Ammonia industry

Delivering optimal
performance
Complete portfolio of catalysts for ammonia production

www.topsoe.com
02 Haldor Topsoe

Optimizing ammonia plant

performance worldwide
Topsoe is optimizing ammonia plants with the
most active and advanced catalyst technologies
and solutions in the world.
Today, operational efficiency, With our catalysts, operators gain Today, our catalyst technology is
improved asset utilization, longer the advantages of higher activities helping to deliver over 50% of the
cycles, and less downtime are over a longer catalyst lifetime, less world’s ammonia. Topsoe is currently
essential requirements for the unplanned downtime, and lower working on the safest, most reliable
ammonia industry. We are here energy costs. But optimization isn’t and cost-efficient solutions in the
to help you optimize units and just about increasing plant capacity field. With our deep understanding
processes throughout your value and performance—it’s about of the ammonia technology, and
chain—with a deep portfolio of engineering your plant to compete a worldwide technical service
catalysts, technical solutions, and for the future. organization, we ensure optimal
support carefully tailored to your performance of your plant, now and
specific needs. in the future.

Natural gas Primary Secondary

Purification Prereforming
reforming reforming

Ammonia Ammonia Low High

Methanation temperature temperature
synthesis
shift shift
 Ammonia industry 03

“Our mission
in ammonia
plants is
simple: to
optimize your
operations.”
04 Haldor Topsoe
Feed purification
Your first line of defense
Ammonia producers have unique
needs that require efficient, tailor-
made, and trouble-free solutions.
Impurities in the feedstock are the
enemy of stable operations and must
be removed to protect plant
availability.
To keep your operations profitable
and effectively eliminate organic
sulfur and unsaturated hydrocarbons,
the TK-serie allows you to proactively
protect your reforming catalyst. The
TK-serie is designed to deliver
superior hydrogenation activity and
by this, you can extend the catalyst
lifetime, reduce downtime and cut
operational costs. When all organic
sulfur is converted, the HTZ-series of
sulfur absorbents is designed to
efficiently and reliably remove the
remaining hydrogen sulfide, all to
protect critical downstream
equipment and expensive catalysts.
Together, Topsoe purification
solutions are simply a smarter, more
reliable way to increase the efficiency
of downstream operations.

Hydrogenation
Superior hydrogenation activity
TK-261 is a nickel-molybdenum-
based catalyst on an alumina carrier
with an optimized pore structure that
maximizes access to a large number
of active nickel and molybdenum
sites. This results in a catalyst that is
optimized to protect downstream
catalyst from sulfur compounds.
TK-261 is produced in an asymmetric
quadralobe shape to promote low
pressure drop across the catalyst
bed.
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 50, 10153 (2011)
Performance that endures
The ring-shaped TK-250 is embedded
with active cobalt and molybdenum
metals finely dispersed on an alumina
carrier in order to ensure effective
conversion of organic sulfur.
It reduces the risk of pressure drop,
too. Because its ring shape creates
an optimal void fraction in the
catalyst bed that effectively
manages the build-up of foreign
material-like particles in the feed.
Ammonia industry 05
Protection now. Protection later
The TK-240 is the latest development
of hydrogenation catalysts with a
combination of the best features
from the TK-261 and the TK-250.
The TK-240 delivers consistently high
levels of activity. It is based on an
alumina carrier in an asymmetrical
quadralobe shape and has a pore
structure that increases access to
finely dispersed cobalt and
molybdenum sites.
06 Haldor Topsoe
100
100
9090
Sulfur optake, %
8080
7070
6060
5050
1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 49 52 55 58 61 64 67 70 73 76 79 82 85 88 91 94 97
Radial sulfur profiles in spent zinc oxide absorbents
Sulfur absorption
Clever investment now. Major
savings later
You won’t find a more effective
solution to remove sulfur than our
HTZ-3 and HTZ-5 high purity zinc
oxide absorbents. These >99% pure
zinc oxide solutions are an optimal
choice to protect downstream
catalysts from sulfur poisoning.
HTZ-3 has exceptional capacity for
sulfur absorption due to its high
density and carefully optimized pore
structure that ensures full saturation
of the pellet.
HTZ-5 is best applied for scenarios
where the feedstock contains low
amounts of hydrogen sulfide or the
Topsoe HTZ sulfur absorbent
Competitor sulfur absorbent
Distance through pellet
operating temperature is reduced.
The optimized surface area and
porous arrangement of HTZ-5 ensure
maximum sulfur absorption.
An extra edge of protection
Building on the same well-established
technology and application areas as
the HTZ-3 and HTZ-5, these state-of-
the-art zinc oxide absorbents add
proprietary promoters that enhance
the sulfur protection. In addition to
the unmatched sulfur removal and
protection, the added promoters
further enable hydrogenation,
meaning that these premium
solutions have the ability to convert
organic sulfur to inorganic sulfur.
With the added feature of
hydrogenation, the HTZ-31 and
HTZ-51 give you one less thing to
worry about when thinking about
optimal performance of your plant.
Stay calm
No matter what your need is, Topsoe
has the products that will help you
keep your plant running. Topsoe’s
feed purification solutions are
prepared from pure raw materials to
give you assurance that no impurities
will pass to poison sensitive
downstream catalysts. With proven
performance from thousands of
industrial references, these solutions
extend the lifetime of service and
gives you piece of mind.

