Process for carrying out cyclic synthesis reactions at elevated pressures

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE SYNTHESIS AT ELEVATED PRESSURES OF AMMONIA FROM HYDROGEN AND NITROGEN CONTAINED IN A SYNTHESIS GAS WHEREIN LESS THAN THE ENTIRE AMOUNT OF HYDROGEN AND NITROGEN PRESENT IN SAID SYNTHESIS GAS REACT TO FORM AMMONIA AND THE UNREACTED PORTION OF SAID REACTANTS IS RECYCLED TO A CONVERTER WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING FRESH SYNTHESIS GAS CONTAINING HYDROGEN AND NITROGEN INTO A COMPRESSOR THROUGH THE COMPRESSOR INTAKE AND COMPRESSING SAID FRESH SYNTHESIS GAS TO AN INTERMEDIATE PRESSURE, INTRODUCING RECYCLE SYNTHESIS GAS AT SUBSTANTIALLY SAID INTERMEDIATE PRESSURE AND CONTAINING AMMONIA, OBTAINED AS HEREINAFTER DEFINED, INTO SAID COMPRESSOR DOWNSTREAM OF SAID COMPRESSOR INTAKE, ADMIXING AND COMPRESSING SAID FRESH AND RECYCLE SYNTHESIS GASES IN SAID COMPRESSOR TO A FINAL ELEVATED PRESSURE, WITHDRAWING THUS ADMIXED AND COMPRESSED GASES AND SEPARATING AMMONIA THEREFROM, PASSING REMAINING ADMIXED AND COMPRESSED GASES TO SAID CONVERTER CONTAINING AMMONIA SYNTHESIS CATALYST WHEREIN A PORTION OF THE HYDROGEN AND NITROGEN REACT TO FORM AMMONIA, AND PASSING THE EFFLUENT FROM SAID REACTION ZONE AS SAID RECYCLE GAS TO SAID COMPRESSOR, SAID RECYCLE GAS BEING PASSED TO SAID COMPRESSOR AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PRESSURE AT WHICH IT EMERGES FROM SAID CONVERTER.