PROCESS FOR CATALYTIC CRACKING OF AMMONIA

1 . A process for the catalytic cracking of ammonia, the process comprising providing:

a primary cracking pathway comprising one or more catalyst containing reaction tubes disposed within a fired ammonia cracking reactor; and

a parallel cracking pathway comprising one or more secondary ammonia cracking reactors arranged sequentially and in fluid connection with one another, the process comprising the steps of:

supplying a first ammonia stream to the primary cracking pathway;

cracking the ammonia in the first ammonia stream in the one or more catalyst containing reaction tubes of the fired ammonia cracking reactor to produce a first hydrogen containing stream;

supplying a second ammonia stream to the parallel cracking pathway;

cracking the ammonia in the second ammonia stream in the one or more secondary ammonia cracking reactors to produce a cracked second ammonia stream which further comprises unreacted ammonia;

withdrawing a second hydrogen containing stream from the parallel cracking pathway;

feeding the second hydrogen containing stream to one or more purification units and increasing the hydrogen content of the second hydrogen containing stream to produce an enriched hydrogen stream and a tail gas stream; and

combusting the tail gas stream with oxygen in a fuel combustion zone of the fired ammonia cracking reactor to provide heat energy to support the cracking of the ammonia in the one or more catalyst containing reaction tubes,

wherein the second hydrogen containing stream comprises from 40 mol % to 75 mol % H 2 .

2 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the first ammonia stream comprises 90 mol % ammonia or more, 95 mol % ammonia or more, 97 mol % ammonia or more, 99 mol % ammonia or more, or substantially 100 mol % ammonia.

3 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the second ammonia stream may comprise 90 mol % ammonia or more, 95 mol % ammonia or more, 97 mol % ammonia or more, 99 mol % ammonia or more, or substantially 100 mol % ammonia.

4 . A process according to claim 1 , the process comprising the step of heating the first ammonia stream to a temperature of from 350° C. to 1000° C., from 400° C. to 950° C., from 450° C. to 850° C., or from 500° C. to 750° C.

5 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure inlet to the one or more catalyst containing reaction tubes is in the range of from 1 to 100 bar absolute, preferably from 10 to 90 bar absolute, more preferably, from 31 to 51 bar absolute.

6 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the second ammonia stream and the first ammonia stream are the same, and the second ammonia stream and the first ammonia stream are heated together, wherein a heated first ammonia stream and a heated second ammonia stream are obtained from the same piece of process equipment.

7 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the first hydrogen containing stream comprises from 60 mol % to 75 mol % H 2 , from 70 mol % to 75 mol % H 2 , or from 72 mol % to 75 mol %.

8 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the second ammonia stream is heated to a temperature of from 700° C. to 1000° C., from 750° C. to 900° C., or from 800° C. to 850° C. before or after being fed to the parallel cracking pathway.

9 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the second ammonia stream is heated to a temperature of from 450° C. to 650° C., from 500° C. to 600° C., or from 525° C. to 575° C. before or after being fed to the parallel cracking pathway.

10 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the second hydrogen containing stream comprises from, from 50 mol % to 75 mol % H 2 , or from 60 mol % to 75 mol % H 2 .

11 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the enriched hydrogen stream comprises from 70 mol % to 100 mol % H 2 , from 75 mol % to 100 mol % H 2 , from 80 mol % to 100 mol % H 2 , from 85 mol % to 100 mol % H 2 , or from 90 mol % to 100 mol % H 2 .

12 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the tail gas stream comprises from 3 mol % to 10 mol % ammonia, from 3.2 mol % to 7 mol % ammonia, or from 3.3 mol % to 5 mol % ammonia.

13 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the tail gas stream comprises from 10 mol % to 70 mol % H 2 , or from 20 mol % to 50 mol % H 2 .

14 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the first hydrogen containing stream comprises from 72 mol % to 75 mol % H 2 , from 23 mol % to 25 mol % N 2 , and less than 4 mol % NH 3 .

15 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the second hydrogen containing stream comprise from 72 mol % to 75 mol % H 2 , from 23 mol % to 25 mol % N 2 , and less than 4 mol % NH 3 .

16 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the parallel cracking pathway comprises two or more, three or more, four or more, or five or more secondary ammonia cracking reactors arranged sequentially and in fluid communication with one another.

17 . A process according to claim 16 , wherein the first of the two or more secondary ammonia cracking reactor comprises a nickel containing catalyst and the second of the secondary ammonia cracking reactors comprises a noble metal containing catalyst.

18 . A process according to claim 17 , wherein the cracked second ammonia stream is passed from the first of the two or more secondary ammonia cracking reactor to the second of the two or more secondary ammonia cracking reactors without an intermediate heating step.

19 . A process according to claim 1 , wherein the parallel cracking pathway comprises one or more heaters, preferably one or more electrical heaters.

20 . A process according to claim 19 , wherein the process comprises the step of re-heating the cracked second ammonia stream using a heater to produce a re-heated cracked second ammonia stream.

21 . (canceled)

22 . (canceled)

23 . (canceled)

24 . (canceled)