Nitrous Oxide Processing Machinery

Nitrous Oxide Processing Machinery

NITROUS
OXIDE GAS PLANT

DESCRIPTION
OF PROCESS


Nitrous Oxide ( N2O ) is
manufactured by thermal decomposition of Ammonium Nitrate.

NH4NO3N2O+2H2O (
Water ) ( Nitrous Oxide )

Ammonium Nitrate is
melted and decomposed by reaching to a temperature of approximate
2500C to 2600 C to give a mixture of Nitrous Oxide and super heated
steam as per above reaction. At the same time impurities are produced
including Ammonium Nitrate fumes, Nitrogen and Oxide of Nitrogen.
The Steam and impurities are removed by scrubbing in turn with water,
caustic soda and finally acid scrubber.

From the decomposition pot the hot gas including
impurities enters the primary scrubber. The scrubber is fitted with
a small condensing coil mounted at its top to condense water from
part to the effluent gas stream and this water provides a
counter-current flow for recovery of ammonium nitrate fumes from the
gas. N2O gas leaving the primary scrubber passes to a stainless
steel water scrubber for the removal of ammonium nitrate fumes.


Finally, the gas passes through a mild steel caustic
soda scrubber followed by a fiber glass / stainless steel acid
scrubber. The circulation of caustic and water to the respective
scrubber is maintained by means of pumps. The scrubber gas is then
allowed to collect in a rubber gasholder ( balloon ). The gas from
the gasholder is sucked by a multi stage water lubricated compressor,
which compresses the gas to approx. pressure of 65 kgs/cm2 depending
on ambient temperature.


The compressed gas
passes through a gravity type water separator before being dried in
Alumina Drier Battery. Finally Nitrous Oxide in liquid form is
collected in a bank of three storage vessels. The storage vessels
are kept cool by spraying chilled water on them.

During storage the
impure nitrogen gas is being removed by venting out the gas after
cooling down the storage vessels. The pure liquid nitrous oxide is
then filled into cylinders by weight. For this, the cylinders are to
be filled by keeping them on a weighing scale. Nitrous Oxide is
liquefiable gas and is stored in cylinders in liquid form only.