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Uhde EnviNO x ® technology for NO X and N 2O abatement: A contribution to
reducing emissions from nitric acid plants
Article in Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences · August 2010
DOI: 10.1080/19438151003621334
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Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences
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Uhde EnviNOx® technology for NOX and N2O
abatement: a contribution to reducing emissions
from nitric acid plants
Michael C.E. Groves & Alexander Sasonow
To cite this article: Michael C.E. Groves & Alexander Sasonow (2010) Uhde EnviNOx® technology
for NOX and N2O abatement: a contribution to reducing emissions from nitric acid plants, Journal of
Integrative Environmental Sciences, 7:S1, 211-222, DOI: 10.1080/19438151003621334
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Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences
Vol. 7, No. S1, August 2010, 211–222
Uhde EnviNOx1 technology for NOX and N2O abatement: a
contribution to reducing emissions from nitric acid plants
Michael C.E. Groves* and Alexander Sasonow
Hydrogen and Nitrates Division, Uhde GmbH, Friedrich-Uhde-Strasse 15, D-44141 Dortmund,
Germany
(Received 7 October 2009; final version received 14 January 2010)
Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from nitric acid production worldwide have been
estimated at about 400,000 t/a, equivalent to 120 million t/a CO2e, making nitric
acid manufacture the largest single industrial process source of N2O. Uhde’s NOX
and N2O abatement technology has been developed to permit high rates of N2O
abatement for tail gas temperatures between 3308C and 6008C. For plants with a
cooler tail gas it is possible to raise the temperature to a suitable level by tail gas
preheating. A large proportion of the world’s nitric acid plants can thus be
equipped with Uhde’s N2O abatement technology. Existing abatement units
routinely achieve N2O removal rates of 98–99% and above. This N2O abatement
technology can thus play a significant role in lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
Keywords: N2O; NOX; nitrogen oxide abatement; greenhouse gas reduction;
EnviNOx1; DeN2O1
1. Nitrogen oxide pollution
The nitrogen oxides NO and NO2 which make up NOX have long been known as
precursors of acid rain and smog. While ever more stringent emission limits apply in
many countries there are still a large number of nitric acid plants which have no
NOX abatement equipment installed. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a powerful greenhouse
gas, being about 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Even though nitric acid
plants currently represent the largest single industrial process source of this gas, most
countries have not yet imposed emission limits on N2O, although some countries in
the EU, such as Germany, have imposed limits for new plants which will also come
into force for existing installations in the fairly near future. As nitric acid plants are
point sources for N2O and NOX emissions they make good candidates for the
implementation of cost effective greenhouse gas and NOX emission reduction
technologies.
2. The nitric acid process and nitrous oxide emissions
Nitric acid is manufactured on an industrial scale exclusively according to the
Ostwald process (see simplified flow sheet in Figure 1) in which ammonia is
ISSN 1943-815X print/ISSN 1943-8168 online
Ó 2010 Uhde GmbH
DOI: 10.1080/19438151003621334
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212 M.C.E. Groves and A. Sasonow
Figure 1. Simplified flow sheet of nitric acid process showing possible locations for
EnviNOx1 N2O and NOX abatement system.
catalytically oxidised over platinum–rhodium catalyst gauzes in the ammonia
burner. The following reactions take place:
Desired reaction:
4 NH3 þ 5 O2 ! 4 NO þ 6 H2 O
Undesired reactions:
4 NH3 þ 3 O2 ! 2 N2 þ 6 H2 O
4 NH3 þ 4 O2 ! 2 N2 O þ 6 H2 O
Downstream of the catalyst gauzes further N2O is formed through reactions
between unconverted ammonia and nitric oxide (NO):
2 NH3 þ 8 NO ! 5 N2 O þ 3 H2 O
4 NH3 þ 4 NO þ 3 O2 ! 4 N2 O þ 6 H2 O
Palladium, which is used in the catchment packs for platinum recovery that are
often installed below the catalyst gauzes, enhances these reactions.
The gas mixture resulting from the oxidation of the ammonia is termed ‘‘nitrous
gas’’. It leaves the ammonia burner at a temperature of about 9008C. On the way
from the ammonia burner to the absorber the heat in the nitrous gas is used to raise
steam in the boiler and to heat tail gas in the tail gas / nitrous gas heat exchanger.
