University of Minnesota

Alon V McCormick

Edward L Cussler

Mohammadmahdi Malmali

Peter W Carr

Lanny D Schmidt

Paul J Dauenhauer

Michael J Annen

Mark S Huberty

Lifang Sun

Jason R Brown

Prodromos Daoutidis

Matt Kale

Deepak Ojha

Heath H Himstedt

Changyub Paek

Michael Reese

Embodiments of the disclosure provide an apparatus and process for producing ammonia. The apparatus includes a reactor having (i) an inlet to receive an inlet gas comprising nitrogen and hydrogen, (ii) a catalyst and an absorbent disposed within an internal volume of the reactor, the catalyst configured to convert the nitrogen and hydrogen to a reaction mixture including ammonia, unreacted nitrogen, and unreacted hydrogen, the absorbent configured to selectively absorb a portion of the ammonia in the reactor during formation of the reaction mixture, and (iii) an outlet to discharge the reaction mixture from the reactor.

Integrated apparatus for producing ammonia

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods of making ammonia using stable ammonia absorbents. The system and method for producing ammonia, comprises a reactor comprising a catalyst that converts at least a portion of nitrogen feed gas and at least a portion of hydrogen feed gas to ammonia (NH3) forming a reaction mixture comprising the ammonia, unreacted nitrogen, and unreacted hydrogen. An absorber configured to selectively absorb ammonia from the reaction mixture at a temperature of about 180 deg. C. to 330 deg. C. and a pressure of about 1-20 bar, the absorber comprising a solid absorbent. Preferably the solid absorbent is at least one metal halide and a solid support. The unabsorbed ammonium, the unreacted nitrogen, and unreacted hydrogen gas are recycled to the reactor.

Stable ammonia absorbents

An ammonia-producing system comprises a reactor that catalytically converts nitrogen and hydrogen feed gases to ammonia to form a reaction mixture of the ammonia, unreacted nitrogen gas, and unreacted hydrogen gas. A feed system feeds the nitrogen and hydrogen gases to the reactor at a reaction pressure of from about 9 to about 100 atmospheres. A reactor control system controls the temperature during conversion of the nitrogen and hydrogen to ammonia by maintaining a reaction temperature of from about 330&#xb0; C. to about 550&#xb0; C. An absorbent selectively absorbs at least a portion of the ammonia from the reaction mixture, and an absorbent control system controls one or both of a temperature and pressure at the absorbent during selective absorption of the ammonia from the reaction mixture. A recycle line downstream of the absorbent recycles the unreacted nitrogen and unreacted hydrogen to the reactor.

Process for making ammonia

A system for producing ammonia comprises a reactor configured for receiving nitrogen feed gas and hydrogen feed gas, the reactor comprising a catalyst configured to convert at least a portion of the nitrogen gas and at least a portion of the hydrogen feed gas to ammonia to form a reactant mixture comprising the ammonia and unreacted nitrogen feed gas and unreacted hydrogen feed gas, an adsorbent configured to selective adsorb at least a portion of the ammonia from the reactant mixture, and a recycle line to recycle the unreacted nitrogen feed gas, the unreacted hydrogen feed gas, and unabsorbed ammonia to the reactor.

Methods using homogeneous precipitation of a metal on a surface of a particle to prepare silica particles having the metal adsorbed thereon are disclosed herein. In certain embodiments, the silica particles having the metal adsorbed thereon can be used to prepare carbon coated silica particles. The carbon coated silica particles can be useful in a wide variety of applications including, for example, for use as sorbents in chromatography.

Carbon coated silica particles and methods of making same

The present invention provides improved methods for the preparation of porous inorganic particles. The methods involve combining an aqueous sol containing a colloidal dispersion of inorganic particles with a polymerizable organic material, polymerizing this material, and thereby forming aggregates of colloidal particles and polymer.

Growing community of inventors

Minneapolis, MN, United States of America

Alon V McCormick