수용액중의 암모니아를 리싸이클링하여 황산암모늄을 제조하기 위한 1단계 공정으로 air stripping에 의한 암모니아 탈기특성을 조사하였다. 수용액중 암모니아 탈기실험을 위하여 내경 40mm의 아크릴관을 탈기 column으로 사용하고 하단에 미세한 기체방울을 생성시키기 위하여 air sparger를 설치하는 한편 탈기가스로는 공기를 사용하였다. 탈기실험 결과 수용액 pH가 증가할수록 암모니아 탈기효율이 향상되었으며, 적정 pH범위는 10∼12 인 것으로 나타났다. 공기유량변화가 암모니아 탈기에 미치는 영향에 있어서는 공기유량이 증가함에 따라 탈기량이 비례하여 증가하지는 않았다. 또한, 수주 높이 20 cm 이상에서 절대 탈기량은 수주 높이에 관계없이 일정하게 나타났다. 탈기 온도를 높일수록 암모니아 탈기속도는 크게 증가하여 pH 12.8, 탈기 온도 $60^{circ}C$에서 14시간 탈기시 초기 암모니아의 90% 정도를 탈기시킬 수 있었으며, 탈기 온도는 수용액 pH와 함께 암모니아 탈기공정의 가장 중요한 변수임을 확인할 수 있었다.
A study on the characteristics of ammonia desorption from aqueous solutions has been performed by air stripping as the first stage of ammonia recycling for the preparation of ammonium sulfate from it. For air stripping experiments, a stripping column made with acrylic tube of 40 mm diameter was employed and compressed air was injected into solutions through air sparger equipped at the bottom of stripping column. As a result of experiments, the stripping efficiency was increased with the aqueous pH and it was found that the appropriate pH for air stripping of ammonia was between pH 10 and 12. As far as the effect of air flow rate on ammonia stripping was concerned, ammonia stripping was not proportional to the air flow rate although it was affected by the air flow rate to some extent. Moreover, when more than 20 cm of water height was maintained, total ammonia desorbed from solution was not varied with the water height. Stripping temperature was also found to play an important role in ammonia desorption and about 90fo of initial ammonia was desorbed in 14 hours at pH 12.8 and at $60^{circ}C$ Finally, it was believed that stripping temperature as well as the aqueous pH was one of the most important factors in air stripping of ammonia.
