Method for purification of ammonia, mixtures of nitrogen and hydrogen, or nitrogen, hydrogen and ammonia

A method for purification of ammonia or mixtures of nitrogen and hydrogen, or nitrogen, hydrogen and ammonia, using a step of hydrocarbons and water removal by adsorption, wherein:

• a) ammonia or a mixture of gases under pressure of from 0.1 to 25 MPa is passed through a column packed with aluminium oxide with a specific surface area not lower than 50 m2/g,
• b) the ammonia or mixture of gases is then passed through a column packed with CaO, NaOH, KOH or an NaOH/KOH melt, separately or in a mixture, at 20 to 70° C. and under pressure of from 0.1 to 25 MPa,
• c) next, the ammonia or mixture of gases is passed at 170-425° C. through a column packed with activated carbon having a specific area of 100-3000 m.sup.2/g with sodium, potassium, caesium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium or cerium nitrates (V) or nitrates (III) deposited on its surface separately or in a mixture, and activated before use with a stream of an inert gas or hydrogen, or their mixture, with a pressure of 0.1-25 MPa and at 250-700° C.,
• the aforementioned steps being realised in a serial process at a gas stream flow rate in the range of 100 dm3/h to 1000 m3/h.