Ammonium nitrate production process technology

Despite its brilliant results, it seems unlikely that the Solutia process can become a major source of phenol. Nitrous oxide availability is quite limited and its production on-purpose (by the conventional ammonium nitrate decomposition, which enables nitrous oxide of high purity to be produced for medical anesthetic applications, or even by selective oxidation of ammonia) would result too expensive. Therefore, the only reasonable scenario to exploit the Solutia process is its implementation close to adipic acid plants, where nitrous oxide is co-produced by the nitric oxidation of cyclohexanol-cyclohexanone mixtures and where it could be used to produce phenol instead of being disposed of However, the stoichiometry of the process is such that a relatively small phenol plant would require a world-scale adipic acid plant for its nitrous oxide supply. In fact, a pilot plant has been operated using this technology, but its commercialization has been postponed. 

The same process, of course, led to the production of chemical fertilizers, ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, and urea, which benefited mankind. The green revolution (an efficient production of rice) was possible only with a massive use of chemical fertilizers. Now this has resulted in the deterioration of soils, and a further increase by this technology alone in agricultural productivity may not be very likely. This story teUs us that use of technology has always both positive and negative aspects. We need to be very judicious in applying science to technology. 

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