Exploring Ammonia: Applications, Manufacturing Techniques, and Major Market Players!

Ammonia. The name itself might conjure up images of pungent cleaning products. But there’s more to this common compound (NH3) than meets the nose! Made from nitrogen and hydrogen, Ammonia boasts a surprising range of applications that touch our everyday lives.

From supercharging plant growth in agriculture to keeping our food chilled in refrigerators, Ammonia’s unique chemical properties make it a versatile player across various industries.  Let’s take a sniff (figuratively speaking) and explore the fascinating world of Ammonia and its hidden benefits!

Introduction

Ammonia (NH3) stands as one of the most frequently manufactured industrial chemicals, finding applications across various industries and commercial sectors, while also occurring naturally in both human biology and the environment. Ammonia participates in a wide array of chemical reactions, forming stable ammonium salts when reacting with strong acids, such as ammonium chloride with hydrogen chloride, ammonium nitrate with nitric acid, and ammonium sulfate with sulfuric acid. Ammonium salts derived from weak acids readily decompose into their constituent acid and Ammonia. Notably, ammonium carbonate (NH4)2CO3·H2O, commonly known as smelling salts, is a colorless-to-white crystalline solid, while in aqueous solutions, it is referred to as aromatic spirits of Ammonia.

Here’s a breakdown of major role of Ammonia in multiple industries:

• Chemical Manufacturing: A building block for numerous chemicals like amines, fertilizers (urea), and plastics (nylon).
• Fermentation: Provides nitrogen for microorganisms and controls acidity during fermentation.
• Antimicrobial Agent: Effective against bacteria, used in food processing and as an antiseptic.
• Textile Production: Used to make acrylic and nylon fibers.
• Metal Treatment: Creates a protective atmosphere for heat-treating and hardening metals.
• Explosives: A component of ammonium nitrate, used in explosives.
• Refrigeration: Common refrigerant in industrial freezers and air conditioning systems.
• Pharmaceuticals: Part of the manufacturing process for various drugs.
• Animal Feed: Source of protein for livestock.
• Agriculture: Used as a defoliant, fungicide, and grain preservative.
• Petroleum Industry: Neutralizes acids in crude oil and protects equipment from corrosion.
• Mining: Extracts metals like copper and nickel from ores.
• Emission Control: Reduces sulfur and nitrogen oxides in exhaust fumes.
• Food & Beverage: Provides nitrogen for yeast growth and refrigeration.
• Leather & Rubber Industries: Prevents latex coagulation, aids leather tanning, and protects leather products.
• Paper Production: Pulps wood and disperses casein for paper coating.
• Wastewater Treatment: Neutralizes acidity and controls pH levels.

Manufacturing Process

The Haber–Bosch process is the conventional process used for the production of Ammonia. This process involves the usage of natural gas.  The following chemical reaction represents the chemical reaction:

3 H2 + N2 ⇋ 2 NH3 ΔH°27 °C = −46.35 kJ/mol

• The process of producing Ammonia from natural gas involves reacting methane (the primary component of natural gas) with steam and air, followed by the removal of water and CO2. This reaction yields hydrogen and nitrogen, which serve as the raw materials for the main Ammonia synthesis. It’s crucial to remove sulfur and other impurities during this process to prevent them from compromising the performance of the catalyst during synthesis.

• In the Ammonia synthesis stage, both nitrogen and hydrogen are pressurized to high levels and fed into the synthesis reactor containing the catalyst. The resulting Ammonia, along with any remaining hydrogen, argon, and other impurities, is then cooled to condense the Ammonia and separate it from the other gases. The unreacted hydrogen and nitrogen are recycled and combined with fresh feedstock to maintain the process.

• To prevent the accumulation of impurities like argon, a portion of the gases is purged from the system. Additionally, as Ammonia synthesis generates some heat, this heat can be recovered and utilized for other processes such as steam and power generation, allowing for the conservation of approximately 88% of the hydrogen’s energy value.

However, Ammonia can also be produced using Coal. Here’s a breakdown of the key points involved in the manufacturing of Ammonia via Coal:

• In a coal-based Ammonia plant, the key operational components include the Air Separation Unit (ASU) responsible for extracting O2 and N2 from the air, the gasifier, the Sour Gas Shift (SGS) unit, the Acid Gas Removal Unit (AGRU), and the Ammonia Synthesis Unit. The ASU supplies oxygen to the gasifier to convert coal into synthesis gas, composed of H2, CO, CO2, and CH4. Modern gasifiers typically use fluidized bed technology operating above atmospheric pressure, allowing for flexibility with various coal types. These gasifiers can yield CO levels ranging from 30% to 60% by volume.

• Following gasification, any particulate matter is filtered out from the synthesis gas, and steam is introduced into the SGS unit. This unit employs a cobalt and molybdenum (CoMo) catalyst tailored for sulfur-rich environments.

