Can KAAP Technology Transform Ammonia Synthesis with Ruthenium Catalysts?

The KAAP technology stands as a mature industrialized technique for ruthenium-based catalysts in ammonia synthesis, developed through a collaboration between BP and Kellogg in 1979. BP focused on creating a highly active ruthenium-based catalyst under low-temperature and low-pressure conditions, while Kellogg developed the corresponding ammonia synthesis process. The result was the formal introduction of the innovative ruthenium-based ammonia synthesis process, KAAP, in 1990. Industrialization was achieved successfully in November 1992 at the Ocelot ammonia plant in Canada.

In this process, a ruthenium catalyst reactor follows an iron-based synthesis ammonia catalyst reactor. After a stable period of 100 days, at a pressure of 13 MPa, the ammonia concentration at the outlet of the iron catalyst is 14%, increasing to 19% at the outlet of the ruthenium catalyst. The original production capacity of 544 tons of ammonia per day rises to 772 tons per day with the addition of the ruthenium catalyst, resulting in a 40% increase in ammonia production. The system maintained high activity and stability over 1200 days. It is reported that the use of ruthenium-based ammonia synthesis catalysts reduces the production cost by 2.2 to 6.6 USD per ton of ammonia.

In China, research on ruthenium-based catalysts has shown that their activity surpasses the best iron catalyst, ZA-5. China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has also implemented KAAP technology, operating a 1500 tons per day ammonia synthesis unit in Hainan.