In 1902, Wilhelm Ostwald patented what is known today as the Ostwald process, which involved the production of nitric acid from the catalytic oxidation of ammonia with air. A few years later, in 1906, the first nitric acid plant employing the Ostwald process was built in Germany, and in 1917, the first full-sized nitric acid plant was built in the United States, using a platinum gauze catalyst. The catalyst’s design has improved since its first use. While a pure platinum gauze was originally used as the catalyst, rhodium was later added to reduce the amount of platinum lost in the process. Additionally, the originally woven design of the gauze has been switched for a knitted design, since approximately 1990, increasing durability and efficiency of the oxidation reaction.
Other methods used to produce nitric acid have included the use of electric arc surfaces for the production of nitrogen monoxide, and subsequently nitric acid. This technique was abandoned by 1930 due to poor efficiency and the short life of the furnaces.
While processes have become more efficient and better at controlling emissions, the same basic route, the Ostwald process, is currently used to manufacture almost all nitric acid (HNO3) in the concentration range of 50 to 70 percent acid:
Oxidation of ammonia to nitric oxide over a platinum/rhodium catalyst
Oxidation of nitric oxide to nitrogen dioxide with excess oxygen
Absorption of nitrogen dioxide in water to produce dilute nitric acid.

1 Executive Summary 1

1.1 Overview 1

1.2 Nitric Acid Technology 1

1.3 Strategic and Business Considerations 2

1.4 Economic Analysis 3

1.5 Market Analysis 7

      1.5.1 Commercial Applications 7

      1.5.2 Nitric Acid Producers 8

2 Introduction 9

2.1 Overview 9

2.2 Value Chain 9

2.3 Technology Overview 9

      2.3.1 Weak Acid Processes 9

      2.3.2 Concentrated Acid Processes 13

2.4 Technology Developments 13

2.5 Technology Holders and Licensors 13

2.6 Strategic and Business Considerations 14

2.7 Physical and Thermodynamic Properties 15

2.8 Specifications 15

2.9 Health Hazards 16

2.10 Storage and Transportation 17

3 Commercial Technologies 18

3.1 Introduction 18

3.2 Generic Technology Overview 19

      3.2.1 Mono Pressure Processes 19

      3.2.2 Dual Pressure Processes 21

      3.2.3 NOx Abatement Systems 23

      3.2.4 Concentration of Nitric Acid 25

3.3 Casale 30

      3.3.1 Background 30

      3.3.2 Process Description 30

      3.3.3 Casale Plant Design 34

      3.3.4 Operating Performance 35

3.4 DuPont 35

      3.4.1 Background 35

      3.4.2 Process Description 35

3.5 ESPINDESA 38

      3.5.1 Background 38

      3.5.2 Process Description 38

      3.5.3 Operating Performance 50

3.6 KBR-Weatherly 51

      3.6.1 Background 51

      3.6.2 Process Description 51

      3.6.3 Operating Performance 57

3.7 Stamicarbon 58

      3.7.1 Background 58

      3.7.2 Process Description 58

      3.7.3 Operating Performance 63

3.8 Thyssenkrupp 64

      3.8.1 Background 64

      3.8.2 Process Description 64

      3.8.3 Operating Performance 77

4 Developing Technologies 78

4.1 Introduction 78

4.2 Selected Recent Patents 78

5 Process Economics 84

5.1 Costing Basis 84

      5.1.1 Investment Basis 84

      5.1.2 Pricing Basis 84

      5.1.3 Cost of Production Basis 85

5.2 Production Cost Estimates 86

      5.2.1 Cost of Producing Weak Nitric Acid via a Medium Pressure Process 86

      5.2.2 Cost of Producing Weak Nitric Acid via a High Pressure Process 93

      5.2.3 Cost of Producing Weak Nitric Acid via a Dual Pressure Process 99

      5.2.4 Comparison of Commercial Processes to Produce Weak Nitric Acid 105

      5.2.5 Cost of Producing Concentrated Nitric Acid using Magnesium Nitrate 111

5.3 Sensitivity Analysis 117

      5.3.1 Sensitivity to Feed Pricing 117

      5.3.2 Sensitivity to Economy of Scale 118

      5.3.3 Sensitivity to Capital Investment 119

5.4 Return on Investment Analysis 120

6 Market Analysis 123

6.1 Commercial Applications 123

      6.1.1 Weak Nitric Acid 123

      6.1.2 Concentrated Nitric Acid 124

6.2 Nitric Acid Producers 124

      6.2.1 Casale 124

      6.2.2 ESPINDESA 125

      6.2.3 KBR-Weatherly 126

      6.2.4 Stamicarbon 126

      6.2.5 Thyssenkrupp 127

7 Glossary 129

Appendices

A Definitions of Capital Cost Terms Used in Process Economics 133

B Definitions of Operating Cost Terms Used in Process Economics 138

C TECH Program Title Index (2010-2020) 141

D References 144

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