The dorr oliver granulation process:

The Dorr oliver granular process is resulted from a work done in Berlin, Germany, by Dorr
company in the early 1930s. By incorprating a fru raw materials feed system and with minor
midifications the system could be arranged to produce monoammonium phosphate, diammonium
phophate, mixed fertilizers of the nitrogen phophorus-potassium type and triple superphosphate if
desired.

When making diammonium phophate. Phosphric acid and ammonia are reactedbin two agitard
vessels, in series, under carefully controlled conditions. Neutralization is carried to monoammonium
phosphate or slightly above in a first stage. The ammonia carried off in the water evoprated, is not
appreciable in this range and approximate characteristics of ammonia-phosphoric acid-water solutions
at various temperatures. Neutralization to 80% diammonium phophate is affected in a second stage
where the composition of solution is maintained approximately or at near the “triple point”. In early
systems final ammoniation was done in a third vessel ;later systems completed this portion of the
reaction in the blunger. The Dorr oliver process operates by maintaining over all slurry composition
within the triangle ABC.

Since maximum solubility is obtained at the triple point. A slurry can be obtained withbminimum
water content. The ammonium phophate slurry overflows to the blunger. Slurry is distributed by
aswatooth wier arrangement or by a pipe spray header. The blunger is a custom designed twin-shaft
paddle mixer. A typical blunger for DAP is powered ny 100 HP motor. Dry recycled fines, crushed
oversize, and if required for granulation control a portion of the product are fed into the upper part of
the mixer as dry salt feed material that becomes coated with the slurry as the particles are actively
moved by the plug mill paddles. Paddles are replaceble. The paddle blades are interlocking and self-
cleaning.

Particles are somewhat fluidized, coated with slurry, and then rolled into granules as theyove
through the blunger. A blunger normally produces spherial, smooth, comparatively uniform granules.
Granulation by layering and nucleation requires the maintenance of a very large circulating load and
relatively thin slurry.

To obtain desired smooth granule it is necessary to circulate the particles many times through the
blunger and to apply a relatively thin coat each time. If athi k slurry is used and an attempt is made to
apply a thick coat at each passage through the blunger. The granules will tend to stick together or gather
up small particles and become rough and irregular