Tail gas is the term given to the waste gas stream leaving the absorber. Just before
the nitrous gas enters the absorber there is usually a final cooling stage, the nitrous
gas cooler/condenser, in which the heat in the nitrous gas is transferred to cooling
water. The absorber is a tower, which is usually equipped with sieve trays or
Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences 213
sometimes with bubble cap trays, many of which are fitted with cooling coils
supplied by cooling water flowing from and to from headers mounted outside the
absorber along its length. The nitrous gas rises through the absorber in counter-
current flow to water which is supplied to the top tray of the tower. Nitrogen dioxide
(NO2) or, it is thought (Ullmann 1991), its dimer dinitrogen tetroxide (N2O4) in the
nitrous gas is absorbed in the liquid on the trays and reacts with water to form nitric
acid and NO. NO is released into the gas phase and oxidised to NO2 in the spaces
between the trays. Nitric acid with concentrations typically in the range 60–68% by
weight is drawn from the bottom of the absorber.
The gas leaving the absorber, the tail gas, consists mainly of nitrogen with smaller
amounts of O2, H2O, NOX, and N2O. It is reheated using energy from the process
before being discharged to atmosphere via a gas turbine to recover mechanical
energy for powering the compressor in the plant. The temperature of the tail gas at
the inlet of the tail gas turbine depends on the design of the plant and can be
anywhere from below 2008C to well above 6008C. Many plants, however, have a tail
gas temperature between 3008C and 4508C. With nitric acid manufacture being a
mature technology there are many variations on the basic process flow sheet
described here. Further information can be found in Ullmann (1991).
Apart from some possible losses due to high temperature decomposition, the
N2O leaving the ammonia burner takes no further part in the chemistry of the
nitric acid process and is emitted to atmosphere in the tail gas. The amount of N2O
emitted depends in part on the operating conditions in the ammonia burner, and
also on the condition and type of the gauzes. For this reason, there can be
considerable variation in N2O emission between different kinds of nitric acid plant
and during and between campaigns in the same plant. According to the IPCC
(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Elggeston 2006) high pressure plants
generally have the highest emission factor (*12 kg N2O/tonne nitric acid), ahead
of medium (*7 kg N2O/tonne nitric acid) and atmospheric ammonia combustion
plants (*5 kg N2O/tonne nitric acid). (To estimate the corresponding tail gas
concentration in ppmv multiply by 160, or use Table V in Schwefer et al. 2000).
Although atmospheric plants have attractively low N2O emissions they are not
considered to be state of the art for other reasons, in particular their high capital
investment cost and higher NOX emissions.
3. Destruction of N2O in nitric acid plants
While the present article concerns the application of a particular approach and
technology to the reduction of nitrogen oxides and in particular N2O emissions from
nitric acid plants, it should be mentioned that other possibilities for the reduction of
N2O emissions from nitric acid plants exist. Schwefer et al. (2000) distinguishes
between:
(a) primary measures ‘‘aimed at preventing N2O from being formed in the first
place’’. Either the normal platinum-based ammonia oxidation catalyst must
be improved, or different catalyst systems which inherently generate less N2O
are required.
(b) secondary measures which ‘‘remove N2O from the valuable intermediate
stream’’ between the ammonia burner and the absorber. In practice, this
means installing a catalyst directly below the platinum-based ammonia
214 M.C.E. Groves and A. Sasonow
oxidation catalyst, where the temperature and therefore the catalytic activity
is the highest.
(c) tertiary measures in which ‘‘the waste gas stream from the nitric acid plant,
the tail gas leaving the absorption tower, is treated to destroy N2O’’. The
highest temperature in the tail gas is usually immediately upstream of the
turbine (see Figure 1) so this is the preferred location for a tertiary abatement
system.
More recently Pérez-Ramı́rez et al. (2003) has reviewed the various alternative
technologies for N2O abatement.
4. Destruction of N2O and NOX in nitric acid plants with EnviNOx1
Uhde have developed a tertiary N2O abatement technology which is marketed under
the trade names DeN2O1 and EnviNOx1. Not only does the technology destroy
N2O but it can also reduce emissions of NOX. Suitable positions for the installation
of an EnviNOx1 system are indicated in the flow sheet of Figure 1.
