Patent ID: 7547428

Claim:
A process for the catalytic production of ammonia from a nitrogen-hydrogen mixture, wherein a vaporous feed mixture, which is comprised of 30-60 vol-% methanol and 40-70 vol-% steam is passed through a gasification reactor having two separate beds of breakdown catalyst, in the form of an upper bed and a lower bed, at pressures in the range from 30-200 bar and temperatures in the range from 200-500° C. in the catalyst beds; the lower catalyst bed being provided with heating by indirect heat exchange with a heating fluid, wherein a first gas mixture comprising 40-80 vol % H 2 and 10-30 vol % CO 2 is withdrawn from the gassification reactor, and is cooled in a heat exchanger and then supplied to a washing column where it is washed and cooled with water to condense and remove methanol, then the washed gas is supplied to a washing plant for removing CO 2 by washing with methanol at temperatures in the range of from about −20° C. to −70° C. and upon removal of CO 2 the washed gas is further washed with liquid nitrogen to obtain an exhaust gas containing carbon monoxide and methane and to supply nitrogen and form a gas mixture comprising at least 95 vol-% nitrogen and hydrogen and having a molar ratio of hydrogen to nitrogen of about 3:1, which is then supplied as synthesis gas to an ammonia synthesis for the catalytic production of ammonia.