CDC's Cobalt Oxide Catalyst is available in two formats:
PC-100
1/8" pellet type catalyst
5 year nominal service life
Proven to yield a 95% conversion efficiency in high pressure nitric acid plants
CDC Reactor design using PC-100 catalyst is similar to platinum based reactors, but is about 50% larger in diameter
Operates at around 1550 F, depending upon operating pressure with an approximate 10% ammonia mix
Preheat temperature is usually 300 F
Pressure drops are nominally 15" WC which reduces steam consumption or increases the production through the plant
Typical 1% annual attrition loss can be made up for with a top off of one full bucket of catalyst.
HC-200
Honeycomb cross-section catalyst
6 year nominal service life
Developed to be used in low pressure nitric acid plants but capable of being utilized in high pressure plants
Conversion efficiency of approximately 95% in high pressure service (up to 145 psig)
Conversion efficiency of approximately 98% in low pressure plants (up to 15psig)
HC-200 catalyst reactors can be located either in vertical or horizontal positions
Does not require any Grid Bars or an expensive reactor
A reactor using HC-200 catalyst may be manufactured using more economical carbon steel construction with a refractory lining.
Operates at around 1550 F, depending upon operating pressure with an approximate 10% ammonia mix
Preheat temperature is usually 300 F
Pressure drops are nominally 5" WC which reduces steam consumption or increases the production through the plant
The first step towards using this state-of-the-art technology is a detailed plant engineering study where firm costs and benefits can be defined. CDC will review the details of your plant and help determine if a Cobalt Oxide Catalyst is right for you.
Catalyst Development Corp. (CDC) is a manufacturer of an innovative high-efficiency Cobalt Oxide Catalyst used by ammonia production plants in their production of fertilizers, plastics, fibers, explosives, etc.
Due to the ever increasing costs associated with Platinum Gauze systems, CDC's customers have found that they are able to reduce their operating costs while also significantly increasing production.
CDC's customers have found that the Cobalt Oxide catalyst delivers both immediate and long-term cost savings while simultaneously simplifying their plant operations.
Most initial costs are recovered in less than one year
Cobalt Oxide Catalyst improves ammonia conversion efficiency (95-98%)
Cobalt Oxide Catalyst’s Longer service lives (5-6 years) means plants no longer need to shutdown to change out the catalyst charges
Maintenance costs are reduced
Catalyst inventory costs are eliminated
Cobalt Oxide Catalyst systems reduce the basic catalyst operating costs of nitric acid down to $0.50 to $0.75 per short ton compared to $3.00-$4.00 per ton when using Platinum/Rhodium catalyst systems. A plant producing 350 short tons per day could save over $400,000 annually just due to the reduction in operating expenses. When combined with the increased production volumes due to efficiency improvements and longer run times, annual savings could exceed $500,000.
Some customers have found that the sale of their platinum/rhodium gauze inventory can recover 75% of their capital conversion costs to CDC’s Cobalt Oxide Catalyst.
If you would like to discuss how the benefits of CDC's Cobalt Oxide Catalyst can be implemented in your plant, we can be reached through the "Contact Us" options below.
Catalyst Development Corporation (CDC) was founded by Al Nadar in 2003. Al has been involved with Cobalt Oxide Catalysts for Ammonia Oxidation since the 1960s and has BS/MS degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Tulsa. Al served for many years as the Engineering Manager at a fertilizer production facility which provided him with the hands-on experience and insight to improve the Cobalt Oxide operation in Ammonia Oxidation of their Nitric Acid plant.
Previous uses of cobalt oxide catalysts were prone to sulphur poisoning and dusting which caused bridging, subsequent high pressure drops with poor flow distribution, and inherently high attrition rates that resulted in poor conversion efficiencies. CDC's advanced Cobalt Oxide Catalyst has proven to minimize the issues of previous generation catalysts while drastically increasing reactor efficiency to 95-98%.
In addition to revolutionizing the Cobalt Oxide Catalyst at CDC, Al developed a new reactor design where space velocity does not disturb catalyst particles. This design further reduces the attrition losses of earlier noble metal catalysts. Al and CDC continue to develop Cobalt Oxide catalyst enhancements as well as new low-pressure plant modeling.
