A multi-bed catalytic converter comprising: a plurality of catalytic beds which are traversed in series by a process gas, sequentially from a first catalytic bed to a last catalytic bed of said plurality, and at least one inter-bed heat exchanger (7) positioned between a first catalytic bed and a second catalytic bed of said plurality, wherein at least the last catalytic bed of said plurality is adiabatic and is made of fine catalyst with a particle size not greater than 2 mm.

An ammonia synthesis catalyst having high activity is obtained by having a two-dimensional electride compound having a lamellar crystal structure such as Ca.sub.2N support a transition metal. However, since the two-dimensional electride compound is unstable, the stability of the catalyst is low. In addition, in cases where a two-dimensional electride compound is used as a catalyst support, it is difficult to shape the catalyst depending on reactions since the two-dimensional electride compound has poor processability. A composite which includes a transition metal, a support and a metal amide compound, wherein the support is a metal oxide or a carbonaceous support; and the metal amide compound is a metal amide compound represented by general formula (1). M(NH.sub.2).sub.x . . . (1) (In general formula (1), M represents at least one metal atom selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, K, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba and Eu; and x represents the valence of M.)

The present invention provides a method for producing ammonia by means of energy irradiation, the method comprises contacting a nanostructure catalyst with at least one nitrogen-containing source and at least one hydrogen-containing source, and irradiating the nanostructure catalyst, the nitrogen-containing source and the hydrogen-containing source with energy, to produce ammonia.

Provided is a novel production system for a product selected from a nitrogen-containing product and a fermented and cultured product that does not involve (or can minimize) the transport of liquid ammonia. A production system for a product selected from a nitrogen-containing product and a fermented and cultured product can include: an ammonia synthesis apparatus in which an ammonia-containing gas is synthesized by reaction of a source gas containing hydrogen and nitrogen in the presence of a supported metal catalyst containing as a support one or more selected from the group consisting of: i) a conductive mayenite compound; ii) a two-dimensional electride compound or a precursor thereof; and iii) a complex formed of a support base containing at least one metal oxide selected from ZrO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, CeO.sub.2, and MgO and a metal amide represented by a formula M(NH.sub.2).sub.x (where M represents one or more selected from Li, Na, K, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, and Eu; and x represents a valence number of M) supported by the support base; and a production apparatus that produces a product selected from a nitrogen-containing product and a fermented and cultured product using ammonia originating from the ammonia-containing gas obtained by using the ammonia synthesis apparatus.

Provided is a novel production system that does not involve, or can minimize, the transport of liquid ammonia in the production of an organic compound or the production of a microorganism by microbial fermentation. A production system for an organic compound or a microorganism includes: an ammonia synthesis apparatus in which an ammonia-containing gas is synthesized by reaction of a source gas containing hydrogen and nitrogen in the presence of a supported ruthenium catalyst; and a culture apparatus that cultures a microorganism having organic compound productivity using ammonia originating from the ammonia-containing gas obtained by using the ammonia synthesis apparatus.

The invention relates to a method for producing iron-containing shaped catalyst bodies by means of 3D printing technology and to iron-containing shaped catalyst bodies that are obtainable by this method and to their use as catalysts in the ammonia synthesis or the Fischer-Tropsch reaction.

Included are an ammonia synthesis column that synthesizes ammonia from a raw material gas, a discharge line that discharges a synthetic gas, a water-cooled cooler that cools the synthetic gas with a coolant, disposed in the discharge line, an ammonia separator into which a synthetic gas after cooling is introduced and which separates the ammonia gas and a liquid ammonia from each other, a raw material return line that returns a raw material gas containing the separated ammonia gas to the ammonia synthesis column side as a return raw material gas, and a compressor that compresses the return raw material gas, disposed in the raw material return line. An ammonia concentration in the return raw material gas is 5 mol % or more, and an ammonia synthesis catalyst that synthesizes the ammonia gas in the ammonia synthesis column is a ruthenium catalyst.

The invention provides a perovskite-type oxynitride hydride which can be easily synthesized by achieving both improvement in catalytic performance and stabilization when used as a support of a catalyst. The oxynitride hydride is represented by general formula (1a) or (1b).

ABO.sub.3-xN.sub.yH.sub.z  (1a)

AB.sub.2O.sub.4-xN.sub.yH.sub.z  (1b)

(In the above general formulas (1 a) and (1 b), A is at least one selected from the group consisting of Ba and Sr; B is at least one selected from the group consisting of Ce, La and Y; x represents a number represented by 0.2≤x≤2.0; y represents a number represented by 0.1≤y≤1.0; and z represents a number represented by 0.1≤z≤1.0.)

A method for preparing a silicate/carbon composite from attapulgite, and use of the silicate/carbon composite are disclosed. The preparation method includes: (1) with attapulgite as a raw material, preparing SiO.sub.2 with a special structure; (2) dispersing the prepared SiO.sub.2 in water to obtain a suspension, and subjecting the suspension to ultrasonic dispersion; dissolving a metal nitrate in the suspension, adding NH.sub.4Cl, and adding ammonia water dropwise to the suspension; and adding sucrose to obtain a suspension; (3) subjecting the suspension to microwave hydrothermal reaction; after the reaction is completed, centrifuging a resulting system; and separating a resulting solid; and (4) subjecting the solid to high-temperature calcination in a muffle furnace, and grinding a resulting product to obtain the silicate/carbon composite, which can be used in photocatalytic ammonia synthesis.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a catalyst with which it is possible to obtain a supported metal ammonia synthesis catalyst, in which there are restrictions in terms of producing method and producing facility, and particularly large restrictions for industrial-scale producing, in a more simple manner and so that the obtained catalyst has a high activity. This method for manufacturing an ammonia synthesis catalyst includes: a first step for preparing 12CaO.7Al.sub.2O.sub.3 having a specific surface area of 5 m.sup.2/g or above; a second step for supporting a ruthenium compound on the 12CaO.7Al.sub.2O.sub.3; and a third step for performing a reduction process on the 12CaO.7Al.sub.2O.sub.3 supporting the ruthenium compound, obtained in the second step. This invention is characterized in that the reduction process is performed until the average particle diameter of the ruthenium after the reduction process has increased by at least 15% in relation to the average particle diameter of the ruthenium before the reduction process.