LOW TEMPERATURE OXIDATION OF AMMONIA IN NITRIC ACID PRODUCTION

摘要

Ammonia in a gas stream comprising oxygen and nitrogen may be effectively completely oxidized to a mixture of NO and NO2 for further processing to nitric acid. The gas stream is flowed over fine particles of La1-xSrxCoO3 and/or La1-xSrxMnO3, and/or La1-xSrxFeO3 where x=about 0.1, 0.2, or 0.3. The particles are supported as catalyst layers on gas stream-contacting surfaces of a flow-through catalyzed oxidation reactor. These relatively inexpensive perovskite-type materials may be used to promote oxidation of ammonia at temperatures below about 450° C. to about 500° C. to selectively produce a mixture of NO and NO2. This mixture is suitable for further oxidation to NO2 for adsorption into water to make nitric acid.