Integrated process for the synthesis of ammonia and nitric acid, comprising a synthesis of nitric acid including the following steps: a) subjecting a stream of ammonia (10) to catalytic oxidation, obtaining a gaseous stream containing nitrogen oxides (13); b) subjecting said gaseous stream to a process of absorption of nitrogen oxides, providing nitric acid (16) and a tail gas (17) containing nitrogen and residual nitrogen oxides; c) subjecting at least a portion of said first tail gas (17) to a process of removal of nitrogen oxides, providing a nitrogen oxides-depleted tail gas (18), and comprising a synthesis of ammonia by catalytic conversion of a make-up gas (126, 226) comprising hydrogen and nitrogen in an ammonia synthesis loop, wherein at least a portion (18b, 18d, 21) of said second tail gas is used as nitrogen source for obtaining said make-up gas (126, 226).

A novel concept for a high energy and material efficient nitric acid production process and system is provided, wherein the nitric acid production process and system, particularly integrated with an ammonia production process and system, is configured to recover a high amount of energy out of the ammonia that it is consuming, particularly in the form of electricity, while maintaining a high nitric acid recovery in the conversion of ammonia to nitric acid. The energy recovery and electricity generation process comprises pressurizing a liquid gas, such as air, oxygen and/or N.sub.2, subsequently evaporating and heating the pressurized liquid gas, particularly using low grade waste heat generated in the production of nitric acid and/or ammonia, and subsequently expanding the evaporated pressurized liquid gas over a turbine. In particular, the generated electricity is at least partially used to power an electrolyzer to generate the hydrogen needed for the production of ammonia. The novel concepts set out in the present application are particularly useful in the production of nitric acid based on renewable energy sources.

A novel concept for a high energy and material efficient nitric acid production process and system is provided, wherein the nitric acid production process and system, particularly integrated with an ammonia production process and system, is configured to recover a high amount of energy out of the ammonia that it is consuming, particularly in the form of electricity, while maintaining a high nitric acid recovery in the conversion of ammonia to nitric acid. The energy recovery and electricity generation process comprises pressurizing a liquid gas, such as air, oxygen and/or N.sub.2, subsequently evaporating and heating the pressurized liquid gas, particularly using low grade waste heat generated in the production of nitric acid and/or ammonia, and subsequently expanding the evaporated pressurized liquid gas over a turbine. In particular, the generated electricity is at least partially used to power an electrolyzer to generate the hydrogen needed for the production of ammonia. The novel concepts set out in the present application are particularly useful in the production of nitric acid based on renewable energy sources.

A process for catalytic oxidation of ammonia gas by way of an oxygen-containing gas in a presence of a noble metal-containing catalyst may be employed to give nitrogen monoxide. A temperature of an ammonia/air mixed gas may be optimized in respect of nitrogen monoxide selectivity of the reaction before contact with the catalyst. Examination of catalytic NH.sub.3 oxidation according to 4NH.sub.3+5O.sub.2.fwdarw.4NO+6H.sub.2O revealed that an optimum mode of operation of an NH.sub.3 burner in an HNO.sub.3 plant is not to be achieved by maintenance of a constant gauze temperature of the catalyst gauze by automatic setting of the NH.sub.3: air ratio. Rather, there is an optimum temperature for each process condition that should be set not by changing the NH.sub.3: air ratio but instead by altering the temperature of the NH.sub.3/air mixed gas before contact with the catalyst gauzes.

In a method for oxidizing 1,1-bis-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-alkane with nitric acid in a pressure vessel to produce 3,3′,4,4′-benzophenone tetracarboxylic acid with concurrent formation of nitric oxide, passing nitric oxide from the pressure vessel into an absorption vessel and reacting nitric oxide in the absorption vessel with molecular oxygen and water to produce an aqueous nitric acid solution prevents discharge of nitric oxide, avoids the risk of oxygen inhibiting the nitric acid oxidation and reduces nitric acid consumption when the nitric acid from the absorption vessel is used for oxidizing the 1,1-bis-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-alkane.

In a method for oxidizing 1,1-bis-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-alkane with nitric acid in a pressure vessel to produce 3,3′,4,4′-benzophenone tetracarboxylic acid with concurrent formation of nitric oxide, passing nitric oxide from the pressure vessel into an absorption vessel and reacting nitric oxide in the absorption vessel with molecular oxygen and water to produce an aqueous nitric acid solution prevents discharge of nitric oxide, avoids the risk of oxygen inhibiting the nitric acid oxidation and reduces nitric acid consumption when the nitric acid from the absorption vessel is used for oxidizing the 1,1-bis-(3,4-dimethylphenyl)-alkane.

Disclosed is a dual pressure plant for the production of nitric acid on the basis of the oxidation of ammonia. The plant comprises a reactor configured to produce a burner gas stream; a gas cooling section configured to form a cooled burner gas; a condensation section configured to form an aqueous nitric acid condensate and an uncondensed nitrogen oxides gas stream; an absorption section configured to produce raw nitric acid and a tail gas; and a tail gas treatment system configured to form a purified tail gas. In a tail gas heating section a further heat exchanger configured to receive heat from the burner gas stream, said further heat exchanger being positioned relatively close to the reactor.

Disclosed is a dual pressure plant for the production of nitric acid on the basis of the oxidation of ammonia. The plant comprises a reactor configured to produce a burner gas stream; a gas cooling section configured to form a cooled burner gas; a condensation section configured to form an aqueous nitric acid condensate and an uncondensed nitrogen oxides gas stream; an absorption section configured to produce raw nitric acid and a tail gas; and a tail gas treatment system configured to form a purified tail gas. In a tail gas heating section a further heat exchanger configured to receive heat from the burner gas stream, said further heat exchanger being positioned relatively close to the reactor.

The present invention solves the existing problem of using very expensive oxidation reagents, such as H.sub.2O.sub.2 and ozone, in removal of NO.sub.x and SO.sub.x from flue gases, by performing simultaneous oxidation of NO.sub.x and SO.sub.x with atmospheric oxygen in a combined system for catalytic oxidation and wet-scrubbing of both NO.sub.x and SO.sub.x from a flue gas and manufacturing fertilisers. Two major configurations of the oxidation system are disclosed in the present invention. The first configuration operates on oxygen-enriched air to increase efficiency of the oxidation reaction and requires an additional oxygen concentrator unit. The second configuration operates on atmospheric air at ambient conditions and requires an additional catalyst activation unit. In the second configuration, the efficient oxidation process is carried out at low temperatures of about 30-90 C. in the presence of recovered and re-activated catalyst. This temperature is a result of the exothermic character of the reaction, and therefore, no heating is required in the process.

The present invention solves the existing problem of using very expensive oxidation reagents, such as H.sub.2O.sub.2 and ozone, in removal of NO.sub.x and SO.sub.x from flue gases, by performing simultaneous oxidation of NO.sub.x and SO.sub.x with atmospheric oxygen in a combined system for catalytic oxidation and wet-scrubbing of both NO.sub.x and SO.sub.x from a flue gas and manufacturing fertilisers. Two major configurations of the oxidation system are disclosed in the present invention. The first configuration operates on oxygen-enriched air to increase efficiency of the oxidation reaction and requires an additional oxygen concentrator unit. The second configuration operates on atmospheric air at ambient conditions and requires an additional catalyst activation unit. In the second configuration, the efficient oxidation process is carried out at low temperatures of about 30-90 C. in the presence of recovered and re-activated catalyst. This temperature is a result of the exothermic character of the reaction, and therefore, no heating is required in the process.