KAPSOM Tests New Ammonia Adsorbent at 3 MPa

KAPSOM has successfully completed a laboratory-scale test of its next-generation ammonia adsorbent, marking further progress toward more energy-efficient, low-pressure ammonia synthesis.

In conventional ammonia production, separating ammonia from the reactor outlet gas typically requires energy-intensive refrigeration. Alternative separation technologies—including pressure swing adsorption (PSA), temperature swing adsorption (TSA) with heat integration, and membrane separation—could reduce refrigeration demand and potentially lower synthesis loop pressure to 1-3 MPa. However, the limited availability of efficient and cost-effective separation materials remains a major barrier to commercialization.

KAPSOM conducted the latest test at an ammonia production scale of approximately 1 kg per day. At 3 MPa and 40 °C, each gram of adsorbent selectively captured around 0.16 grams of ammonia from the reaction gas downstream of the ammonia synthesis reactor.

The adsorbent also demonstrated stable mechanical strength and adsorption performance after more than ten adsorption–desorption cycles. No significant swelling or particle pulverization—problems commonly associated with chemisorption materials—was observed.

Using a temperature-vacuum swing adsorption (TVSA) process, the desorption stage produced an ammonia-rich gas with a purity exceeding 95%, making subsequent ammonia liquefaction easier and potentially less energy-intensive.

While these results validate the material’s initial performance, KAPSOM considers adsorbent development only the first step. The next phase will focus on optimizing the heat-exchange network and controlling total system investment—two critical factors for the commercial deployment of adsorption-enhanced ammonia synthesis.