Ammonia production method and apparatus for ammonia production

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021139338-A1
Application number	US-201816628214-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 2, 2018
Priority date	Jul 3, 2017
Publication date	May 13, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention concerns an ammonia production method comprising the steps of: providing at least one rare earth nitride material or layer in a chamber; creating a vacuum or an inert atmosphere in the chamber; and providing hydrogen H 2 to react with nitrogen N released at an external surface of the at least one rare earth nitride material or layer to produce ammonia.

First claim

1 . Ammonia production method comprising the steps of:
providing at least one rare earth nitride material or layer in a chamber; creating a vacuum in the chamber, or creating an inert atmosphere in the chamber; and providing hydrogen to react with nitrogen released at an external surface of the at least one rare earth nitride material or layer to produce ammonia.

2 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one rare earth nitride material or layer comprises an external surface consisting solely of rare earth nitride atoms; or an external surface including at least one area consisting solely of rare earth nitride atoms; or a plurality of areas consisting solely of rare earth nitride atoms, said at least one area or each of said plurality of areas being a sub-area of a surface defined by the external surface.

3 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the external surface is an atomically clean rare earth nitride external surface.

4 . Method according to claim 1 , further including the steps of:
applying energy to the at least one rare earth nitride material or layer to release nitrogen.

5 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one rare earth nitride material is provided in grinded or crushed form, or as a powder.

6 . Method according to claim 1 , further including the steps of:
providing at least one rare earth material or layer comprising an external surface, or at least one rare earth material or layer comprising an atomically clean rare earth external surface, or at least one rare earth material or layer comprising an external surface including at least one area consisting solely of rare earth atoms; or a plurality of areas consisting solely of rare earth atoms, said at least one area or each of said plurality of areas being a sub-area of a surface defined by the external surface; and exposing the external surface or the atomically clean rare earth external surface to molecular nitrogen to produce the at least one rare earth nitride material or layer.

7 . Method according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one rare earth material is provided in grinded or crushed form, or as a powder.

8 . Method according to claim 7 , further including the step of:
removing or reducing the exposure to molecular nitrogen following production of the at least one rare earth nitride material or layer.

9 . Method according to claim 8 , wherein after removing or reducing the exposure to molecular nitrogen, hydrogen is provided to react with nitrogen released at an external surface of the at least one rare earth nitride material or layer to produce ammonia.

10 . Method according to claim 5 , wherein the external surface is simultaneously exposed to a molecular nitrogen and hydrogen gas mixture.

11 . Method according to claim 5 , further including the steps of:
providing a substrate; and depositing at least one rare earth element on the substrate to produce the at least one rare earth material or layer.

12 . Method according to claim 1 , further including the steps of:
removing a capping material or layer from the at least one rare earth nitride material or layer to expose the rare earth nitride external surface or the atomically clean rare earth nitride external surface.

13 . Method according to claim 1 , further including the step of carrying out an exposition to molecular nitrogen to replenish the depleted rare earth nitride material or layer following ammonia production.

14 . Method according to previous claim 2 , wherein the steps of providing at least one rare earth material or layer and exposing the at least one rare earth material or layer to molecular nitrogen are carried out in the chamber, or in a second chamber, or in a second chamber interconnected to the chamber.

15 . Method according to previous claim 2 , wherein the rare earth material or layer includes or consists solely of lanthanum, or cerium, or praseodymium, or neodymium, or samarium, or europium, or gadolinium, or terbium, or dysprosium, or holmium, or erbium, or thulium, or ytterbium, or lutetium.

16 . (canceled)

17 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the rare earth nitride material or layer includes or consists solely of lanthanum nitride, or cerium nitride, or praseodymium nitride, or neodymium nitride, or samarium nitride, or europium nitride, or gadolinium nitride, or terbium nitride, or dysprosium nitride, or holmium nitride, or erbium nitride, or thulium nitride, or ytterbium nitride, or lutetium nitride.

18 . (canceled)

19 . (canceled)

20 . (canceled)

21 . (canceled)

22 . (canceled)

23 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one rare earth nitride layer or material is non-oxidised, and/or the at least one rare earth material or layer is non-oxidised.

24 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of providing at least one rare earth nitride material or layer in the chamber comprises providing at least one rare earth nitride material or layer consisting solely of at least one rare earth nitride or consisting solely of at least one rare earth nitride alloy.

25 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of providing hydrogen to react with nitrogen released at an external surface of the at least one rare earth nitride material or layer to produce ammonia is carried out at room temperature.

26 . (canceled)

27 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen is provided as a molecular hydrogen gas stream to react with nitrogen released at an external surface of the at least one rare earth nitride material or layer to produce ammonia.

28 . (canceled)

29 . (canceled)

30 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Victoria Link Ltd

Inventors

• Natali Franck
• Ruck Benjamin John
• Trodahl Harry Joseph

Classifications

• Y02P20/52

  using catalysts, e.g. selective catalysts · CPC title

• C01C1/0411 Primary

  characterised by the catalyst · CPC title

• C01C1/026 Primary

  Preparation of ammonia from inorganic compounds · CPC title

• C01B21/0627

  with one or more rare earth metals · CPC title

• B01J27/24

  Nitrogen compounds · CPC title