Ammonia Gas Detection Monitoring for Ammonia (NH3)

Gas in Process and Industry

About Ammonia (NH3)

Ammonia is a common chemical used in household products, fertilizer, and commercial and industrial refrigeration. Ammonia is widely distributed, so much so that there are dedicated Ammonia pipelines and port terminals. Ammonia production requires Natural Gas or other hydrocarbons that are converted to Hydrogen by steam reforming then catalytically combined with Nitrogen at high pressure. While commonly used, Ammonia can be dangerous. Ammonia has a pungent odor, is to ic, highly reactive and corrosive. !t is colorless in gas form and can also e ist as compressed liquid. Ammonia reacts violently with water and can cause serious damage to s"in, eyes, and the respiratory system. !n gas form, Ammonia is lighter than air and has a density of #.$ relative to air %&.#'. While Ammonia is a to ic gas, it is also flammable above &() by volume. *+HA and ,-A require formal -rocess +afety or .is" /anagement programs when the quantity of Ammonia onsite is above &#,### lbs. 0ommercially, Ammonia is often referred to as Anhydrous Ammonia since it1s typically stored in pure form as a pressurized liquid at 2345 6 %2775 0' or cooler. Ammonia can also be stored as Ammonium Hydro ide %in water' at concentrations up to 38) by volume for easier handling.

Density

(Air=1)

OSHA PEL TWA

NIOSH REL, TWA ACGIH STEL

NIOSH IDLH

EPA TLV Stora e

#.$

(# ppm

3( ppm

3( ppm

7## ppm

&#,### lbs.

Ammonia in Process and Industry

Fertilizer Production and Direct ro! A!!lication
9he ma:ority of the worlds Ammonia is used in direct application for fertilizer production 2 fertilizer generated from ammonia is responsible for sustaining one2third of the ,arth1s population. , amples of direct application include ;rea Ammonium Nitrate , Ammonium Nitrate, <iammonium -hosphate, and /onoammonium -hosphate. 9hese products are distributed in granular form for crop application.

Ammonium Hydro ide, NH =*H with water quic"ly forms when applying Anhydrous Ammonia directly to soil, A large portion of the Ammonia is converted to Ammonium %NH =>', and will be bound to clay and organic matter particles. 9his application method is widespread and is lower cost versus applying a granular fertilizer to the soil.

"electi#e

atalytic $eduction (" $)%

+0. is a proven method of reducing N* emissions for compliance with ,-A standards in modern -ower -lants. Ammonia is sprayed into the flue gas ahead of a catalyst bed to react out * ides of Nitrogen %N* '. 9his technique is used by more than =## power generation facilities in the ;nited +tates alone. Ammonia is delivered, stored and pumped to the vaporizers where it becomes a pressurized gas for spraying into the flue gas. Ammonium Hydro ide, ammonia mi ed with water, can also be used but is less efficient.

$efrigeration
Ammonia is common in large refrigeration units due to its low cost and high energy efficiency as well as having negligible environmental impact. 6ood, beverage, and chemical companies can use many hundreds of tons of Ammonia for refrigeration in one location. <ue to the large amounts of Ammonia in storage, these systems require lea" detection for personnel protection and to notify ad:acent facilities and neighborhoods of a gas release.

"afety &'en (sing Ammonia (NH3)

)est Practices
Ammonia releases are common due to the nature of the equipment and operating pressures. .eleases can be minimized in frequency and severity through proactive maintenance practices, appropriate area monitoring, safety program planning, and communication with local emergency responders.

FM

ertified Ammonia "ensors

+ensidyne has achieved the 6/ performance approval for their +ensAlert -lus series Ammonia sensors. 9he 6actory /utual %6/' approval is a certification that the sensor can detect low --/ Ammonia reliably and repeatedly within the specified response times and accuracy. +ensidyne offers four different range Ammonia sensors including a long2life version commonly used for process lea" detection. 6/ performance certification can have a favorable effect on facility hazard analysis for insurance purposes. At publishing, +ensidyne is the only manufacturer to achieve 6/ performance approval on their low --/ Ammonia sensors for gas detection systems.

P!"s Series Sensor Part N"#$er

Sensor Ran e

TLV% TWA

NIOSH IDLH

Res&onse Ti#e, T%'(

O&eratin Te#&erat"re, H"#i)ity

4372#3#&233 6/ approved

(# ppm

3( --/

7## --/

? && sec

2=5 to &335 6, &(28#) .H

4372#3#&23& 6/ approved

&## ppm

3( --/

7## --/

? && sec

2=5 to &335 6, &(28#) .H

4372#3#&2=& 6/ approved

7## ppm

3( --/

7## --/

? &# sec

2=5 to &335 6, &(28#) .H

4372#3#&2=3 6/ approved

(## ppm

3( --/

7## --/

? &# sec

2=5 to &33 65, &(28#) .H

+ensidyne has released an application guide for Ammonia Gas <etection which can be downloaded at the lin" below@