St.

Joseph’s College of Engineering, Chennai 600 119

Department of Chemical Engineering

IV Year Chemical Engg. – CH2032 FERTILIZER TECHNOLOGY

UNIT IV (ASSIGNMENT IV)

Part A

1. What is the process for preparation of nitro phosphate fertilizer?(April 2014)

A process for the preparation of nitrophosphate fertilizer by acidulation of phosphate rock by
means of a mixture of HNO3 and NH4 HSO4, wherein the NH4 HSO4, serves for the acidulation
as well as for the precipitation of the calcium present in the phosphate rock as CaSO4.2H2 O. The
latter is treated with a gas mixture containing NH3 and CO2, forming CaCO3 and (NH4)2 SO4.
The (NH4)2 SO4 is thermally decomposed to form NH4 HSO4, which is recycled to the
acidulation reaction. The acidulated phosphate rock solution is neutralized with NH3 to obtain the
nitrophosphate fertilizer
2. What is controlled release fertilizer?( April 2014)
A Controlled Release Fertilizer (CRF) is a solid form fertilizer, usually in powder or small
granules that are either sprinkled on top of the soil (top dressed) or dug into the soil before
planting. The outer layer is insoluble but permeable so nutrients are released slowly in a
controlled way over a set period.[1][2] Other names for controlled release fertilizers are
"metered-release fertilizers" and "slow-acting fertilizers".
1)State the role of i) Calcium ii) Nitrogen as plant nutrients.
2)State the role of i) Magnesium ii) Sulfuras plant nutrients.
3)State the role of i) Phosphorus ii) Potassium.
3. What is Gypsum?
In wet process – strong sulphuric acid leaching for the manufacture of Orthophosphoric acid a by
product obtained is the dihydrate of Calcium Sulphate [gypsum].
4. What is an NPK fertilizer?
NPK fertilizer is a mixed fertilizer providing all the three major nutrients to the plants, Nitrogen,
Phosphorous and Potassium.
5. What are nitro phosphates?(May/June 2014)
Nitro phosphates are the mixtures of ammonium nitrate and various phosphates made by
acidulation of phosphate rock with nitric acid alone or in combination with Sulphuric acid.
6. What does 5-10-5 fertilizer stand for?
5-10-5 fertilizer stands for N-P-K fertilizer with the intigers indicating the percentage of nitrogen
as N2, Phosphorous as P2O5 and potassium as K2O in the fertilizer.
7. What is an NPK fertilizer? Why it is called so? (May/June 2009), (May/June 2012),
(May/June 2013)
NPK mixture fertilizers are formulated & recommended by agricultural scientists to enhance the
output of the crops by giving it specific and exclusive blend of plant nutrients. All the major plant
nutrients like Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potash are mixed in different ratios to make it suitable
for specific crops. These specific ratios of NPK & S are called grades. The numbers in the grade’s
name represents the percentage of N1, P2O5 & K2O respectively in the mixture. There are
separate grades for Rice, Wheat, Potato and Sugarcane etc. NPK fertilizer plants are used for
production of complex with different concentrations and types, such as inorganic fertilizers and
biological fertilizers. These fertilizers can be obtained in the form of uniform granules from 1 mm
to 4 mm size. These granules are white, cream, brown, gray or black in colour. Moreover, the
production line can be optimized manufacture different grades such as; and 8 :20: 14: 5, 10 : 15 :
10 : 4, 10 : 24 : 17 : 6, 12 : 16 : 22: 6.5, and 14 : 22 : 15 : 6 etc.
8. Show the action of urea as a fertilizer. (April/May2010), (May/June 2009), (Nov/Dec
2011), (May/June 2012), (May/June 2013)
 More than 90% of world industrial production of urea is destined for use as a nitrogen-release
fertilizer. Urea has the highest nitrogen content of all solid nitrogenous fertilizers in common use.
Therefore, it has the lowest transportation costs per unit of nitrogen

Part B

1. What are the various grades of NPK fertilizers? Give their composition and characteristics
.

NPK complex fertilizers are solid fertilizers in the form of uniform granules commonly referred
to by a sequence of three numbers, the first of which represents the percent nitrogen expressed as
Nitrogen , the second, the percent Phosphorous expressed as available P 2O5 and the third, the percent
potassium expressed as soluble K 2O. These fertilizers are very convenient to use because they contain all
the three primary plant nutrients in the desired proportions. The various grades produced and marketed in
the country are 17-17-17, 10-26-26, 12-32-16 and 14-35-14.
Raw materials/ sources:
Required raw materials are Phosphoric acid, ammonia, potash and urea where necessary to
increase the nitrogen content. Fillers (sand, dolomite, etc.) and coating agents (clay, soapstone etc.) are
also required for certain grades.
Methods of manufacture:

FLOWSHEET FOR MANUFACTURE OF NPK COMPLEX FERTILIZERS

AMMO- PHOSPHOR-IC
ACID
NIA
UREA

PRE NEUTRALIZATION
NEUTRALIZATION
AMMONIATION
POTASH
GRANULATION

DRYING

SCREENING

COOLING

COATING

NPK
COMPLEX
Ammonia and phosphoric acid in the required proportions are metered to the pre neutralizer and the
resultant slurry is pumped to the granulator, which can be a blunger or a rotating drum. Here the nitrogen
content is increased by adding more ammonia and feeding in urea whenever necessary. Filler(sand or
dolomite) and potash are also added to make up the required product formulation. The granulator
discharge is then dried , screened, cooled and coated with a coating agent (clay or powdered soapstone)to
improve the storage properties.