Prereforming
Multiple benefits for multiple feedstocks
Prereformer catalysts require high
activity, high strength, high sulfur
tolerance, and high resistance to
carbon formation. This, together
with unmatched lifetimes, is just
what you get by using AR-401. On
top of this, it is also suitable for
processing feedstocks ranging from
lean natural gas and heavy naphtha
to virtually any blend. Since it can
operate at very low steam-to-carbon
ratios, your operations will benefit
from overall energy savings as well.
Since the AR-401 absorbs all the
6 Topsoe AR series, 2nd generation
5 Topsoe AR series, 1st generation
4 Competitor
Charge
3 Competitor
2 Competitor
1 Competitor
0 1 2 3
5 times longer lifetime was achieved at an Asian methanol producer when they changed to the Topsoe 2nd generation AR-series
sulfur in the hydrocarbon feed and
process steam, it protects
downstream reformers and
significantly increases the lifetime of
valuable shift catalysts.
Optimal performance – 24/7
The AR-401 is a nickel catalyst with a
carrier of activated magnesium
alumina spinel. With its superior
activity, strength, sulfur tolerance,
resistance to carbon formation and
sintering, and a unique ability to
tolerate condensing steam, the
4 5
Cycle length, years
Ammonia industry 07
AR-401 delivers unequaled
performance throughout its
extended lifetime.
Its 7-hole design generates the
highest activity levels while enabling
a low-pressure drop in the reactor.
This ensures the most efficient
conversion possible – and is just one
more way Topsoe is helping
companies to achieve optimal
performance.
6 7 8 9
08 Haldor Topsoe
Primary
reforming
The heart of your plant won’t miss a beat
To keep a heart healthy, you need
to stay active and prevent your
arteries from clogging.
The same might be said of primary
reforming, the heart of your
operations. You can’t afford this unit
to slow down or miss a beat due to
carbon deposits and fouling in the
catalyst tubes.
How do you keep them active? A
good place to start is with Topsoe
steam reforming catalysts. They
push reforming performance to
peak levels of efficiency, reliability,
and plant availability.
Non-alkali catalysts to rely on
As reliable and high activity
performance is a top priority,
Topsoe’s R-67-7H, and prereduced
R-67R-7H, for primary reformers will
accelerate your conversion rates.
With the same exceptional activity,
and a size optimized for lower
pressure drop, RC-67 TITAN™ builds
on Topsoe’s long tradition of primary
reforming catalysts.
The 7-hole cylinder shape creates
a much larger surface area. This,
combined with superior pore size
distribution and outstanding
mechanical strength, boosts
catalyst activity and stability to
generate a reforming reaction close
to equilibrium at the outlet of the
reformer.
Low-alkali creates value
Alkali-promoters can be used to
suppress carbon-formation, but will
also slow down activity. To solve
this dilemma, Topsoe took a novel
approach when developing the RK-
400’s catalyst design.
The RK-400 catalyst is the
champion of low alkali catalysts.
It makes a big leap in catalyst
activity levels and carbon-formation
resistance, taking conversion rates
higher than before. The crucial
breakthrough came by finding a way
to embed a higher concentration
of alkali-promoters in the catalyst
carrier structure.
The best catalysts never surprise
Capturing the greatest value
from feedstock means achieving
unsurpassed conversion rates.
The Topsoe primary reforming
solutions help you do exactly
that. High-performance catalysts
engineered to perform faithfully for
years no matter what the feedstock
or design of your plant.
 Ammonia industry 09

SpiraLoad™
Did you know that the SpiraLoad™ reloading
frequency of <0.1% is best in class?
10 Haldor Topsoe

Secondary reforming
Stability you can count on
Catalysts need to be engineered
with extremely durable materials to
continuously perform at their peak in
high prevailing temperatures within
secondary reformers.