When the technology was being developed it was decided to concentrate on tertiary
measures because, as end-of-pipe abatement, they offer a number of advantages:
A tertiary N2O abatement system bears similarities to the various well-
established catalytic NOX reduction processes (Centi and Perathoner 2007), being
mainly a catalytic reactor so that acceptance among plant owners and operators was
not expected to be a particular problem.
By locating the N2O abatement system in the tail gas, which is also the location
of any NOX abatement employing, for example, DeNOx/selective catalytic reduction
(SCR) it is possible to combine NOX and N2O abatement in a single reactor vessel.
With a secondary N2O abatement measure this would not be possible, since NOX is a
valuable intermediate product at the location of the secondary N2O abatement
measure downstream of the ammonia oxidation catalyst.
There can be no undesired interactions between the tertiary abatement system
and the actual process of making nitric acid because the abatement reactor is located
in the waste tail gas stream downstream of the absorber where the nitric acid product
is formed. Therefore, the possibility of loss of nitrogen oxide (NO, NO2)
intermediate or contamination of any downstream product manufactured from the
nitric acid is eliminated.
Within reason there are no externally dictated physical constraints on the
arrangement of the tertiary abatement catalyst within the reactor or on the size of the
reactor. Thus very high rates of N2O and NOX abatement combined with low
pressure drop are no contradiction.
For greenhouse gas emission reduction projects under the Kyoto Protocol or
other schemes the tertiary abatement process offers a high degree of transparency.
The baseline emissions of N2O (i.e. those which would have occurred if there had
been no N2O abatement system in place) can always be obtained in real time just by
measuring (or calculating) the tail gas flow rate and the abatement system inlet N2O
concentration. This offers a number of advantages: for example, the baseline
emissions cannot be overestimated, a conservative situation which is of particular
relevance in Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and JI projects. Also the
tertiary abatement system can start to generate verifiable emission reductions as soon
as it has been installed (CDM Methodology AM0028 2008).
Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences 215
5. Literature on tertiary N2O abatement and SCR of NOX over zeolites
The subject of N2O destruction at the low concentrations of typically 800–
1900 ppmv (5–12 kg N2O / tonne HNO3 product, Eggleston 2006) encountered in
nitric acid plant tail gases has attracted a great amount of scientific interest in recent
years. Among the most intensively investigated catalytic substances are the iron
zeolites.
NO, even at low concentrations, has been found to play an important, positive
role in the decomposition of N2O on iron zeolites as reported by Kögel et al.
(2001) and Pérez-Ramı́rez et al. (2002). Since nitric acid plant tail gases invariably
contain NO this co-catalytic effect (Kögel et al. 2001) can be usefully exploited. The
co-catalytic effect was found to depend upon the method of preparation of the iron
zeolite (Pirngruber and Pieterse 2006).
Studies on the reduction of N2O with hydrocarbons on iron zeolites have shown
that high rates of N2O destruction are possible. Nobukawa et al. (2005) established
that methane is a more effective reductant either ethane or ethene. These results were
obtained in the absence of NO or NO2. In investigations on various iron zeolites,
Pérez-Ramı́rez et al. (2002) found that NO had a strongly inhibiting effect on the
SCR of N2O with propane, and concluded that ‘‘the simultaneous removal of NO
and N2O with hydrocarbons (is) unfeasible over Fe-zeolites’’.
This potentially fatal drawback for the application of the SCR of N2O with
hydrocarbons over iron zeolites in nitric acid plant tail gases, in which NO is always
present, can be overcome if the NO and NO2 are removed with a nitrogen-containing
reducing agent as described by Schwefer and Groves (2008).
SCR of NOX with ammonia over iron zeolites has been investigated for
several decades by many authors, for example, Byrne et al. (1992), Feng and Hall
(1997), Chen and Sachtler (1998), Ma and Grünert (1999) and Delahay et al.
(2005). Iron zeolites are in general characterised by high NOX SCR activity with
ammonia and a wide operating temperature range (Byrne et al. 1992, 3008C–
6008C).
