Prilled ammonium nitrate

Types of Prilled Ammonium Nitrate

Technical Grade

Prilled ammonium nitrate's main characteristic is that it has at least 95% content of active matter in this kind of formulation. Also, it features a coarse texture and granules with a wide grain size that may very well be suitable for many large-scale systems. This is normally used in industrial and technical applications.

Agricultural Grade

This kind of ammonium nitrate is often used in farming. It is mainly formulated to contain some moisture and, as a result, contains little or no anti-caking agent. All these features facilitate the easy application of fertilizers in farmland. Prilled AN serves as a commonly used nitrogen-containing fertilizer, allowing crops to absorb nutrients adequately, thus promoting growth.

Food and Pharmaceutical Grade

This kind of prilled ammonium nitrate is manufactured to meet strict purity standards that should be applied in the food and drug sector. Although the chemical is mainly used to produce nitrogen in the food industry, in the pharmaceutical industry, it is used to make items such as saline and ophthalmic drops. Its main characteristic is that it should not contain impurities such as heavy metals.

Explosive Grade

This grade has a high concentration of ammonium nitrate to manufacture commercial explosives like ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil). This grade is particularly intended for mining, blasting, and excavation in quarrying and construction.

How to Choose Prilled Ammonium Nitrate

The increased demand for nitrogen fertilizers and industrial chemicals has caused buyers to expand their sources. To source quality prills, buyers should consider the following factors:

• Purity: The supplier's ability to provide pured AN with a high concentration of active matter determines the buyer's use of the product. For instance, agricultural-grade AN should have at least 33% nitrogen to allow for crop fertilization. Technical-grade AN should also be high in active matter because, in this case, purity is often sacrificed due to the intended uses of the lower grade. Furthermore, explosive manufacturers demand high purity to guarantee the stability and safety of the explosives produced.
• Grain size: While it may not be a critical fertilizer or food and pharmaceutical ingredient factor, grain size is a key characteristic that affects the functionality of ammonium nitrate in explosive formulations. Only grain sizes that have met standards are suitable for industrial uses. Also, only agricultural-grade AN with a coarse texture will be accurate for large-scale farming.
• Moisture content: It affects the shelf life of AN products. However, for regular buyers, only those who have the capacity to store the product and turn it fast enough for it not to cake need to worry about this factor. Buyers without large storage facilities should avoid granules with high moisture content because they will likely experience issues with caking.
• Color: Although not particularly crucial to the performance of the chemical, the color of ammonium nitrate indicates the common additives contained in the chemical. For instance, reddish-brown AN may have iron oxide impurities, which are used to mark underground blasts in mining operations. The color that the fertilizer manufacturer prioritizes is the color that is used to distinguish explosive-grade AN from fertilizer-grade AN.
• Supplier reputation: Buyers should consider the existing reviews about the quality and level of customer service of the supplier they intend to purchase from. Also, they should check how the supplier manages their stock and whether they are capable of fulfilling bulk orders so that the buyers' businesses are not interrupted.

How to Use Prilled Ammonium Nitrate

Prilled AN, owing to its high solubility, is easily absorbed by crops, which explains its use by farmers in modern farming for fertilization. Because it contains over 30% nitrogen, it is a primary nutrient essential for plant growth. Below are the farming uses buyers can explore:

• Soil Application: Farmers regularly apply ammonium nitrate to farmland to provide nitrogen directly to crops. Most farmers apply the fertilizer using a spreader truck that drives around the farm without stopping while it distributes the fertilizer onto the crop. However, some farmers use high-speed farming machines that combine tilling, seeding, and fertilizing in one pass to minimize farming time and costs.
• Foliar Fertilization: Besides applying AN to the soil, some farmers apply it directly to the leaves to deliver nutrients faster, particularly for crops that require immediate nitrogen supplementation. In this case, the prilled ammonium nitrate is mixed with water to form a solution, which is then sprayed onto the leaves using a sprayer. Most buyers who farm crops that respond quickly to fertilization typically consider this method.
• Switching to AN: Farmers in southern Africa who use urea or other nitrogen fertilizers that contribute to soil acidification can switch to prilled AN to mitigate the negative environmental effects of farming.

Industrial Uses

Buyers who intend to use ammonium nitrate for industrial uses should ensure they buy only large quantities suitable for intensive applications. Below are uses to consider when purchasing:

• Mining: In open-pit mining and underground hard rock mining, companies use ammonium nitrate mixed with fuel oil (ANFO) to do blasting. The chemical explosive takes advantage of the high density and solubility of prilled AN to attain stability during storage. Some quarries also spray a cement-like solution on top of blasted rocks to reduce dust and toxic fumes. Known as shotcrete, the sprayed cement also contains AN to improve its tensile strength and reduce the time spent on backfilling.
• Geophysical Studies and Drilling Operations in Oil Fields: Mining and drilling companies also use AN with dyes, such as red iron oxide, to create slurry explosives with excellent viscosity properties, especially in wet mining or drilling environments. The AN in the slurry acts as a standoff and helps the explosive travel further and more accurately by forming a barrier between the rock and the drill bit. This reduces the amount of explosive needed and increases the efficiency of drilling and blasting in geophysical exploration for oil and gas to minimize environmental impact.

