Category: Technology

Casale, Saipem, Stamicarbon & Toyo Engineering Corporation showcase a selection of innovative technologies that have recently been brought to the market.

The reliability of primary reformers is a key issue for syngas plants. Quest Integrity describes the damage mechanisms and material limitations that impact the reliability of reformer outlet systems and the improvements that may be implemented.

Industrial plants using synthesis gas at elevated temperatures risk metal dusting attack on the equipment, which are typically made of steels or Ni-based alloys. Parameters which impact the metal dusting risk are discussed and factors affecting the material selection and processing are described. One important focus is surface preparation, showing that grinding (40 grit) improves the metal dusting resistance compared to glass bead blasting and brushing. The surface treatment outweighs the impact of welds or the manufacturing route.

A review of the current slate of plans for green and blue ammonia production.

We profile leading suppliers of tailor-made pumps to the phosphate, potash and sulphur industries.

Dr Setareh Jamali Jaghdani and professor Jóska Gerendás of K+S Group outline how micronutrient management, by positively influencing plant physiology and development, helps maximise crop yields.

The newly-patented SWIFT process is designed to sequester fluorine at phosphoric acid plants in an environmentally responsible way. It can also offset the costs of fluorine management by generating a saleable dicalcium phosphate (DCP) end-product as an additional revenue stream. A number of capex and opex advantages provide the SWIFT process with highly favourable economics, as James Byrd of JESA Technologies explains.

The production and use of nitrogen fertilizers are responsible for around five percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The fertilizer industry will need to drastically cut these emissions by 2050 as part of its contribution to the 1.5 °C global warming target. Yet around 48 percent of the global population rely on crops grown with nitrogen fertilizers. Guaranteeing food security, by continuing to supply affordable crop nutrients at scale, while transitioning to a low-carbon future, is therefore the collective challenge for the global fertilizer industry and world agriculture.

We highlight recent innovations, including fertilizers recovered from industrial residues, novel controlled-release coatings, and products that incorporate biological components designed to benefit both crop nutrition and soil heath.

The need for immediate climate action and cuts in carbon emissions has never been more urgent, especially in a world where ecosystems are increasingly under threat. The production of green fertilizers offers a clear route to achieving these goals by decreasing the chemical industry’s reliance on fossil fuels. Stamicarbon’s Carmen Perez, Rolf Postma and Nikolay Ketov outline the company’s innovative and integrated approach to green fertilizer technology.