical energy within the low-temperature heat utilization assembly or to a process upstream of the ORC unit.

Abstract: An exhaust air scrubber for removing dust, abraded product, and water-soluble constituents from process exhaust air may include in a single housing a cleaning stage that includes a droplet separator and a packing disposed below the droplet separator. The exhaust air scrubber may also include an inlet apparatus for process exhaust air disposed in a lower portion of the housing, a withdrawal apparatus for scrubbing solution, and a withdrawal conduit for cleaned exhaust air, with the withdrawal conduit beginning inside the housing above the cleaning stage, passing downward inside the housing, and passing out of the housing to an outside in the lower portion of the housing below the cleaning stage. The scrubber may further include a feed conduit for scrubbing solution in an upper portion of the housing above the cleaning stage.

Abstract: A feedstock processing apparatus for applying, distributing, and compacting feedstock in defined layer heights may include a chassis with a traction drive and a first and second undercarriage, a frame structure that connects the two undercarriages over a span width of the feedstock processing apparatus, a material feeding device coupled to the frame structure, a material distributing device coupled to the material feeding device and displaceable in certain sections over the span width and configured to apply the feedstock in layers on soil in different, predefinable height positions between the undercarriages, and a compacting device displaceably mounted on the frame structure and/or the material distributing device. The compacting device and the material distributing device can be displaced in a manner dependent on one another respectively along a predefinable movement path. A corresponding method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for the handling of melt samples in a steelworks laboratory may involve processing and/or analyzing a melt sample in at least one first treatment apparatus and subsequently transporting the melt sample via at least one first transport path to at least one second treatment apparatus where the melt sample is subjected to further processing and/or analysis. As part of the transporting step, the method may involve clamping the melt sample on a sample carrier so that the sample carrier is transported together with the clamped-in melt sample between the treatment apparatuses and is positioned in the treatment apparatuses for processing and/or analysis.

Abstract: A process can be utilized to produce hydrogen and pyrolysis carbon from hydrocarbons where the hydrocarbons are converted into hydrogen and carbon in a reactor at temperatures of 1000° C. or more and the reactor has at least two electrodes that are at a distance from one another in a flow direction of the hydrocarbons. To avoid carbon deposits in a region between the electrodes, which can lead to failure of a heating system, the carbon particles may be introduced into the reactor in countercurrent to the hydrocarbons and may be heated in a heating zone between the electrodes to a temperature above a decomposition temperature of the hydrocarbons at such a mass flow that a reaction zone in which the hydrocarbons are converted into hydrogen and carbon is spatially separated in a flow direction of the carbon particles from the heating zone.

Abstract: Process for the treatment of a feedstock containing biomass, the process including a) drying the feedstock at a temperature between 20 and 180° C. for a duration between 5 and 180 minutes, b) torrefaction of the feedstock originating from step a) in order to produce at least one torrefied biomass solid effluent, c) co-grinding the torrefied biomass solid effluent originating from step b), in the presence of at least one solid fossil feedstock in order to obtain a powder.

Abstract: A method for processing material that contains cement rock may involve comminuting the material in a first comminuting device, feeding the material to a reactor in which the material is mixed with an aqueous liquid and CO2 and in which a mixing movement of the material is generated, and removing the material from the reactor and subdividing the material into at least two fractions by way of a classifying device. The temperature and the pressure in the reactor are maintained such that the pressure exceeds atmospheric pressure and such that the temperature is greater than 100° C. The method may further involve removing a withdrawal stream of the aqueous liquid from the reactor and separating and discharging suspended particles of the material from the withdrawal stream.

Abstract: A method of removing inert gas dissolved in liquid ammonia involves evaporating, compressing, and then condensing the liquid ammonia together with the inert gas dissolved therein. Thereby, a product stream of warm liquid ammonia that has been freed of the inert gas is obtained, which is under elevated pressure relative to standard pressure and hence suitable for immediate use in methods in which pure liquid pressurized ammonia is required. If, by contrast, the ammonia is cooled first, for example, below the boiling temperature for ammonia and expanded to standard pressure to store it in tanks as liquid ammonia at low temperatures, it is necessary first to reheat and compress it for further processing operations. Thus the disclosed methods lead to significant energy savings.

Abstract: A kiln for firing cement clinker may include a tubular rotary drum that can be rotated about its central axis. The tubular rotary drum may have a discharge end at which the cement clinker leaves the kiln. A protective segment may be attached at the discharge end and may have an outward-facing wear surface and an inward-facing cooling surface. The kiln may include a cooling device for generating a cooling air flow that flows along the inward-facing cooling surface of the protective segment. The inward-facing cooling surface can include profile bodies that are pin-shaped. The profile bodies may be uniformly spaced apart, parallel to one another, and/or present over 20% to 60% of the inward-facing cooling surface.

Abstract: A tray for a mass-transfer column may allow contact between liquid and gas phases. The tray may include a tray inlet via which the tray is supplied with a liquid phase, a tray outlet via which the liquid phase flows out from the tray, first guide mechanism for guiding the liquid phase where the first guide mechanism forms a first flow path along which the liquid phase flows from the tray inlet to the tray outlet, an inlet for a temperature-control fluid, an outlet for the temperature-control fluid, and second guide mechanism for guiding the temperature-control fluid for heat exchange with the liquid phase. The second guide mechanism forms a second flow path that overlaps with the first flow path and leads from the inlet to the outlet. The temperature-control fluid flows along the second flow path in a direction opposite the flow direction of the liquid phase.

Abstract: A process for preparing ammonia via an electrolysis cell may involve feeding nitrogen as a first reactant into the electrolysis cell and using water or water vapor as a second reactant for electrolysis. In at least one step downstream of the electrolysis, there is a separation of other components from the ammonia, such as an at-least-partial separation of nitrogen, water, argon and/or hydrogen. Recovery of the reactants is connected upstream of the ammonia electrolysis. The nitrogen used as the first reactant may be procured beforehand in an air fractionation plant. The process may further involve removing from the electrolysis cell oxygen formed as a by-product in the electrolysis at an anode.

Abstract: A bypass system may be utilized in installations and methods for producing cement clinker. A portion of a kiln offgas produced in a kiln may be branched off as bypass gas via a bypass line connected between the kiln and a calciner. In some cases 3 to 15% of the kiln offgas is branched off as the bypass gas. The bypass gas may be cooled to a temperature in a range from 300 to 550° C. and dedusted in a temperature range from 300 to 550° C. The dedusted bypass gas may then be recirculated to the calciner and/or into a tertiary air line arranged between the cooler and the calciner and/or into a region between the kiln and the calciner.

Abstract: A method of producing synthesis gas in a dual pressure level ammonia plant having a first synthesis section operated in once through fashion at a first relatively lower high pressure and having a second synthesis section operated in recirculating fashion at a second relatively higher high pressure. In the first synthesis section downstream of an OT reactor of the first synthesis section the synthesis gas is cooled using cooling medium at a pressure below the first high pressure, wherein the cooling medium is provided at a pressure below the first high pressure level by means of a medium pressure steam generator or wherein the cooling is effected by means of the medium pressure steam generator. The disclosure further relates to a synthesis gas cooling assembly in such a dual pressure level ammonia plant and at least one plant component for providing or for utilizing the cooling medium.