Benefits of Prilled Ammonium Nitrate

Nitrogen Source for Crop Growth and Soil Health

Ammonium nitrate prills are one of the finest granulated nitrogen fertilizer sources that help boost soil fertility for robust crop growth. Since the nitrogen is readily available, crops can easily absorb it to synthesize chlorophyll, amino acids, and proteins essential for photosynthesis and cell structure. This makes farmers consider it the best fertilizer for improving crop yields and quality, especially for nitrogen-loving crops such as corn, wheat, and rice.

Enhanced Explosives Performance

Mining and construction companies use ammonium nitrate to manufacture high-performance explosives such as ANFO and emulsion explosives. Its stability, density, and energy make it a great component for blasting applications in mining, excavation, and quarrying. AN enhances the energy output of the explosive and improves its effectiveness in breaking hard rock. Also, because of its solubility and excellent prilling, it ensures even distribution in explosive mixtures for better blasting control.

Easy Handling and Application

The prilled or granulated form of ammonium nitrate gives it a large and uniform size, with excellent flow properties that make it easy to handle, transport, and store. AN prills are dust-free, non-caking, and free-flowing granules suitable for use with mechanical spreaders. Farmers are able to apply them evenly across large farmlands with less wastage. Also, because they are practically safe to handle, they have been considered the standard in creating AN-based explosives that miners and construction workers use.

Environmental Consideration

Ammonium nitrate prills contain no harmful heavy metals, such as mercury or lead, which may cause environmental pollution when they diffuse into soils and groundwater. Also, farmers prefer it over urea and other nitrogen fertilizers that contribute to soil acidification. Besides, mining and drilling companies use AN for slurry and other explosive formulations to reduce particulate matter and dust generation, which are major contributors to air pollution in mining areas. The chemical explosion fragmentation also reduces the need for backfilling and secondary crushing, further minimizing energy consumption and emissions.

Cost-Effectiveness

Ammonium nitrate is the cheapest fertilizer source of nitrogen that farmers can purchase to improve soil fertility and crop yield. Because of its availability in large quantities, it is also one of the most affordable raw materials for explosives manufacturers. Its high energy and explosive power make it one of the most economical options for blasting applications.

Q&A

Which quality standards should ammonium nitrate fertilizers meet

To ensure consistent quality and safety, ammonium nitrate fertilizers should meet established regulatory standards like ISO and EN standards. In the US, the EPA regulates the production and use of AN fertilizers by setting safety and environmental protection standards and the FDA to ensure it meets food fertilizer standards.

What are some telltale signs of poor quality ammonium nitrate

Low-quality fertilizers will have reddish-brown prills because of high impurities like dust and pollutants such as iron oxide. The prills will also have uneven grain sizes, with some grains being too fine or too large, which cause them to cake rather than flow freely. Other than being hard to spread, low-quality AN has low dissolution rates, meaning they won't dissolve readily in water to make the nitrogen available to crops. Additionally, the poor quality AN will leave residues in moist soils and water that are harmful to plants and pollution.

Can ammonium nitrate fertilizers affect health?

Users who have to handle the nitrogen fertilizer without protecting their skin may experience skin irritation. Also, if ammonium nitrate fertilizer dust is inhaled, it may cause irritation in the respiratory tract or lead to coughing. However, the most health hazard associated with AN is its potential to explode and cause mass destruction when it is mixed with wrong items, such as liquid ammonia, and left open for a long time. This typically happens in warehouses, agricultural farms, mining, and construction sites with poor or no explosive and fertilizer handling records.

Is ammonium nitrate fertilizer good for the environment?

No, ammonium nitrate fertilizer is not good for the environment. It accounts for over 30% of nitrogen fertilizer applications that farmers use to stimulate crops. When the nitrogen escapes into the atmosphere or flows into water bodies, it contributes to pollution and environmental hazards, such as algal blooms that cause aquatic ecosystems to collapse. Other than pesticides and herbicides, AM contributes to nitrate pollution, which causes adverse public health outcomes such as blue baby syndrome and gastrointestinal cancer.

Does prilled ammonium nitrate expire?

Since AN is a synthetic chemical compound, it does not have an expiration date. However, the quality will change over time depending on the Bayer's storage conditions. Since prilled ammonia has high surface area exposure, it is highly susceptible to caking, especially when humid or when poorly stored.