500 TPD

Nitric Acid Plant

500 TPD
Nitric Acid Plant
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17A Marlen Drive w Hamilton, NJ 08691 w USA
Tel: (609) 586-8004 w Fax: (609) 586-0002
www.ippe.com
General Overview
Capacity: 500 TPD
Shut Down: January 2006
Design: C&I Girdler
Concentration: 64%-67%
NOx Emission: 180 PPM
General Overview
This facility has been producing 65% strength nitric acid since 1971
The production of nitric acid is a continuous process and the plant produces about
170,000 tons per year
The manufactured Nitric Acid is constantly circulated in a 2,000 ton storage tank
before loading tank trucks for delivery
Nitric acid is used in a variety of applications from fertilizer to explosives, as well as a
raw material used in the manufacture of other chemical products
There are a complete set of Spare Rotors for the Compressor
New Tailgas Heaters (Never Installed)
Zirconium Tube Bundle Cooler Condenser
Key Points
The purpose of the nitric acid unit is to produce 65% strength nitric acid from raw
materials and a catalyst for use in a variety of applications.
Purpose
Materials and Products
The production of nitric acid requires only four materials: ammonia, air, platinum and
water
Anhydrous ammonia (NH
3
) and oxygen from the air (O
2
) is mixed, passed through and
reacted with a platinum catalyst gauze to form NOx, then absorbed with H
2
O to form
basic nitric acid
The ammonia is heated to a gas and the gas is then superheated and transferred to
the mixer
Air is taken in through the compressor and transferred to the mixer
This ammonia/air mixture is forced through the platinum gauze in the converter
This new gas then enters the absorber column where it is absorbed with water to form
basic nitric acid
Materials and Products
Manufacturing Process Unit Sections
Manufacturing Process Unit Diagram
Manufacturing Process Unit Sections
The Ammonia Section contains a storage tank from which the anhydrous ammonia is
transferred to the vaporizer, superheater and filters
Ammonia Section
Manufacturing Process Unit Sections
The Process Air Section contains the Steam Turbine, Vera Compressor (filter, silencer,
compressor case 1, air cooler and compressor case 2), Expander and Process Air
Filter for the required compressed air
Process Air Section
The Product Process Section contains the following:
Mixer
Where ammonia gas and compressed air mix
Converter
Where the mixed gases react with a platinum catalyst within the converter
Waste Heat Exchanger & Platinum Filter
The mixed gases continue through the waste heat exchanger, then through the platinum
filter
Tail Gas Heater, Boiler Feedwater Heaters and Cooler Condenser
Used to cool the process stream after passing through the platinum filter
Absorption Column
The process stream then enters the absorption column, where nitric acid is formed
Acid Heater
The acid is heated to make the bleaching process more efficient
Bleacher Column
The acid enters the bleacher column where it is bleached to a clear color
Product Acid Cooler
The acid is then cooled in the product acid cooler, which promotes less fumes and
decreased corrosion in the storage area.
Product Platinum Filter
Prior to the storage area, the acid passes through the product platinum filter
Storage Area
Manufacturing Process Unit Sections
Product Process Section
Manufacturing Process Unit Sections
Product Process Section Diagram
The Tailgas Treatment Section contains the components to eliminate unconverted
gases (nitric oxide) that were not absorbed in the absorption column. The components
in this section include:
The mist eliminator
Removes any liquid acid from the tailgas stream
Bleach Air Cooler
Cools air from the air compressor
Tailgas Heater
Reheats the tailgas before it enters the fume abater
Fume Abater
Destroys and eliminates nitric oxides in the tailgas
Expander
Uses the hot gases from the fume abater to drive the compressor 2
nd
stage
Economizer
Uses its heat to heat and send water to the boiler
Stack
Vents the cleaned gas to the atmosphere
Manufacturing Process Unit Sections
Tailgas Treatment Section
Manufacturing Process Unit Sections
Tailgas Treatment Section
The Process Utility Section includes hydrogen, butane, instrument air, demin water,
cooling tower water and equipment components that are used to produce their own
steam and heating/cooling from the heat made by the nitric acid process to continue
the process in a complete cycle
When running at mid to full rates, the nitric acid unit produces more thermal utility than
it uses. The components include the steam header, surface condenser, steam traps,
heat exchangers and demin water supply
The deaerator receives steam and water from the above components where it is
heated and transferred to the ammonia superheater
The heated water flows to the ammonia vaporizer, boiler feedwater heaters A&B and to
the acid heater
The vestibule jacket is a boiler around the converter
The waste heat exchanger is a boiler in line with the process stream
Water is heated to steam and transferred to the turbine; the excess is exported to plant
utilities
Manufacturing Process Unit Sections
Process Utility Section
Ammonia from the storage tanks is transferred to the ammonia vaporizer through a magnetic
filter, to the ammonia superheater through filters and into the mixer
Air is drawn through an intake filter and silencer to the first case compressor
The air is cooled by the air intercooler and enters the second case compressor then through
a process filter and into the mixer
Air and ammonia mix enter the converter where it passes through a platinum/rhodium gauze
which forms nitrogen oxide
As it passes through the waste heat exchanger, nitrogen dioxides are also formed
This process gas passes through a platinum filter for platinum recovery
The gas then passes through the tailgas heater, cooler condenser and boiler feedwater
heaters for process cooling and enters the absorption column
The nitric oxide is oxidized to form nitrogen dioxide
Water is introduced into the column where it absorbs the nitrogen dioxides to form nitric acid
The acid enters the acid heater where it is heated to make the bleaching process more
efficient
The acid enters the bleacher column where it is bleached to a clear color
The acid is then cooled in the product acid cooler. This promotes less fumes and decreased
corrosion in the storage area. Prior to the storage area the acid passes through the product
platinum filter
Process Flow
Process Flow Path
Process Flow
Process Flow Diagram
Photos
Photos
Photos
Contact Information

MICHAEL JOACHIM
DIRECTOR, PLANTS DEPT.
Tele: 609-838-5930 (direct)
Mobile: 609-516-9107
MichaelJ@ippe.com


SANJEEV REGE
VP GLOBAL PLANT SALES
Tele: 609-838-5938 (direct)
Mobile: 609-510-2616
SanjeevR@ippe.com