recovery of ammonia hydroxide solution from steam s

[alexIC]

Hi,
I need to recover diluted ammonia hydroxide solution. It's a bach process in which roughly 320 gallons of 10% ammonia solution in water is being evaporated over a period of 2-3 hours. I'd like to collect and condence the vapor for re-use. Ideally I'm looking for off -the - shelf solution.
Thank you for suggestions.
Alex

 

[GHartmann]

There will not be an off the shelf solution. You will start evaporating various mixtures of ammonia / water through your batch process and eventually end up with 100% water at 212 deg F. I suppose there are systems that have condenser systems with them.

Why are you evaporating aqua ammonia to recover aqua ammonia?

 

[alexIC]

I don’t need to recover 100% of ammonium hydroxide 50% would be fine. I’m using ammonium hydroxide in IX process and I’m trying to reduce amount of ammonia that goes in the scrubber.

 

[StoneCold]

Just condense it into a tank in the vent header.
So based on the flow rate and a reasonable heat transfer rate you can size a heat exchanger to condense the ammonia and water in the vent.
You don't mention what your cooling source is and it's temperature. That is going to be a big factor in condensing the aqueous ammonia.
Attached is a pretty good primer on ammonia solutions. The trick is going to be that the ammonia is going to come over before most of the water so the boiling point will be low and you will have to condense almost straight ammonia in the beginning.

If you have more information maybe we can help you out more.

Regards
StoneCold

 

[alexIC]

Hi StoneCold,
You are suggesting to use vent condenser instead of heat exchanger. I was thinking about using heat condenser with the water tour for cooling. What is the advantage of the vent condenser? hat other information do you need?
Thank you.
Alex

 

[StoneCold]

AlexIC
I used the term vent condenser because you are condensing vapors in the vent line on their way to the scrubber. Vent condensers are heat exchangers, probably more specifically a shell and tube heat exchanger.
There are quite a few details you need to figure out, or get some help with. The cooling water temperature and flow rate are going to drive how much aqueous ammonia you can recover.

Regards
StoneCold