A three-pronged approach to solving problems with ammonia oxidation catalyst

摘要

There are a wide variety of problems encountered when it comes to ammonia oxidation catalysts within nitric acid plants.The spectrum extends from the ignition of the reaction on the catalyst to the way is ages,and from possible contaminations to mechanical damage to the catalyst package itself.It is not always easy to distinguish between cause and effect,which is why"band-aid"measures are so often applied;ones that cover and somewhat mitigate the unde-sired effect,but do not actually solve the causal problem.There are essentially three tools available to the catalyst manufacturer to support the nitric acid producer in his process optimisation efforts:process modelling and simulation,CFD flow simulation and the analysis of the spent catalyst pack using scanning electron microscopy.