6. R&D programme
Uhde have invested considerable resources in the development of tertiary N2O
abatement technology. As well as laboratory work carried out by Uhde and by
universities and institutes on behalf of Uhde, an important mainstay of the N2O
and NOX abatement process development programme is the catalyst test unit. It
was recognised that reliable conclusions about the suitability of any particular
catalyst material for commercial application could only be obtained by carrying
out long term measurements in an industrial production facility. A catalyst test
unit was therefore designed for that purpose and Uhde was fortunate in finding a
partner in Borealis AG (formerly AMI Agrolinz Melamine International GmbH),
who permitted the test unit to be installed on their premises in Linz, Austria and
connected up to their 1000 tonne/day nitric acid plant.
After some initial tests on various other substances, and a study of the literature
available at that time (1999–2000), it was decided to carry out all subsequent
investigations on iron zeolites, as the most promising materials.
So persuasive were the results obtained that in 2003 Borealis installed an
EnviNOx1 system in their nitric acid plant, the first commercial-scale tertiary nitric
216 M.C.E. Groves and A. Sasonow
acid plant N2O abatement system in the world. The catalyst test unit, which has been
in use since 2000, was recently given a complete overhaul and continues to be
employed for the further development of the technology.
7. Uhde technologies for NOX and N2O abatement
With the help of the results obtained from the catalyst test unit the following main
process variants for NOX and / or N2O abatement have been developed, and are now
in successful commercial operation.
7.1. Uhde DeNOx process: NOX reduction with ammonia
It was found that one of the iron zeolites materials tested was a very efficient catalyst
for the selective reduction of NOX (NO and NO2) with ammonia. In line with
literature data cited above, this catalyst has the advantage that it can be used over a
large range of temperatures, from *2008C to *5208C, while classical vanadium-
pentoxide-based SCR catalysts for nitric acid plants generally cannot be used at
temperatures much above *4008C. A further advantage is that it generates no N2O,
again in contrast to vanadium pentoxide, which is reported to produce N2O at
temperatures above 3508C (Jouannic et al. 1984).
This is the basis of the Uhde DeNOx process, which has similar ammonia
consumption to classical SCR/DeNOx processes and is applicable over a wider range
of temperatures. In contrast to frequently used classical SRC/DeNOx catalyst
materials, the Uhde DeNOx catalyst contains no environmentally hazardous
substances, thus simplifying handling and disposal.
The Uhde DeNOx process can be very conveniently combined with N2O
abatement as described below.
7.2. EnviNOx1 process variant 1: N2O decomposition with NOX reduction
One of the iron zeolite catalysts investigated in the R&D programme was found
to be highly effective in decomposing N2O into its elements. It was observed that
the rate of N2O decomposition is speeded up in the presence of NOX, a
phenomenon which was mentioned above as also having been reported in the
scientific literature. If, in addition to N2O decomposition, NOX abatement is
also required a DeNOx stage can be added downstream of the N2O decom-
position step. This is the basis of the EnviNOx1 process variant 1: a first catalyst
bed for N2O decomposition in which the positive effect of NOX is exploited,
followed by ammonia addition and a second DeNOx catalyst bed for selective
NOX reduction. Both steps are usually accommodated in a single reactor vessel,
see Figure 2.
The EnviNOx1 reactor is typically located in the tail gas stream on the inlet side
of the tail gas turbine where the tail gas temperature is at its highest. EnviNOx1
process variant 1 is currently suitable for tail gas temperatures between about 4258C
and 5208C. High rates of N2O removal are possible with 98% to over 99% typically
being achieved in commercial installations, and NOX emissions can be reduced to
low levels depending on the amount of ammonia supplied to the reactor, with
5 ppmv to 40 ppmv being usual. As with the Uhde DeNOx process ammonia
consumption is similar to that of classical SCR/DeNOx processes.
Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences 217
Figure 2. EnviNOx1 process variant 1: Combined N2O and NOX catalytic abatement for
nitric acid plants with catalytic N2O decomposition and employing ammonia as a reducing
agent for NOX.
7.3. EnviNOx1 process variant 2: N2O and NOX reduction by hydrocarbons and NH3
There are, of course, a great many nitric acid plants with tail gas temperatures
below 4258C for which the EnviNOx1 process variant 1 cannot be used. This
provided the motivation for investigating the use of a reducing agent for N2O
abatement. While N2O in nitric acid plant tail gas can be reduced by reaction with
a hydrocarbon over certain iron zeolite catalysts, the effectiveness of the reduction
is greatly enhanced if the NOX concentration is lowered, as described above. This
fact combined with the Uhde DeNOx process leads to the EnviNOx1 process
variant 2, depicted in Figure 3.
