The first commercial reference for Clariant’s ReforMax 330 LDP Plus catalyst is a success, according to the company. Installed at OCI Nitrogen’s ammonia production plant in Geleen, Netherlands, the new steam reforming catalyst has reduced pressure drop, reportedly allowing an increase in energy and production efficiency.
OCI Nitrogen produces mineral fertilizer and melamine. The company’s AFA 2 ammonia plant is a Bechtel design with a capacity of 1550 mtpd and runs a side-fired Foster Wheeler reformer. Before the turnaround in 2018, pressure drop over the front end was a crucial production limitation for OCI at AFA 2, according to Clariant. The installation of the new ReforMax 330 LDP Plus catalyst, and optimization of catalyst volumes in other reactors, have reportedly removed this limitation.
Recently launched by Clariant, ReforMax 330 LDP Plus is a novel steam reforming catalyst for ammonia, hydrogen and methanol production. The catalyst owes its pressure drop reduction capacity to a proprietary 8-hole floral LDP Plus shape, which allows higher gas throughput and/or lower pressure drop as well as improved heat transfer. Combined with the catalyst’s high activity and selectivity, these factors reportedly enable efficient operation with reduced energy consumption.
Besides the supervision of loading and start-up of the new catalyst, Clariant also provided thermal imaging services for monitoring tube wall temperatures to evaluate the catalyst’s performance and identify potential problems of the steam reformer. The thermal imaging evaluation at OCI Nitrogen’s ammonia plant reportedly demonstrated optimal heat distribution throughout the furnace, as well as excellent catalytic activity, according to Clariant.
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