Ammonia Economic data

Ammonia production. Economic data (Fiance conditions, mid-1986)... 

The organization for Economic Co-operation and Development publishes a compendium on environmental data including river monitoring, also on a biannual basis. The most recent edition includes 5 year incremental data from 1970 through 1985 for chromium, copper, lead, cadmium, ammonia, nitrate, phosphorous, dissolved oxygen and biochemical oxygen demand 28),... 

Present-day nitric acid production is almost entirely via the oxidation of ammonia and absorption of the oxidation products in water. The chemistry of this process was proven experimentally by Kuhlmann in 1839, but had to wait for the development of an economical route to ammonia before it could become commercially significant [38]. Ostwald, working in Germany in about 1900, reexamined and extended Kuhlmann s data and established the proper conditions required for the ammonia oxidation step. Very shortly after this plants operating on these principles were constructed both in Germany and the U.S. Since 1980, 3-5 million metric tonnes of nitric acid (100% basis) have been produced annually in Germany, and 7-9 million tonnes in the U.S. (Table 11.7). 

Several recent studies by the SRI Chemical Economics Department. SRI Chemical Economics Handbook. U.S. Bureau of Census Data on Ammonia Producers Shipments... 

In 1991 there were more than 1,000 small-scale ammonia plants in China with a total capacity of 12 million tpy. The unit capacity of such a plant is 30-60 tpd. The basic products of the plant are ammoniufrTcar-bonate or other ammonium salts. Although the current integrated data are not available, published cases show that many of these old plants are closed. A complete economic evaluation of the operation of such plants has not been published. 

It can be seen from Table 9.15 that the cost of catalyst in product cost of ammonia is 0.52-1.21 Yuan/t catalyst, and accounts for 0.26%-0.6% of total cost per ton ammonia. It is inappreciable of comparing with total production cost (2000 Yuan/t-ammonia). Table 9.16 further shows the data where the proportions of various catalyst cost accounts for the total cost of the ammonia. It indicates that the proportion of cost of all catalysts (including expense of operations such as catalyst reduction) accounts for less than 2% of the total cost of ammonia. Therefore, it is always right to choose the catalyst performance rather than its price. If the yield of ammonia declines or if the production is stopped because of its poor performance of the cheap catalyst, the economic loss will surpass the cost of replacing catalyst. For example, the cost of catalyst for ammonia is only equal to the production value of the produced at 0.21 day (Table 9.16). So it is necessary to spare no expense to select a good catalyst. Do not spoil the ship for halfpeimjrworth of tar. 

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