Abstract: A method of producing ammonia includes heating, with a start-up oven, a first synthesis gas for a first ammonia synthesis in a first reactor; transferring the heated first synthesis gas to the first reactor for initiating a chemical reaction; heating, with the start-up oven, a second synthesis gas for a second ammonia synthesis in a second reactor; and transferring the heated second synthesis gas to the second reactor for initiating a chemical reaction, wherein a high-pressure synthesis of ammonia is carried out in the first reactor and a low-pressure synthesis of ammonia is carried out in the second reactor at a process pressure which is lower than the process pressure in the first reactor.

Abstract: A process for producing hydrogen by cracking of ammonia includes cracking ammonia in the presence of a catalyst to hydrogen and nitrogen, wherein the ammonia is cracked without preceding noncatalytic oxidation in the absence of an oxidant merely by supply of heat in the presence of the catalyst. In one of several alternatively possible process variants, the cracking of the ammonia is conducted in a reactor analogously to a primary reformer, wherein the catalyst is disposed in at least one tube through which ammonia flows. In the combustion chamber of the reactor, a mixture of ammonia and hydrogen is preferably combusted, where the nitrogen formed in the reaction is an inert component that serves as an additional heat carrier. A mixture of hydrogen and ammonia is advantageous since it has a moderate flame temperature, has better combustion properties than pure ammonia and, depending on the mixing ratio, emits less NOx than the two pure substances.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing hydrogen, carbon monoxide and a carbon-containing product in at least one reaction apparatus, wherein the at least one reaction apparatus comprises a bed of carbon-containing material and is characterized in that the bed of carbon-containing material in the at least one reaction apparatus is alternately heated to a temperature of >800° C. and, no later than upon reaching a temperature of 1800° C., cooled to a maximum of 800° C., wherein hydrogen and carbon monoxide are produced during the heating phase and carbon and hydrogen are produced during the cooling phase.

Abstract: A method and a system for producing synthesis gas, wherein process condensate is used to produce steam. To this end, steam is used to strip volatile impurities, in particular carbon dioxide, from the process condensate and then preferably convert the impurities together with flue gas and discharge them. Then a pH of at least 7.0 is preferably set by adding additives, the process condensate being evaporated and recycled as output steam for producing synthesis gas. In this way, it is possible to suppress the corrosive effect of the process condensate such that no, or less, corrosion-resistant stainless-steel must be used in the manufacture of the system components that come into contact with the process condensate. The steam used to strip the volatile impurities is preferably generated by heat from the synthesis gas and/or flue gas.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an ammonia plant, wherein the ammonia plant comprises a converter, a first heat exchanger, and a removal apparatus. The converter and the first heat exchanger are connected to one another via a product gas connection in such a way that the ammonia synthesis product gas is guided out of the converter via the first heat exchanger to the removal apparatus. The removal apparatus and the converter are connected to one another via a reactant gas connection in such a way that the circulation gas is guided from the removal apparatus to the converter. The ammonia plant comprises a hydrogen feed that is connected to the converter via a second heat exchanger. The ammonia plant comprises a first electric heater and a steam turbine. The first electric heater is connected to the converter or to the steam turbine.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a process for separating a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock stream by extractive distillation, wherein the feedstock stream is contacted with a water-soluble solvent for aromatics in countercurrent. An aliphatics fraction is distillatively removed as aliphatics product stream from the mixture obtained. The aromatics are stripped from the aromatics-enriched solvent that remains and the aromatics-depleted solvent is recycled in a solvent circuit, with compounds having a lower boiling point compared to the solvent accumulating in the solvent circuit as impurities. At least a substream of the solvent circuit is purified for removal of the impurities, wherein the substream for the purifying is subjected to a thermal separation process, in which the impurities are at least partly discharged in a top product and the purified solvent that remains is recycled into the solvent circuit. An apparatus for carrying out the process is also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a process for separating a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock stream by extractive distillation. The feedstock stream is contacted with a water-soluble solvent for aromatics in countercurrent, an aliphatics fraction is distillatively removed as aliphatics product stream from the mixture obtained. The aromatics are stripped from the aromatics-enriched solvent that remains and the aromatics-depleted solvent is recycled in a solvent circuit, with aliphatic compounds and/or compounds with aliphatic moieties accumulating in the solvent circuit as impurities. At least a substream of the solvent circuit is purified for removal of the impurities, wherein for the purifying, a liquid/liquid extraction is carried out between the substream and an extractant for aliphatics and the raffinate of the liquid/liquid extraction is recycled into the solvent circuit. An apparatus for carrying out the process is also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a process for producing ammonia, wherein a hydrocarbon mixture and steam are supplied to a primary reformer. The hydrocarbon mixture and the steam are at least partly converted to carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the primary reformer. The gas mixture from the primary reformer is directed into a secondary reformer. The secondary reformer is supplied with process air, at least comprising oxygen and nitrogen, such that unconverted hydrocarbon is converted to carbon monoxide and hydrogen. In examples, the firing output of the primary reformer is increased, the oxygen content of the process air is reduced before the process air is directed into the secondary reformer.

