Plasma Catalysis for Ammonia Production

The goal of this work is to develop a scalable, efficient plasma-catalytic reactor for ammonia synthesis using inexpensive natural gas together with carbon dioxide and nitrogen from flue gas. The aim is to produce ammonia in an economically competitive way to the Haber-Bosch process at milder operating conditions (lower temperature and lower pressure). The Haber-Bosch process otherwise requires high temperature (450-600oC) and very high pressure (150-200 bar), which makes it one of the most energy intensive process in the chemical industry. In this Phase I study, we will combine plasma and novel catalysts to produce ammonia and carbon monoxide (both high value products) in a single-step process at low temperature and low pressure. ACT has established partnerships with Lehigh University and a global manufacturer of gases that are sold to companies that make ammonia and its derivatives. In addition, our partner also manufacturers and provides carbon monoxide for many applications. ACT will develop an actively-cooled plasma-catalytic reactor, evaluate promising catalysts specified in the proposal, and perform experiments for different inlet compositions, flow conditions, and plasma powers. In parallel, we will work with our academic partner regarding catalyst synthesis and characterization. Our commercial partners will also help tailor the technology to meet industry performance and cost metrics relevant to different scale installations. Ammonia is one of the most important industrial chemicals used to mainly manufacture fertilizer and chemicals, and to a lesser extent used in the refrigeration, pharmaceutical, paper/pump and plastics industries. It is now manufactured in centralized facilities producing 2,000-3,000 tons/day. Our process offers a potentially more efficient way to make ammonia from feedstocks that do not have to first be produced by a separate reforming process. These attributes make our process less expensive.Moreover, it is scalable.