Water soluble nitrogen fertilizer Ammonium Nitrate

Ammonium Nitrate Introduction

Ammonium nitrate(AN) was the first solid nitrogen (N) fertilizer produced on a large scale.It has been a common N source because it contains both nitrate and ammonium and it has a relatively high nutrient content.AN  is a granular, nitrogen-based product with a nitrogen content of 34%. AN is a popular nitrogen fertilizer in the southeastern U.S. And United Kingdom. AN is for agricultural services all throughout state of Arizona specifically in valley area.

Water soluble nitrogen fertilizer Ammonium Nitrate

Ammonium Nitrate Production

The production of ammonium nitrate is relatively simple, where ammonia gas is reacted with nitric acid to form a concentrated solution and considerable heat. Prilled fertilizer is formed as a drop of the concentrated ammonium nitrate solution (95 to 99%) falls from a tower and solidifies. Low density prills are more porous than high density prills and are preferred for industrial use, while high density prills are used as fertilizer.

Granular ammonium nitrate is made by repeatedly spraying the concentrated solution onto small granules in a rotating drum.Since ammonium nitrate is hygroscopic and readily attracts moisture from air, it is commonly stored in air-conditioned warehouses or in sealed bags. The solid fertilizer is usually coated with an anti-caking compound to prevent sticking and clumping.
Ammonium nitrate can be fused with ammonium sulfate fertilizer or amended with carbonate minerals to reduce its explosive properties. These carbonate minerals lower the N concentration and are sparingly soluble, making the modified product less suitable for application through an irrigation system (fertigation).

Water soluble nitrogen fertilizer Ammonium Nitrate

Agricultural Use

Ammonium nitrate is a popular fertilizer since it provides half of the N in the nitrate form and half in the ammonium form. The nitrate form moves readily with soil water to the roots where it is immediately available for plant uptake. The ammonium fraction is taken up by roots or gradually converted to nitrate by soil microorganisms. Many vegetable growers prefer an immediately available nitrate source of plant nutrition and use ammonium nitrate. It is popular for pasture and hay fertilization since it is less susceptible to volatilization losses than urea-based fertilizers when left on the soil surface. Ammonium nitrate is commonly mixed with other fertilizers, but these mixtures cannot be stored for long periods because of a tendency to absorb moisture from the air. The very high solubility of ammonium nitrate makes it well suited for making solutions for fertigation or foliar sprays.

Water soluble nitrogen fertilizer Ammonium Nitrate

Non Agricultural Uses
A low-density form of prilled ammonium nitrate is widely used as an explosive in the mining industry, for quarries, and in construction sites. It is intentionally porous to allow rapid adsorption of fuel oil .Instant cold packs are made with two bags—one containing dry ammonium nitrate and the second containing water. When the barrier separating the bags is ruptured, the ammonium nitrate rapidly dissolves in an endothermic reaction, lowering the pack’s temperature to 2 to 3 ºC within a very short time.

Water soluble nitrogen fertilizer Ammonium Nitrate

 Ammonium Nitrate Specification