HABER BOSCH HERITAGE: AMMONIA PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY

Based on the fundamental research work of Fritz Haber, Carl Bosch and his engineering team developed the ammonia synthesis to technical operability using the promoted iron-based catalyst found by Alwin Mittasch and co-workers. Since then there has been no fundamental change in the synthesis reaction itself. Even today every plant has the same basic configuration as this first plant. A hydrogen-nitrogen mixture Reacts on the iron catalyst (today’s formula differs little from the original) at elevated temperature in the range 400 – 500 °C (originally up to 600 °C), operating pressures above 100 bar, and the unconverted part of the synthesis gas is recirculated after removal of the ammonia formed and supplemented with fresh synthesis gas to compensate for the amount of nitrogen and hydrogen converted to ammonia.
3H2 + N2 =2NH3