The Global Synthetic Ammonia Industry : History and Developments / by Anthony S. Travis.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Travis, Anthony S.

Series:

Perspectives on the History of Chemistry, 2662-4605

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Technology.

History.

Chemistry--History.

Chemistry.

Hydrogen as fuel.

History of Technology.

History of Chemistry.

Chemical Synthesis.

Hydrogen Energy.

Local Subjects:

History of Technology.

History of Chemistry.

Chemical Synthesis.

Hydrogen Energy.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (415 pages)

Edition:

1st ed. 2025.

Place of Publication:

Cham : Springer Nature Switzerland : Imprint: Springer, 2025.

Summary:

This monograph is the first comprehensive historical overview of the global synthetic ammonia industry, highlighting its critical role in fixing nitrogen from the air in order to produce the fertilizers that support a significant portion of the world’s population. While the first part includes the storied Haber-Bosch process, introduced in 1913 by the German firm BASF, its main focus is on the largely forgotten Italian chemist Luigi Casale, the inventor of an alternative synthetic ammonia process. Casale had the distinction of launching the global synthetic ammonia industry through, and unlike BASF, the licensing of his technology. The narrative here incorporates the first biography of Casale, with descriptions of his innovations, and the early years of his company, Ammonia Casale SA. Technical challenges, relationships with collaborators and investors, and patent issues are discussed. The second part, through a macro perspective, explores the industry’s international expansion, the evolution of novel technologies, and contributions to the Green Revolution. Included are the roles of engineering contractors, high-capacity manufacturing units, and geopolitical contexts. The final chapter covers the recent past, and briefly looks to the future with moves towards sustainability within the context of green hydrogen and ammonia production. This story of one of the world’s most important industries is recommended for historians of modern science, technology, and business, chemical engineers, practitioners in the petroleum and chemical industries, and readers interested in technological advances that have shaped our world today.

Contents:

Agriculture: Fertilizers for Feeding Growing Populations

The Great Nitrogen Challenge: Synthetic Ammonia

Luigi Casale and the Foundation of Ammonia Casale SA

Ammonia Casale in Nobeoka, Japan, and Toulouse, France

Reorganisation, and Research and Development at Ammonia Casale. The Final Years of Luigi Casale’s Remarkable Life Story

Casale’s Process Described

Pure Gases, Compressors, Catalysts, and Special Steels

American Synthetic Ammonia, 1920-1940

The United States Emerges as the Global Leader

Methanol and Urea, New Feedstocks, Steam Reforming, Fertilizers, Postwar Recovery, Regional Expansion

The Green Revolution, 1,000-tpd Single-Train Ammonia Synthesis

The Energy Crises, The People’s Republic of China, the Soviet Union, and the 1970s

Process Innovations in the 1970s and 1980s. International Growth

Revamping, Catalyst Studies, and Green Hydrogen.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

3-031-87978-3

OCLC:

1544988399