Abatement of N sub(2)O emissions produced in the adipic acid industry

Apidic acid (AA) manufacture results in the production of ca. 1 mole of nitrous oxide (N sub(2)O) per mole of AA. Emissions of N sub(2)O by the AA industry currently account for about 5-8 percent of the worldwide anthropogenic N sub(2)O emissions (after accounting for N sub(2)O abated by some manufacturers). Even though this N sub(2)O does not make a major contribution to global warming and ozone depletion, major AA producers worldwide have agreed to substantially reduce these emissions by 1996-98. Producers have formed an inter-industry group to share information on technologies being developed for N sub(2)O control. Technology options being studied by DuPont (and by others) include thermal destruction, recycling, and catalytic decomposition.