GB140060A - Process for the synthetic production of ammonia - Google Patents

Abstract

140,060. Duparc, L., and Urfer, C. March 13, 1919, [Convention date]. Ammonia, catalytic production of from nitrogen and hydrogen; catalytic agents, preparation of; catalytic apparatus.-Ammonia is prepared synthetically by passing a mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen, which has been previously purified and dried at atmospheric pressure and at comparatively low temperatures (250-600‹ C.) over a catalyst consisting of lithium, calcium, strontium, cerium, thorium, didymium, lanthanum, glucinum, or zirconium, and a carrier of either magnesia or alumina; the metal may be present as such in the catalyst, or in the form of nitride, and the catalyst may contain two or more metals or their nitrides, or a mixture, of metal and nitride. The catalyst may be prepared according to the process of Specification 140,061. Specification 5835/11 is referred to. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 (3) (a) comprises also the employment of a catalyst containing at least one metal which when heated in nitrogen forms a nitride decomposable by hydrogen, and which may be used alone in conjunction with a carrier of magnesia or alumina, and in addition to the metals specified above includes also uranium, barium, the other rare earth metals of Group IV. of the periodic system, and vanadium. And it also includes an apparatus for carrying out the process, in which nitrogen and hydrogen are passed from gas-holders a, b through meters c', c' so as to obtain the correct proportions, then mixed and passed over heated copper in a tube f, and dried in a sulphuric acid washer h and a tower i containing quick lime and calcium chloride; the pure and dried gases are then passed to the first re action tube k<2> of glass or quartz, containing the catalyst finely divided and supported between pervious plugs l, and the ammonia formed is absorbed in washers n, n<1>, the remaining gases, passing to a second reaction tube k<1>, and so on. The reaction tubes are heated bv electric resistance coils o or by baths of molten metal, and to obviate decomposition of the ammonia the length of catalyst in the tubes should be short so as to reduce the time of contact. Instead of supplying the nitrogen and hydrogen from separate gasholders, the gases may be mixed and supplied from the same holder. This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.