Topsoe RKS and RKC catalysts do

just that. They are field-proven to
operate for up to 25 years,
demonstrating their strength and
value in ammonia plants worldwide.

Super stability and strength

Their ability to withstand extreme
temperatures boils down to their
thermal stability and mechanical
strength. The RKS-2, RKS-2-7H, and
RKC-2-7H are nickel-based catalysts
constructed with robust magnesium
aluminum spinel or calcium
aluminate carriers. Not only are they
thermal resistant, they are also
immune to wear and tear.

Maximum conversion. Minimal

pressure drop
You can count on both catalysts to
obtain maximum conversion of
process gasses during operations.
Just as important, they keep
pressure drop to a minimum. For
secondary reformers plagued by
excessive pressure drop and ruby
deposits, using a top layer of RKS-2
catalysts has become the catalyst
loading strategy of choice.
With an ever-increasing focus on
increasing plant availability, it’s good
to know that you can have
confidence in RKS and RKC catalysts
for enduring performance.

High temperature shift
Faster, more active, and built to last
The SK-201-2 gives you an ultrafast
start to long term profitability. It can
be activated within just a few hours.
So you can gear up to full production
faster.
SK-201-2 is an ultra-low Cr(VI)
catalyst that contains virtually no
sulfur, eliminating the need for
desulfurization and other
precautions during start-up. With its
low levels of hexavalent chromium, it
also protects the people and the
environment from accidental
exposure.
Built to last
The SK-201-2 isn’t just fast. It’s more
stable and active too. High activity
enables operation at lower
temperatures, where chemical
equilibrium favors higher conversions
Learn more about SK-501 FLEXTM
Fe3O4
ZnAl2O4
leading to improved plant
profitability.
The SK-201-2 boasts a high strength
that endures even overextended
periods of operation at low steam to
carbon ratios. So it keeps pressure
drop stable across the catalyst bed
throughout an extended catalyst
lifetime.
How low can you go?
Plant optimization has long been
limited by a minimum steam-to-
carbon requirement by conventional
high shift catalysts.
The groundbreaking new formulation
of SK-501 FLEX™, based on zinc and
aluminum, removes this limitation
and gives the flexibility needed to
achieve maximum profitability
+ Cr2O3 + CuO
Topsoe
+ ZnO +
promoters
without risking formation of any of
the unwanted bi-products.
No chromium, no hassle
SK-501 FLEX™, as a first of its kind, is
a vanguard in the future of catalysis,
meeting growing pressure from
legislative bodies and safety
standard and at the same time,
pushes the boundaries of
operational excellence.
Through several years of industrial
operation, SK-501 FLEX™ has
demonstrated exceptional activity
and stability, exceeding the
performance of conventional
iron-chromium catalysts. SK-501
FLEX™ delivers quality performance
from the first day of start-up.
12 Haldor Topsoe
Low temperature shift
Catalyst innovation. Worldwide experience.
Ensuring operational excellence
is one of the main focus areas for
the ammonia industry. Choosing
the right LTS catalyst can result in
substantial profit gains and extra
revenue.
Perhaps that’s why the Topsoe LK
catalyst serie is deployed in so many
The reliability you want. Year after year after year.
The reliability you want
The LK-821-2 catalyst is the most
widely deployed LTS catalyst in
ammonia plants today. It has earned
a reputation for delivering a long life
of high conversion that optimizes
and improves our customers’
operations.
companies worldwide delivering
optimal performance 24/7.
Protects what’s valuable
Even small traces of chlorine and
water droplets can do serious
damage to your LTS catalysts. The
LSK-2, a top layer catalyst, prevents
this from happening.
LK-821-2’s enduring reliability is the
result of its tri-metallic copper, zinc,
and aluminum construction. Finely
dispersed copper oxide creates
a large copper surface area that
generates highly active, yet stable
performance. And free zinc oxide
boosts the chemisorption capacity
to shield the catalyst from sulfur
poisoning.
LSK-2 has an exceptionally high
chlorine capacity and a long service
life. And its tolerance for water
droplets helps avoid pressure drop
increases. This is especially valuable
during plant shutdowns and start-
up, where LSK-2 protects the main
catalyst, ensuring long catalyst
lifetimes.
The LK-821-2’s supreme crush
strength prevents fragmenting and
increase in pressure drop. These
advantages, combined with the
opportunity to operate at low inlet
temperatures to achieve higher CO
conversions, result in brilliant plant
performance.

