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The process begins with the reform ing of natural gas with air and steam
The gate house opens to the first integrated ammonium sulfate plant ever built in Mexico
N e w Fertilizer Plant South of the Border V T L'AN os y Fertilizantes S. S. near Mexico City, M ex., started p r o d u c i n g basic nitrogenous fertil izer material on April 1. T h e installation includes three separate and complete plants: a synthetic ammonia unit, an outdoor contact sulfuric acid unit, and an a m m o n i u m suliate plant. T h e syn thetic ammonia unit is the first ever to be built in Mexico. Guanos y Fertilizantes was designed a n d supplied by the Chemical Construction Corp. of X e w York. T h e plant will make available low-cost a m m o nium sulfate for solid i m p r o v e m e n t in Mexico at the rate of 70,000 tous a year. T h e process will function continuously and natural gas will lit* the basic raw material. T h e new installation also includes e q u i p m e n t for the generation of p o w e r and process steam and deep-well water p u m p s within the works. Sulfur is obtained from the hydrogen sulfide content of the natural gas. It is reduced to ele mental sulfur at the gas field, transported to t h e plant site, b u r n e d to form sulfur dioxide which is then converted to acid.
1854
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Gaseous ammonia and sulfuric acid introduced i crystal ammonium sulfate. Crystals are drawn trifixge and a rotary dryer (below) completes di
C H E M I C A L
A N D
E N G I N E E R I N G
NEWS
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The discharge from the reformer passes through methanolamine to remove carbon dioxide and cuprous chloride to remo\ e carbon monoxide. Water is lio/en out of gas. Right. Hydrogen and nitrogen from the scrubbed ^as combine under pressure in catalytic icactors to produce ammonia
Sulfur is obtained by reducing hydrogen sulfide removed from natural gas. This elemental sulfur is burnt in spray-type sulfur furnaces shown at left. Sulfur dioxide product passes through the waste heat boiler s h o u n at rear and then into the aluminum painted converters
s c o m b i n e to f o r m ed through a cena m m o n i u m sulfate
VOLUME
2 9.
NO.
19
» » » » MAY
7,
1951
1855
