Problem No. 56: Oil fouling from ammonia plant

One of the most important control parameters in urea plant operation is the synthesis pressure and a sharp increase of this pressure is very dangerous for the urea plant. One cause for an increase of the synthesis pressure is oil contamination in the urea process which causes many abnormal variations in many sections of the plant. This problem can be recognised by taking a sample from the ammonia feed and observing the colour change of the urea product. These samples and observations can prevent much confusion in determining the cause of the problem.

Ahmad Hussain of Engro Fertilizers in Pakistan starts this round table discussion: Since last month, the ammonia we receive at battery limits has had a high oil content due to a leaking low pressure stage oil seal of the refrigeration compressor in the ammonia plant. Our machinery team is dealing with this problem. Meanwhile can anyone suggest any filters that can be used in the urea plant to remove the oil from the ammonia that is received at battery limits?