Clariant Holds the Baton to Eliminate Nitrous Oxide from Nitric Acid Production with its New Catalyst for Free Selling

The world’s leading speciality chemicals producer, Clariant AG, has launched a novel nitrous oxide-removing catalyst, free for producers worldwide to enable the elimination of nitrous oxide by-product content from the industrially synthesized nitric acid.

The catalyst called EnviCat N2O-S, developed with the company’s proven expertise of rigorous catalyst designing, reports an efficiency of 95% removal of nitrous oxide by-product that results from the synthetic route used for generating nitric acid.

Roughly half of the total nitric acid production units installed globally are not supported with nitrous oxide abatement infrastructure. Clariant with an aim to offset polluting emissions with sustainability in speciality chemicals is extending its developed catalyst for a free refill to ten nitric acid producers having nitric acid production facilities devoid of nitrous oxide off-gas treatment.

Nitric acid is a highly corrosive oxidising agent which is generally prepared using the Ostwald process that involves platinum or rhodium catalysed oxidation of anhydrous ammonia to form nitric oxide which is further reacted with aerial oxygen to produce nitrogen dioxide. Nitrogen dioxide is then absorbed in water to result in the generation of nitric acid. A major share (70-80%) of the global nitric acid production is utilized for the manufacturing of fertilizers. The remaining nitric acid output is exploited as intermediate for explosives, pharmaceuticals, metal treatment, textiles etc.

Nitrous oxide is the unsought by-product formed during the ammonia oxidation step. On average, 6-9 kg of nitrous oxide is released per tonne of nitric acid production. Nitrous oxide, belonging to the category of greenhouse gases, is one of the primary contributors to ozone layer depletion and global warming.

As per ChemAnalyst, the development of EnviCat N2O-S catalyst could be a boon to many producers worldwide who are struggling to deal with the undesired environmentally hazardous nitrous oxide produced from nitric acid units. The idea for providing free refilling of the developed catalyst to a handful of producers will strategically benefit the company by leading to the promotion of their product, strengthening the company’s brand name in sustainable chemical solutions, and facilitating the reduction of the annually released concentration of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere. This catalyst on wide commercial use is also expected to boost nitric oxide production which is often reproached by environmentalists for harming our planet. Enhanced production in future will ensure undisrupted nitric acid supplies to the downstream industries, and stable prices of nitric acid-based products to the customers.