24 lines
1.6 KiB
Markdown
24 lines
1.6 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: "BMA process"
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chunk: 1/1
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source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMA_process"
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category: "reference"
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tags: "science, encyclopedia"
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date_saved: "2026-05-05T10:46:12.608080+00:00"
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instance: "kb-cron"
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---
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The BMA process or Degussa process is a chemical process developed by the German chemical company Degussa for the production of hydrogen cyanide from methane and ammonia in presence of a platinum catalyst. Hydrogen cyanide is used in the chemical industry for the production of intermediate chemicals like acrylonitrile, methyl methacrylate, and adiponitrile.
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The name is abbreviated from Blausäure (hydrogen cyanide) from Methan (methane) and Ammoniak (ammonia) in German.
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The reaction equation is analog to the steam methane reforming (SMR) reaction of methane and water:
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CH4 + NH3 → HCN + 3 H2, ΔHR = 251 kJ / mol
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The reaction is extremely endothermic. The reactants react in a Platinum-covered pipe at approximately 1400 °C. The reaction mixture contains around 23 Vol.-% HCN and 72 Vol.-% H2 as well as minor quantities of ammonia, nitrogen, and unreacted methane.
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The gaseous mixture is introduced in a scrubber and treated with an ammonia solution (producing ammonium cyanide) allowing the other gaseous components: H2, CH4, and N2 to pass through. In a second step the HCN is released by acidification of the solution, followed by a final distillation of the hydrogen cyanide. Because of the highly endothermic reaction, the BMA process is of lower importance for the production of HCN compared to the Andrussow process.
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== References ==
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== External links ==
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Process description |