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Nitric Acid
97/98S12
October 1998
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1
A. INTRODUCTION 1
B. CHEMISTRY 1
1. Weak Acid 1
2. Concentrated Acid 3
C. PROCESS DESCRIPTION 4
1. Weak Acid Process 4
2. Concentrated Acid Processes 6
D. PROCESS ECONOMICS 7
1. Investment 7
2. Economics 8
E. COMMERCIAL ASSESSMENT 11
1. Applications 11
2. Nitric Acid Capacity 12
II COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGY 14
A. INTRODUCTION 14
B. CHEMISTRY 14
1. Weak Acid 14
2. Concentrated Acid 19
C. PROCESS DESCRIPTION 20
1. Mono Pressure Processes 23
2. Dual (or Split or Mixed) Pressure Process 30
3. NOx Abatement Systems 32
4. Concentrated Strong Acid Processes 34
5. Materials of Construction 38
D. PROCESS ECONOMICS 39
1. Basis 39
(a) Pricing Basis 39
(b) Investment Basis 40
(c) Cost of Production Basis 41
2. Investment 41
3. Economics 42
4. Sensitivity Cases 49
(a) Ammonia Price 49
(b) Investment 49
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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III DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY 53
A. SATURATED NITRIC ACID PROCESS 53
B. DIRECT OXYGEN INJECTION 55
C. UHDES ABSORPTION PROCESS WITH COLD ACID
CONDENSATE FEED 56
D. XSR PROCESS 56
IV MARKET ANALYSIS 59
A. APPLICATIONS 59
B. NITRIC ACID CAPACITY 60
1. United States 60
2. Canada 62
3. Mexico 62
4. South America 63
5. Europe 64
6. East Asia 66
C. AMMONIUM NITRATE SUPPLY/DEMAND 68
1. North America 70
2. Latin America 70
3. Europe 71
4. Asia 71
REFERENCES 73
APPENDICES 74
PERP TITLE INDEX 76
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TABLES
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Table I.C.1 Licensor Offerings 5
Table I.C.2 Comparison of Nitric Acid Processes 6
Table I.D.1 Capital Investment of 500 Tons Per day of Nitric Acid Facility 8
Table I.E.1 Consumption of Concentrated Nitric Acid by End Use 11
Table II.C.1 Licensor Offerings 21
Table II.C.2 Affect of Pressure on Single Pressure Operation 23
Table II.C.3 Nitric Acid Mass Balance High Pressure Process 25
Table II.C.4 Comparison of Nitric Acid Processes 30
Table II.D.1 Price and Utility Basis 40
Table II.D.2 Capital Investment of 500 Tons Per Day Nitric Acid Facility 42
Table II.D.3 Cost Estimate of Nitric Acid (60%) Production via Medium
Pressure 44
Table II.D.4 Cost Estimate of Nitric Acid (60%) Production via High Pressure 45
Table II.D.5 Cost Estimate of Nitric Acid (60%) Production via Dual Pressure 46
Table II.D.6 Cost Estimate of Nitric Acid (98%) Production via Concentrated
Nitric Acid 48
Table IV.A.1 Consumption of Concentrated Nitric Acid by End Use 59
Table IV.B.1 U.S. Nitric Acid Capacity, 1997 60-61
Table IV.B.2 Canadian Nitric Acid Capacity, 1997 62
Table IV.B.3 Mexican Acid Capacity, 1997 62
Table IV.B.4 South American Nitric Acid Capacity, 1997 63
Table IV.B.5 European Nitric Acid Capacity, 1997 64-66
Table IV.B.6 East Asian Nitric Acid Capacity, 1997 67
Table IV.C.1 Global Ammonium Nitrate Demand 68
Table IV.C.2 Global Ammonium Nitrate Supply 69
Table IV.C.3 North American Ammonium Nitrate Supply 70
Table IV.C.4 Latin American Ammonium Nitrate Supply 70
Table IV.C.5 European Ammonium Nitrate Supply 71
Table IV.C.6 Asian Ammonium Nitrate Supply 72
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FIGURES
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Figure I.B.1 Ostwald Process for Nitric Acid Production 2
Figure I.D.1 Weak Nitric Acid Production Cost 10
Figure I.E.1 Regional Nitric Acid Capacity, 1997 13
Figure II.B.1 Ostwald Process for Nitric Acid Production 15
Figure II.C.1 Simplified Process Flow Diagram Nitric Acid Processes 22
Figure II.C.2 High (Mono) Pressure Nitric Acid Process Flow Diagram 24
Figure II.C.3 Influence of Temperature on Absorption 28
Figure II.C.4 Dual Pressure Nitric Acid Process Flow Diagram 31
Figure II.C.5 Concentrating Nitric Acid with Magnesium Nitrate Flow Diagram 36
Figure II.C.6 Integrated Process Strong and Weak Nitric Acid Production 37
Figure II.D.1 Weak Nitric Acid Production Cost 47
Figure II.D.2 U.S. Gulf Coast Ammonia Price History 50
Figure II.D.3 Sensitivity of Weak Nitric Acid Production Cost to Feedstock Price 51
Figure II.D.4 Sensitivity of Weak Nitric Acid Production Cost to Investment 52
Figure III.A.1 Dual Pressure Saturated Nitric Acid Process Flow Diagram 54
Figure III.D.1 XSR Nitric Acid Process Flow Diagram 58