Lower methanol emissions, without compromising
plant efficiency
Can you really improve
environmental performance and
operational efficiency at the same
time?
Yes, you can. With our low methanol
LK-823 and LK-853 FENCE™
catalysts. Both reduce methanol
by-product formation by a factor
of up to 10 resulting in a more
environmental friendly and efficient
production.
LK-823 maintains the many benefits
of the LK-821-2 and with a special
promoter it minimizes the amount
of by-products formed. LK-853
FENCE™, uses the same principles
and employs the adding benefits
of the unique FENCE™ catalyst
technology.
CO slip, dry mol%
0 6
Economical gain by using premium LTS catalyst
Ammonia industry 13
FENCE™ technology LK-853 FENCE™ possesses activity-
At the core of FENCE™ technology levels unequalled by any other LTS
are metal oxides that are used as catalyst to improve the success
barriers and “fences in“ the nano- of your operations by maximizing
sized active copper particles of the conversion and minimizing by
LTS catalyst. products. Now, and well into the
future.
The result is a catalyst system with
multiple benefits:
• Increased conversion due to
more surface space between
particles to achieve super high
levels of activity
• Low deactivation as it stabilizes
the copper particles and
prevents sintering
• Increased catalyst lifetine due to
increased poison resistance
LK-823
Additional ammonia gain
from premium product
4.200 MT ammonia
LK-853 FENCE™
12 18 24 30 36
Catalyst age (months)
14 Haldor Topsoe
Methanation
Faster start-up. Longer life. Flexible operation.
No matter whether your
methanation reactor runs at 400°C
or 200°C, the prereduced PK-7R
catalyst is engineered to completely
convert the carbon oxides before
reaching the synthesis loop.
The catalyst is reduced under
carefully controlled conditions, with
unmatched activity, so they can
operate for a long time, in many
cases more than a generation.
Pressure drop
Topsoe PK-7R
5 mm ring
Easy as plug and play
Activating the PK-7R is as fast and
easy as plug and play. Expose it to
process gas at normal operating
conditions, and methanation
immediately begins to gain valuable
production time.
Big savings
PK-7R catalyst cut costs several
ways. You can operate at lower
temperatures, and the pressure
Competitor
3 mm sphere
drop will be reduced by up to
50% compared with conventional
catalysts. Both features will
significantly lower energy costs.
The bottom line? The PK-7R’s ring
shape and large nickel surface
area will translate into more cost-
effective operational performance
for your business.
Competitor
3 mm cylinder
 Ammonia industry 15

