Crystallisation, as a powerful separation technology and production process, is helping the fertilizer industry diversify its product mix, improve profitability and enhance sustainability, as Sana Boulabiar and Matias Navarro, of Veolia Water Technologies North America, explain.
Evaporation and crystallisation are widely used throughout the fertilizer industry. Major applications and the types of equipment used are reviewed by Laurent Palierne and Norbert Strieder of GEA Group.
We highlight recent innovations in sulphuric acid plant design and construction. NORAM and CPPE are offering a new hybrid sulphuric acid process. KVT, meanwhile, has upgraded its wet sulphuric acid technology to reduce capex, opex and emissions. Improved methods of construction and new materials from Koch Knight are also helping to optimise acid tower design
J. C. Bourdon, F. H. Brown and P. J. Photos of Streamline Innovations Inc. present the development and commercialisation of the Valkyrie™ process, which employs new chemistries and advanced control systems to remove H2 S from natural gas at size scales ranxging from single wells to entire fields, providing an operationally sustainable and commercially attractive alternative to standard H2 S removal technologies.
We look at state-of-the-art technology used in phosphate and potash mining, including equipment and systems for excavation, tailings thickening, transport, tunnelling and processing.
The increased severity of operating conditions in modern steam methane reformers requires catalysts with high catalyst activity and good mechanical stability to avoid premature replacements or unplanned shutdowns. F. Morales Cano, M. Stenseng and M. Feddersen of Haldor Topsoe describe a new catalyst formulation with a very homogenous and stable carrier material delivering the high activity and high mechanical strength required for long time operation.
The different flame velocities of reactants in the combustion space of a secondary reformer have a significant impact on the gas inlet temperature of the catalyst and the methane conversion in front of the catalyst. Based on this fact, Hanno Tautz Engineering introduces an alternative secondary reformer design. Compared with the state-of-the-art-technology, the alternative design shows advantages for hydrogen production efficiency and product capacity.