• To further purify the synthesis gas, reducing its CO concentration to below 1 vol%, it undergoes treatment in the AGRU. Here, a chilled methanol scrubbing solution, such as Rectisol, is employed to remove CO2 and sulfur. The extracted CO2 can be either released into the atmosphere or directed to a urea plant, while the sulfur is routed to a sulfur recovery unit (SRU).

• After passing through the AGRU, the syngas undergoes additional purification using one of two methods:

• A nitrogen wash unit, which eliminates residual CO and CH4 before entering the synthesis loop.
• A Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) system designed to remove CO and CH4.

The following figure represents the process:

Ammonia Technology used by Uhde GmbH

Here is the production process used by UHDE. The name of the process is the Dual-Pressure process. In the dual-pressure method, makeup gas is compressed using a two-stage intercooled compressor housed within the low-pressure (LP) section of the syngas compressor. The compressor’s output pressure reaches around 110 bar. At this pressure, a three-bed, intercooled, once-through converter generates approximately one-third of the total Ammonia production. As the syngas-Ammonia mixture exits this converter, it cools down, causing most of the produced Ammonia to separate as a liquid.

The remaining syngas then undergoes compression in the high-pressure (HP) section of the syngas compressor, elevating its pressure to the level required for the Ammonia synthesis loop, reaching 210 bar. Due to prior cooling of the syngas, the HP section can operate at a much lower temperature compared to conventional Ammonia processes. This allows for the conventional Ammonia synthesis loop to contribute to the production of the remaining two-thirds of the total Ammonia output. This dual-pressure method optimizes Ammonia production efficiency by employing intercooling and staged compression, enhancing performance in both low and high-pressure stages of the syngas compressor, resulting in an overall more efficient process.

Major Applications of Ammonia

1. Agriculture

Ammonia finds significant use in agriculture, with nearly 90% of its production dedicated to this sector. It plays a crucial role in enhancing food crop yields by serving as a vital component in nitrogen fertilizers. Additionally, Ammonia is employed in the production of liquid fertilizer solutions, which include compounds like ammonium nitrate, salts, and urea. In agricultural practices, Ammonia is also utilized as an antifungal treatment for certain fruits and acts as a preservative, highlighting its diverse applications in the field.

1. Chemical

Many chemical manufacturing sectors, including those producing nitric acid, hydrogen cyanide, ammonium carbonate, phenol, urea, and amino acids, rely on Ammonia as a critical reactant in their processes.

1. Metal Treatment

Ammonia is also employed in metal treatment processes such as carbonitriding, nitriding, furnace brazing, bright annealing, sintering, and atomic hydrogen welding, playing an indispensable role in ensuring the smooth execution of these procedures.

1. Pharmaceuticals

Ammonia has applications in the pharmaceutical industry.  It’s used as a respiratory stimulant, a neutralizing agent in various preparations, and for its antibacterial properties in some drugs.  Furthermore, ammonium hydroxide, a derivative of Ammonia, is a common ingredient in many household cleaning and disinfection products.

1. Refrigeration

Ammonia plays a significant role in industrial refrigeration systems due to its excellent thermodynamic properties. It’s efficient in absorbing and releasing heat, making it ideal for large-scale cooling applications in food processing, chemical manufacturing, and other industries.

Market Outlook

The global Ammonia market is predominantly influenced by its significant role in the Agriculture & Fertilizers sector. With agricultural productivity and crop yield being paramount, the fertilizer industry holds vital importance, particularly in the use of nitrogenous fertilizers within agriculture. Furthermore, Ammonia finds extensive application in the pharmaceutical sector, where it serves as a respiratory stimulant, neutralizing agent, and a component in drug manufacturing, owing to its antibacterial properties, further bolstering demand.

Market Challenges & Opportunities

The growth of the Ammonia market can be hindered by several factors, including:

• Environmental Regulations: Stringent environmental regulations regarding emissions, particularly concerning greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, can increase the cost of production or require costly upgrades to existing facilities.

• Fluctuating Feedstock Prices: Since Ammonia production typically relies on natural gas or other hydrocarbons as feedstock, fluctuations in the prices of these commodities can impact the cost-effectiveness of production.

Ammonia Main Players

Significant companies in the Global Ammonia market are CF Industries, Nutrien, Jinmei Group, Yihua Group, Qatar Fertilizer Co (QAFCO), PetroChina Group, TogliattiAzot, EuroChem Group, Acro Group, Yangmei Group, Parsian Oil and Gas Development Group Co., and  Indian Farmers Fertiliser Co-operative Limited (IFFCO), and Others.

Conclusion:

Ammonia’s journey, from basic building block to life-saving medicine, demonstrates its remarkable versatility.  Whether it’s fertilizing crops to feed the world or keeping our refrigerators cool, Ammonia plays a crucial role in our daily lives.  The future of Ammonia is bright.  The sharp rise in Ammonia demand stems from its extensive utilization in the Agriculture & Fertilizer sector for producing nitrogen-based fertilizers, a trend anticipated to drive market growth. With the global population projected to increase in the coming years, there will be a heightened demand for crops, consequently amplifying the need for Ammonia during the forecast period.