Nitrous Oxide Gas Plant

Ammonium Nitrate is melted and decomposed by reaching to a temperature of approximate 250oC to 260o C to give a mixture of Nitrous Oxide and super heated steam as per above reaction. At the same time impurities are produced including Ammonium Nitrate fumes, Nitrogen and Oxide of Nitrogen. The steam and impurities are removed by scrubbing in turn with water, caustic soda and finally acid scrubber.

From the decomposition pot the hot gas including impurities enters the primary scrubber. The scrubber is fitted with a small condensing coil mounted at its top to condense water from part to the effluent gas stream and this water provides a counter-current flow for recovery of ammonium nitrate fumes from the gas. N2O gas leaving the primary scrubber passes to a stainless steel water scrubber for the removal of ammonium nitrate fumes.

Finally, the gas passes through a mild steel caustic soda scrubber followed by a fiber glass/stainless steel acid scrubber. The circulation of caustic and water to the respective scrubber is maintained by means of pumps. The scrubber gas is then allowed to collect in a rubber gasholder (balloon). The gas from the gasholder is sucked by a multi stage water lubricated compressor, which compresses the gas to approx. pressure of 65 kgs/cm2 depending on ambient temperature.

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