2. Discuss the importance of use of plant nutrients citing different types of nutrients.

Primary nutrients are normally supplied through chemical fertilizers. They are chemical compounds
containing one or more of the primary nutrients and are generally produced by chemical reactions.
Whatever be the chemical, its more important ingredient for plant growth is the nutrient content.

The primary nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (N, P and K). However, their
concentration in a chemical fertilizer is expressed as a percentage of total nitrogen (N); available
phosphate (P2O5); and soluble potash (K2O). Thus ammonium sulphate contains 20.6% N, single super
phosphate 16% P2O5 and muriate of potash 60% K2O.

The grade of a fertilizer is expressed as a set of three numbers in the order of percent N, P 2O5, and K2O.
If a nutrient is missing in a fertilizer, it is represented by zero.

Thus, diammonium phosphate is shown as 18- 46- 0, indicating that it contains 18% nitrogen, 46% P 2O5
and no potash. Similarly, ‘suphala’, a nitrophosphate fertilizer produced by Rashtriya Chemical Fertilizers
(RCF), Trombay is shown as: 15- 15- 15 indicating that the product contains 15%N, 15% P 2O5 and 15%
K2O.

In the case of nitrogenous fertilizers, nitrogen may be in the ammonical, nitrate (or a combination there
of) or amide form. Ammonical form of nitrogen is contained in fertilizers like ammonium sulphate,
ammonium chloride, etc. Nitrate nitrogen is contained in fertilizers like ammonium nitrate, calcium
ammonium nitrate, etc. The amide nitrogen is contained in urea.

Phosphate fertilizers may be in the water-soluble form or available form. When a phosphatic fertilizer is
soluble in water, the product is called water-soluble phosphate. If it is not soluble in water but in 2%
neutral ammonium citrate, the product is called citrate soluble phosphate. The sum total of water-soluble
and citrate soluble values is termed as available phosphates.

A fertilizer in which phosphate is not soluble either in water or two percent neutral ammonium citrate
solution is termed insoluble. The sum of the available phosphate and the insoluble phosphate is termed as
total phosphate.

3. Explain the manufacture of Di-Ammonium Phosphate with a flow sheet.

MANUFACTURE OF DIAMMONIUM PHOSPHATE (DAP)

Phosphoric acid, being a tribasic acid could theoretically form three ammonium phosphates by
the successive substitution of the acid by ammonia

H3PO4 NH4H2PO4 (NH4)2HPO4 (NH4)3PO4

However, triammonium phosphate is unstable and easily loses ammonia. Both MAP and DAP are
manufactured as fertilizers.

Pure DAP would have the composition in NPK nomenclature 21.19: 53.76: 0

Typically DAP made from wet process of phosphoric acid has the range of compositions

16- 18: 46- 48: 0

DAP may be made in the form of granules for direct distribution or blending and in the form of powder
for incorporation with other fertilizers in compound manufacture.

DAP may be made by neutralizing phosphoric acid with ammonia to pH 5.6 in the molar ratio 2: 1, but on
an industrial scale attention is given to the solubility of the product. The composition of the mixture,
which is most soluble in, water beyond the mono ammonium stage s a molar ratio of 1.4: 1. Therefore, the
practice is to remix the reactants in this ratio, ex: in a tank or in a pipe, where the slurry is most fluid also
and to pump it to the granulator where the slurry meets the fines from a subsequent sieving process and
more ammonia to bring the NH3: H3PO4 molar ratio to 2: 1. The liquid ratio is thereby decreased and the
process of granulation made easier. The conc. of H 3PO4 used may vary with the manufacturer, but
typically is 40% P2O5 when the temperature of the slurry rises to about 115˚C. The product from the
granulator falls into a drier and meets the co- current flow of hot combustion gases. The dry granules are
spread on to the screens and those falling within the screen limits pass into a counter current flow of
ambient air and then to the store. The oversize is passed through a crusher ex: of the cage and chain type
and back on the screens. The fines are returned to the granulator. The recycle ratio of fines to product is
usually about 5: 1. The exhaust gases from all equipment are passed to an absorption tower sprayed with
the H3PO4 to be fed to the reactor.
 The reactor may be a simple tank or a serried of tanks, as in the triple super phosphate plant. The
reactor may also be a closed vessel. Ex: a pipe in which the steam generated acts as a kind of lift to the
slurry and flashes off when it reaches the atmosphere in the granulator. The reaction approaches adiabatic
condition. Drying cost is much less.

4. Write notes on NPK Fertilizers and their grades.

Manufacture of NPK fertilizer.

NPK complex fertilizers are solid fertilizers in the form of uniform granules commonly referred
to by a sequence of three numbers, the first of which represents the percent nitrogen expressed as
Nitrogen , the second, the percent Phosphorous expressed as available P 2O5 and the third, the percent
potassium expressed as soluble K 2O. These fertilizers are very convenient to use because they contain all
the three primary plant nutrients in the desired proportions. The various grades produced and marketed in
the country are 17-17-17, 10-26-26, 12-32-16 and 14-35-14.
Raw materials/ sources:
Required raw materials are Phosphoric acid, ammonia, potash and urea where necessary to
increase the nitrogen content. Fillers (sand, dolomite, etc.) and coating agents (clay, soapstone etc.) are
also required for certain grades.
Methods of manufacture:
Ammonia and phosphoric acid in the required proportions are metered to the pre neutralizer and
the resultant slurry is pumped to the granulator, which can be a blunger or a rotating drum. Here the
nitrogen content is increased by adding more ammonia and feeding in urea whenever necessary.
Filler(sand or dolomite) and potash are also added to make up the required product formulation. The
granulator discharge is then dried , screened, cooled and coated with a coating agent (clay or powdered
soapstone)to improve the storage properties.