Abstract: In a process for operating an ammonia plant, a gas mixture comprising nitrogen, hydrogen and ammonia is conveyed cyclically in a synthesis circuit with a conveying device which comprises at least a first compressor, nitrogen and hydrogen are converted at least partly into ammonia in a converter, the gas mixture is cooled in a cooling device in such a way that ammonia condenses out of the gas mixture, and hydrogen is provided at least partly by electrolysis. In this process, the utilization of fluctuating renewable energies can be integrated into existing plant designs, for the provision of hydrogen; for this reason, a master controller is provided and the master controller keeps at least the pressure in the synthesis circuit approximately constant via at least one control loop, on the basis of the anticipated amount of hydrogen. For this, the apparatus comprises a first bypass line for circumventing the first compressor, and a second bypass line for circumventing the cooling device.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an ammonia plant, wherein the ammonia plant comprises a converter, a first heat exchanger, and a removal apparatus. The converter and the first heat exchanger are connected to one another via a product gas connection in such a way that the ammonia synthesis product gas is guided out of the converter via the first heat exchanger to the removal apparatus. The removal apparatus and the converter are connected to one another via a reactant gas connection in such a way that the circulation gas is guided from the removal apparatus to the converter. The ammonia plant comprises a hydrogen feed that is connected to the converter via a second heat exchanger. The ammonia plant comprises a first electric heater and a steam turbine. The first electric heater is connected to the converter or to the steam turbine.

Abstract: A process may be utilized to coat urea-containing granules with organic polymers. The process may involve compressing gaseous carbon dioxide and condensing the carbon dioxide to obtain liquid carbon dioxide, increasing the pressure and/or the temperature above the critical point of carbon dioxide and obtaining supercritical carbon dioxide, dissolving an organic polymer in the supercritical carbon dioxide to obtain a polymer-containing solution, and mixing the polymer-containing solution with urea-containing granules and lowering the temperature and/or the pressure below the critical point of carbon dioxide and obtaining coated urea-containing granules and gaseous carbon dioxide. In some cases the organic polymer may include biodegradable polymers, and the polymer-containing solution may contain between 20 to 70% by weight biodegradable polymers.

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 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: A method can be utilized to startup into a normal operating state a steam reformer arrangement for the production of hydrogen, methanol, or ammonia. A plurality of burners that are coupled to at least one reactor having reformer tubes may be controlled and regulated. In particular, startup may be performed out and regulated in an automated manner by the burners ensuring normal operation, in particular non-startup burners, being ignited indirectly as a function of temperature by means of burners provided specifically for startup, in particular pilot burners and startup burners, as a function of automatically evaluated flame monitoring at least at the pilot burners. This method provides time savings and savings of outlay in terms of personnel and also high operational reliability.

Abstract: A process for performing the water gas shift reaction wherein raw synthesis gas is reacted in the presence of steam and at least one water gas shift catalyst to convert carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and to form hydrogen. The raw synthesis gas is initially passed through at least one unit for high-temperature CO conversion and subsequently, downstream thereof, passed through at least one unit for low-temperature CO conversion. After passing through the at least one unit for high-temperature CO conversion the synthesis gas stream is divided into at least two substreams. The first substream is passed through a first unit for low-temperature CO conversion and the second substream is passed through a second unit for low-temperature CO conversion, wherein both units for low-temperature CO conversion are arranged in parallel relative to one another.

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: The present disclosure relates to a method of operating a reformer, wherein the reformer is operated at least with a first hydrocarbon mixture and a second hydrocarbon mixture. The reformer has a primary reformer that is supplied with a first gas stream. The reformer also has a secondary reformer that is supplied with a semifinished product gas stream from the primary reformer and with an air stream. The first gas stream and the air stream are used to form the quotient of the first gas stream divided by the air stream. A threshold value is defined, wherein the reformer is shut down below the threshold value. The threshold value is compared with the product of the quotient of the first gas stream divided by the air stream multiplied by a factor H, wherein the factor is defined depending on the chemical composition of the gas stream.

Abstract: A method of producing ammonia includes heating, with a start-up oven, a first synthesis gas for a first ammonia synthesis in a first reactor; transferring the heated first synthesis gas to the first reactor for initiating a chemical reaction; heating, with the start-up oven, a second synthesis gas for a second ammonia synthesis in a second reactor; and transferring the heated second synthesis gas to the second reactor for initiating a chemical reaction, wherein a high-pressure synthesis of ammonia is carried out in the first reactor and a low-pressure synthesis of ammonia is carried out in the second reactor at a process pressure which is lower than the process pressure in the first reactor.

Abstract: The integrated plant for making propene oxide includes a unit for producing hydrogen peroxide by an anthraquinone process, which includes a hydrogenator, an oxidizer and an extraction column, and a unit for making propene oxide from propene and hydrogen peroxide. The unit for making propene oxide has an epoxidation reactor and a work-up section, as well as an air compressor driven by a backpressure steam turbine with a conduit connecting an outlet of the air compressor with the oxidizer and a conduit connecting the steam outlet of the backpressure steam turbine with a heat exchanger of a distillation column of the work-up section.

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.