This paper addresses the importance of de-dusting of catalyst beds before commissioning and serious impacts on the plant if not performed thoroughly. Many Ammonia plants have faced problems related to the plugging of exchangers, pipe choking, pressure drop increase of the downstream catalyst beds and separators or foaming in CO2 removal section which could be caused by the presence of catalyst dust. Most of these problems have led to either decrease in the efficiency of the plant or operation at lower throughputs. The paper presents the critical steps and procedures for proper dedusting of the catalyst beds before commissioning. Furthermore, the foaming problem in the CO2 removal section associated with catalyst dust is discussed signifying the importance of cleaning of CO2 removal system and solution. The role of filters in the CO2 removal section has also been emphasized.  Keywords: Catalyst de-dusting, Foaming

This paper has been presented during the 2013 Asian Nitrogen & Syngas Conference.