Liquid nitrogen wash

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/liquid-nitrogen-wash

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the process name?Cryogenic purification via liquid nitrogen wash
2. What is the primary function?Removal of trace impurities (CO2, CO, CH4) from ammonia synthesis gas
3. Why do we need to clean the gas before making ammonia?Tiny amounts of impurities can poison the catalysts that help make ammonia, making the process less efficient and shortening the catalyst life.
4. How does a liquid nitrogen wash separate the bad gases from the good ones?At about -196°C, the bad gases turn into solid or liquid, while hydrogen and nitrogen stay gas, so they can be taken away.

Synthesis Gas: A fuel gas mixture consisting primarily of hydrogen and carbon monoxide.
Catalyst Poison: A substance that reduces the activity of a catalyst.
Haber-Bosch Process: The industrial process for producing ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen.
Thermodynamics: The branch of physics concerned with heat and its relation to other forms of energy and work.