Ammonia is mixed with the tail gas entering the EnviNOx1 reactor in such an
amount that NOX is completely reduced in the first DeNOx bed. The virtually
NOX-free tail gas is then mixed with a hydrocarbon and passed over the second
catalyst bed where the N2O is reduced to a very low level by reaction with the
hydrocarbon. Tail gas with nearly no NOX and a very low concentration of N2O
leaves the reactor. It is important to recognise that the hydrocarbon acts as a
chemical reagent and is not used as a fuel to raise the temperature of the catalyst
to a level at which high rates of N2O decomposition can occur. Because of their
favourable costs and availability, the hydrocarbons of choice are natural gas or
propane. Consumptions of both ammonia and hydrocarbon are quite moderate.
The EnviNOx1 process variant 2 works well down to about 3308C, but it can also
be used at higher temperatures up to *5208C encompassing the range of
applicability of EnviNOx1 variant 1. Which process variant is actually chosen then
depends on the details of the particular situation, such as the availability of
hydrocarbons and client preferences.
218 M.C.E. Groves and A. Sasonow
Figure 3. EnviNOx1 process variant 2: combined N2O and NOX catalytic abatement for
nitric acid plants employing ammonia as a reducing agent for NOX and hydrocarbons as a
reducing agent for N2O.
7.4. DeN2O1 process: N2O decomposition
If there is no requirement to lower NOX emissions, the N2O decomposition catalyst
described in section 7.2 above can be used on its own. The catalyst achieves high
N2O abatement performance up to temperatures of about 6008C, substantially
increasing the range of nitric acid plants which can be equipped with N2O
abatement. In such plants, a NOX abatement unit can also be installed if necessary,
provided an appropriate tail gas temperature level between about 2008C and 5208C
is also available.
7.5. Source of catalyst for commercial scale reactors
The iron zeolite catalysts are manufactured and supplied on an exclusive basis by the
international Munich-based catalyst company Süd-Chemie under the trade names
EnviCat1-NOX and EnviCat1-N2O.
8. Operating data of commercial EnviNOx1 installations
EnviNOx1 systems have been in commercial operation since September 2003 and
continue to deliver high rates of NOX and N2O abatement on the first catalyst
charge.
8.1. Operating data for EnviNOx1 process variant 1 installations
Figure 4 shows the percentage rate of N2O removal in the 1000 tonne/day nitric acid
plant of Borealis AG, Linz, Austria over the first 1200 days of operation. The N2O
Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences 219
Figure 4. EnviNOx1 process variant 1, catalytic decomposition of N2O and catalytic
reduction of NOX with ammonia: Borealis AG (formerly AMI), Linz, Austria, Percentage rate
of N2O destruction and NOX outlet concentration.
removal rate averaged over 98%. The outlet NOX concentration was controlled at
around 5–10 ppmv by adjusting the quantity of ammonia supplied. After nearly six
years of operation the catalyst shows no signs of loss of activity.
As part of a CDM project under the Kyoto Protocol, the 1150 tonne/day nitric
acid plant of the Korean manufacturer HU CHEMS was equipped with an
EnviNOx1 variant 1 system in early 2007. Ninety-eight percent N2O removal is
achieved with the NOX outlet concentration being controlled at 25 ppm by addition
of ammonia.
DSM Agro have EnviNOx1 process variant 1 systems in operation in two of
their nitric acid plants in the Netherlands. Both were started up towards the end of
2007 and have achieved rates of N2O removal of over 99%. In 2008, DSM Agro was
awarded the Responsible Care Prize of the Dutch Chemical Industry Association
(VNCI) for their achievements in lowering N2O emissions from their nitric acid
plants.
8.2. Operating data for EnviNOx1 process variant 2 installations
The first commercial scale implementation of the EnviNOx1 process variant 2 went
into operation in October 2006 as a CDM project in the 1830 tonne/day nitric acid
plant of Abu Qir Fertilizer near Alexandria in Egypt. N2O is reduced with natural
gas. N2O abatement rates in excess of 99% and NOX outlet concentrations of around
1 ppmv are being consistently achieved. Figure 5 shows some performance data.