Ammonia plant catalysts

Purification
TK-261 TK-250 TK-240

HTZ-3 HTZ-5 HTZ-31

HTZ-51 HTZ-1 ST-201

Prereforming
AR-401 AR-401

Primary reforming
R-67-7H R-67R-7H RC-67 TITAN™

RK-201 RK-211 RK-400

RK-400R R-87 HEAT-X™ R-87R HEAT-X™

Secondary reforming
RKS-2 RKS-2-7H RKC-2-7H

High temperature shift

SK-201-2 SK-501 Flex™ TK-20

Low temperature shift

LSK-2 LK-821-2 LK-823

LK-853 FENCE™

Methanation
PK-7R PK-5

Ammonia synthesis
KM1R KM1 KMR 111

KM 111
16 Haldor Topsoe
Ammonia synthesis
Engineering plants to compete for the future
We know the question that
influences most business decisions
is two-folded: how do you get more
out of your operation, and what will
be the cost?
Even in the best of times, cost
and operational efficiency are
the driving factors behind many
decisions you make. What many
companies don’t realize, however, is
how much their catalysts actually
influence their plant profitability.
The key to maximizing your
investment is to leverage superior
activity levels and conversion
rates while driving down the use of
>250
Number of installed KM charges in
operation
energy to increase output and plant
availability.
By delivering high catalyst
activity for years, KM catalysts
reduce downtime, save energy,
and minimize the frequency of
replacement. They help control
profitability through longer periods
of continuous operation, higher
activity, excellent conversion levels,
and extended catalyst lifetime.
For greater production capacity
The longer a catalyst maintains high
levels of activity, the greater the
value it generates for owners.
70
Years of Topsoe ammonia industry
experience
Today, the KM1 is the benchmark
for high and stable performance.
Field-proven experience shows that
KM1 stretches catalyst lifetimes,
reducing downtime and boosting
yields as well.
With industry-leading levels of
high activity, thermostability and
poison resistance, the KM ammonia
synthesis catalyst delivers high
activity levels for 20 years or more.
More than 250 Topsoe KM catalyst
charges are in operation worldwide,
helping operators to increase
capacity and profitability.
50%
Share of ammonia production

KM 111 – the next evolution
of ammonia catalyst is here
Imagine if every ammonia plant
could perform better than before.
With the KM 111, Topsoe now
delivers the world’s most efficient
ammonia catalyst. It generates
greater capacity than any other
catalyst in its class.
We applied our extensive
experience with the KM1 to develop
the KM 111 specifically for lower
beds of the ammonia converter.
The KM 111 catalyst achieves
activity levels significantly higher
than the KM1. And it does so while
offering the same excellent thermal
and mechanical stability of its
predecessor.
Greater catalyst activity improves
the kinetics of ammonia synthesis
reaction. As a result, you can
Ammonia industry 17
generate higher rates of conversion
at lower temperatures to make
impressive gains in capacity.
KM 111 delivers record production
levels and energy savings. It also
enables faster plant start-ups
and opens up for new plants to
downsize catalyst volumes as well
as reactor size.
18 Haldor Topsoe

Additional solutions & services

Discover the full range

of Topsoe services and
solutions delivering optimal
performance in ammonia
plants
Tailored services
For ammonia producers even minor changes in plants
Services performance can have a huge impact on the bottom line. Our
objective is to provide you with the right services so that your
plant can utilize its full potential 24/7. With more than 70 years
of engagement within the ammonia industry, we have the
competencies and the knowledge to achieve this and to cater
to your specific needs.

Revamp solutions
To stay profitable, ammonia producers are constantly
Revamps challenged to produce ammonia at the lowest cost per tonne.
Building on more than 70 years of experience, we help aging
plants stay competitive by revamps. If you need to boost
capacity, minimize energy consumption, reduce emissions or
operate more flexibly – whether that means feedstock flexibility
or co-production of other chemicals – we help you find the right
formula for long-term success. Based on industry-leading
Topsoe syngas solutions, our ammonia synthesis process,
high-activity catalysts, and expert services, we tailor unique
revamp solutions which ensure reliable and safe operation and
cost efficiency improving your bottom line.

Want to learn more – Topsoe Academy™

Studies show that knowledge is the single most important
Training parameter for plant efficiency and reliability. Topsoe Academy™
gives your people this knowledge by making our vast experience
and scientific know-how available to your organization through
specific courses or through the LEARN™ events taking place
regularly in our headquarters or at a location close to you.
 Ammonia industry 19

Why partner with

Haldor Topsoe
Because your benefits will not only include catalyst
supply but also technology licensing and services that are
specificially designed for your plant.

When you select catalysts from

Haldor Topsoe your benefits are not
limited to the catalyst performance.
An array of other solutions and
services will be available to you.

We have been supplying catalysts for

the ammonia industry since the early
1950'es and collecting vast
experience and feedback from the
industry on your requirements, which
has resulted in a number of
innovative catalysts that has helped
the ammonia industry push its
boundaries.

You get a partner who – as a catalyst

provider, technology licensor, and
service provider – has a unique ability
to look at the big picture and tailor
solutions that are fully optimized to
meet your exact needs.

"The corporate
world means
nothing unless
it improves the
lives of people"
Haldor Topsøe
Haldor Topsoe is a world leader in catalysis and surface science.
We are committed to helping our customers achieve optimal
performance. We enable our customers to get the most out of
their processes and products, using the least possible energy and
resources, in the most responsible way. This focus on our
customers’ performance, backed by our reputation for reliability,
makes sure we add the most value to our customers and the world.

Get in touch today

www.topsoe.com/contact
Haldor Topsoe A/S, cvr 41853816 | CCM | 0176.2018/Rev.0