The contradiction between equilibrium and rate in the ammonia synthesis reaction
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How is the conflict between equilibrium and rate in the ammonia synthesis reaction addressed in industrial production?
Simply put, in the initial state, the reaction is far from equilibrium, and raising the temperature can yield the highest reaction rate. The temperature should be lowered when reaction equilibrium is reached. Therefore, in industry, the heat from the gas entering the tower should first be recovered from the gas exiting the tower, and then means such as cold pipes should be installed within the tower to remove the heat of reaction.
Try to keep the reaction temperature around the optimal value.
Increasing the inlet temperature helps to boost the reaction rate, but it also shifts the chemical equilibrium in the direction of the reverse reaction; therefore, controlling the inlet temperature requires taking into account both the reaction rate and the chemical equilibrium. For new catalysts, the inlet temperature should be maintained at around 20-30 degrees higher than the catalyst’s activation temperature.