As natural gas was not available on site, commercial propane was used as the
reducing agent for N2O in two implementations of the EnviNOx1 process variant 2
in the 300 tonne/day no. 2 and 3 nitric acid plants of HU CHEMS, Yeosu, Korea.
High rates of N2O removal of 98% are being achieved, while NOX emissions are
below 5 ppmv.
Other commercial scale implementations include the EnviNOx1 reactor installed
a new 1500 tonne/day nitric acid plant of the Hungarian fertiliser manufacturer
220 M.C.E. Groves and A. Sasonow
Figure 5. EnviNOx1 process variant 2, catalytic reduction of NOX with ammonia and
catalytic reduction of N2O with natural gas: Abu Qir Fertilizer, Egypt, Percentage rate of N2O
destruction, and NOX outlet concentration.
o. The EnviNOx1 system went into successful operation
Nitrogénmüvek at Pétfürd}
in mid-2007 with an N2O rate abatement of above 99%. Natural gas is used to
reduce N2O and ammonia to reduce NOX. Another EnviNOx1 variant 2 reactor
using natural gas and ammonia has been in operation since January 2008 in the 750
tonne/day nitric acid plant of Omnia Fertilizer, Sasolburg, South Africa. N2O
removal rates of around 98% to 99% are being achieved with 0–7 ppmv NOX in the
tail gas leaving the plant.
9. Best available technique
Under the IPPC (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control) Directive 96/61/EC,
Member States of the European Union are required to issue operating permits for
certain kinds of industrial installations. The permits must contain conditions based
on best available techniques (BAT). BAT reference documents (BREFs) are
produced by the European IPPC Bureau and are required to be taken into account
by EU Member States. The BREF that is relevant to nitric acid plants gives the N2O
and NOX emission levels reproduced in Table 1 below as being those that should be
achieved when BAT is used (European Commission 2007). These values are
generally applicable and do not refer to any specific technology.
The EnviNOx1 process (variant 1) is explicitly named in the BREF as being a
BAT, and in fact even the lowest BAT emission levels of N2O and NOX given in the
BREF can easily be attained with an EnviNOx1 variant 1 or variant 2 system, as the
performance figures given in the present article illustrate.
10. Current developments
Work is currently underway to widen the upper and lower temperature range of the
EnviNOx1 technology to permit it to be applied to an even broader selection of
Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences 221
Table 1. N2O and NOX emission levels from nitric acid plants associated with the use of best
available technique according to EU BREF LVIC 2007.
N2O emission level associated NOX emission level
with BAT (ppmv)a associated with BAT (ppmv)
New plants 20–100 5–75
Existing plants 20–300 5–90
NH3 slip from SCR 55 ppmv
a
The levels relate to the average emission levels achieved in a campaign of the ammonia oxidation catalyst.
nitric acid plants. Applications in other kinds of industrial waste gas streams are also
being developed. The results of ongoing investigations are promising.
11. Conclusion
The EnviNOx1 process for the combined abatement of NOX and N2O emissions
from nitric acid plants has proven itself in installations around the world which are
now operating at temperatures between 3308C and 5108C. Typically, N2O emissions
are reduced by *98–99% and higher, while NOX emission levels of 1 to *40 ppmv
are achieved, depending on the process variant.
Independent confirmation of the high N2O abatement performance of
EnviNOx1 systems can be obtained at the web site of the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (www.unfccc.org/cdm) where the
monitoring reports of N2O abatement projects under the CDM Mechanism of the
Kyoto Protocol can be studied and downloaded. EnviNOx1 projects with published
monitoring reports include those for Abu Qir Fertilizers, HU CHEMS and Omnia.
EnviNOx1 is an ‘‘operator friendly’’ technology since the EnviNOx1 catalysts
are easy to handle, environmentally uncontroversial materials with a long operating
lifetime. Furthermore as an end-of-pipe process, EnviNOx1 does not interact in any
way with the plant product or its precursors.
EnviNOx1 technology can be applied in nitric acid plants with tail gas
temperatures between about 3308C and 6008C covering an estimated 70–80% of
all nitric acid production worldwide. For many of the nitric acid plants with tail gas
temperatures outside this range, relatively simple plant modifications are possible to
enable a N2O abatement system to be installed. EnviNOx1 technology can thus
make a useful contribution to the lowering of greenhouse gas emissions.
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