ECN has developed a novel catalyst technology that can substantially reduce emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O). The American firm CRI Catalyst Company LP (CRI) intends to market it worldwide. The ECN technology has been tested under a wide range of conditions and is capable of achieving N2O reductions of over 90 percent. It is robust and cheaper than other technologies on the market.
N2O is identified as a significant greenhouse gas under the Kyoto Protocol, having an impact 310 times higher per unit than CO2: in other words, a kilogramme of N2O causes a greenhouse effect equivalent to 310 kilogrammes of CO2. In Europe the chemical industry is the principal source of N2O, which is emitted mainly in the production of artificial fertilizer, in particular nitric acid. The ECN technology converts the N2O into harmless nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2) and is highly suitable for removing N2O from the tail gas streams of for instance nitric acid, caprolactam and adipic acid plants.
Jan Willem Erisman, unit manager Biomass, Coal and Environmental research, notes: ?The agreement we?ve signed with CRI, a Shell subsidiary, provides an ideal platform for marketing our technology on a global scale. As an international player with an excellent reputation, CRI is just the right partner for this. The agreement underlines the confidence we have in CRI?s potential to reduce N2O emissions from the production of nitric acid, thereby making a significant contribution to cutting global greenhouse gas emissions.?
The catalytic cycle of N2O breakdown. Step 1: N2O reacts with the catalyst, releasing nitrogen and binding an oxygen atom to the surface. Step 2: the same thing happens to a second molecule of N2O. Step 3: the two loose oxygen atoms form an oxygen molecule, which is discharged. Step 4: the catalyst is now empty and ready to break down another N2O molecule.
Under the agreement ECN grants CRI exclusive rights to market the N2O destruction technology worldwide. CRI has completed development of the technology, which is now commercially available around the globe for use in nitric acid and other chemical process plants in order to meet the greenhouse gas reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol.
Ruud van den Brink, project manager N2O Destruction, comments: ?Plants that produce N2O as a waste product come in all shapes and sizes, and each one has a different tail gas temperature. ECN has developed two different technologies that enable N2O to be removed from virtually every type of plant. The licence agreement we?ve signed covers the removal of N2O at high temperatures, so plants with a tail gas temperature of 400?C or higher can be fitted with this catalytic converter. Breaking down N2O using the converter is a simple and highly cost-effective process.?
The way the catalyst works is fairly simple, says Van den Brink. ?Current catalysts consist mainly of iron, enabling N2O to be converted into nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2). The oxygen remains on the catalyst and the N2 is emitted. For the converter to work at maximum efficiency the oxygen needs to be removed to enable more N2O to be converted. By changing the composition we can optimize the cleaning of the catalyst, making it much more efficient. It?s the same effect under the same conditions, except we can do it with a smaller reactor and less catalyst, thus cutting the cost.?
Another advantage of this converter, says Van den Brink, is that it is user-friendly. ?The converter is modular, in other words it fits into the process after all the other stages are complete, so it?s not necessary to modify or rebuild the production line. It therefore is highly suitable for incorporation in existing plants. This technology enables the same amount of N2O to be captured from one plant in one year as the CO2 equivalent of emissions from about half a million cars ? a major step towards achieving the targets agreed in the Kyoto Protocol.?
Information:
For more information please visit the web site of CRI Catalyst Company LP, www.cricatalyst.com.
Contact:
Ruud van den Brink
ECN Hydrogen and Clean Fossil
Tel. (+31) 223 - 564188
vandenbrink@ecn.nl
Rome, 7-8 October 2013
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