Ammonium nitrate consumption

Materials consumed as nitrogen fertilizer in the United States are given in Table 28.2, for the years 1965, 1970, 1977, and 1990. Ammonia consumption, both by direct application and in solution, shows some decrease. Urea continues to be of interest because of its high nitrogen content (i.e., 46.7% N vs. 35% N for ammonium nitrate). Consumption of ammonium sulfate continues to decrease because it is a by-product and contains only 21.2 percent nitrogen. 

Ammonium nitrate-based explosives account for about 97% of total U.S. industrial explosive consumption. Coal mining in the United States formed about 65—68% of the demand for explosives in 1991. The remaining uses were quarrying and nonmetal mining, 15% metal mining, 10% constmction, 7% miscellaneous uses, 3—4%. The properties of ammonium nitrate are given in Table 18 (173,239—242). 

Economic Aspects and Uses. Before World War II most ammonium nitrate was used as an ingredient in high explosives. Subsequently its use as a fertilizer grew rapidly, absorbing about 90% of production in 1975. Consumption of ammonium nitrate for all uses peaked in the United States in 1981 at 8.95 million metric tons in 1986, apparent consumption dropped to only 6.31 million metric tons, of which 75% was used as fertilizer. By 1990, consumption had risen slightly to 6.64 million metric tons total annual U.S. capacity in 1990 was 7.77 million metric tons. World ammonium nitrate capacity in 1985 was about 66 million metric tons, whereas reported consumption was about 44 million metric tons. 

A small but important use of ammonium nitrate is in the production of nitrous oxide during the 1980s consumption for this purpose averaged about 30,000 t. The gas is generated by controlled heating of ammonium nitrate above 200°C. Nitrous oxide is used primarily as an anesthetic and as an aerosol propellant for food products (see Anesthetics Aerosols). 

Nitrous gases originating from the combustion units in nitric acid plants carry small amounts of unreacted ammonia, NH3. The ammonia may react with the nitrous gas to form microscopic particles of ammonium nitrate that adhere to solid surfaces. Within a short time, there is a growing layer of ammonium nitrate salt covering the internal surface of the nitrous gas compressor (Figure 4-27). This layer can obstruct the flow passages because it tends to increase the power consumption, provoke excessive vibrations, and even present a safety hazard since ammonium nitrate explosions can occur. 

Ammonia synthesis is the second largest chemical process, after the production of sulfuric acid (see also Chapter 1). It accounts for about 1 % of the total human-related energy consumption. Roughly 80 % of the ammonia produced is used for fertilizers (either as liquid ammonia or as more easily handled salts such as ammonium nitrate, ammonium phosphate, etc.) and, as such, ammonia synthesis is indispensable for our society. Other applications of ammonia are nitrogen-containing... 

Large quantities of explosives are used every year. In the United States, for example, the annual consumption exceeds over 2 million tonnes. Most are used for commercial purposes and are ammonium nitrate-based formulations. There are less than a dozen chemical explosives that are manufactured in bulk quantities, and most of these were discovered in the 50-year period between 1850 and 1900. New explosives have been synthesized but optimization of the formulations takes decades and is very expensive. Consequently, any new material has to offer very significant advantages, either in terms of unique performance for military applications or in terms of cost and safety for commercial applications. 

The consumption of ammonium nitrate amounts to 1200 kg and of nitric acid to 1400 kg. 

Jus Agriculture Nitrogen Consumption Ammonium Nitrate Imports Ammonia Imports... 

The consumption of ureaform in the United States is approximately 75,000 tons/year, not including that formed in compound fertilizers from solutions. Most of the production goes into compound fertilizer for specialty uses, such as for lawns, flower gardens, and golf courses. The wholesale price of ureaform per unit of nitrogen is about three times that of urea, ammonium nitrate, or ammonium sulfate. 

Pure ammonium nitrate, ammonium nitrate-ammonium sulfate mixtures and calcium carbonate-ammonium nitrate mixtures (lime ammonium nitrate, calnitro , see Section 2.2.2.2) belong to this substance class. The worldwide production of these materials in 1995 was 15.5 10 t. In total nitrogen fertilizer production there is a shift to urea, which has a higher nitrogen content and can be inexpensively produced. The total consumption of ammoni-... 

The consumption in the USA in 1996 was 3.83 10 t N, of which 83% was used in fertilizers. Half of the consumption in fertilizers was utilized in liquid fertilizers e.g. in urea-ammonium nitrate. solutions, the rest being used in solid fertilizers. 7% of urea was utilized for animal nutrition and 6% for urea-formaldehyde resins, glues and melamine. In the period between 1984 and 1996 there was a reduction in urea capacity in Western Europe of 39% to 2.5 10 t/a N (Table 2.2-7). 

The official statistics annual for Norwegian industry 61) gives general statistics for the different branches of the industry and detailed tables of output of products which include figures for the consumption of individual raw materials and auxiliary materials in the various industries. Figures are available for paints and lacquers (separate products), dry colors, tars, pharmaceuticals, polishes, baking powders, flavors, superphosphate, calcium nitrate, sodium bicarbonate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium bicarbonate, lime-ammonium nitrate, sodium nitrate, ammonia, sodium carbonate, nitric acid, carbide, cyanamide, explosives, ammunition and matches, and chemical pulps (separate products). 

Purified surplus explosive can undergo large-scale commercial reuse in slurry explosives. Slurry explosives are a saturated aqueous solution of water-soluble oxidizer, which carries particles of oxidizer and sensitizing "fuel" in suspension. The most common oxidizer is ammonium nitrate, and the most common sensitizer is aluminum powder. Sodium nitrate, sodium perchlorate, and sodium chlorate are possible alternative oxidizers. Patent literature shows that munition explosives such as TNT, tetryl, HMX, RDX, and NG are used as sensitizers in slurry explosives. The reported consumption of slurry explosives is hundreds of millions of pounds annually. 

Authority (also see Nelson, 1965, for discussion of these data). There has been a rapid increase in the use of anhydrous ammonia and a moderate increase in the consumption of ammonium nitrate and nitrogen solutions. These three nitrogen sources represent the bulk of the nitrogen used. The older sources, such as ammonium sulfate and sodium nitrate, have now become comparatively minor nitrogen sources. 

Two further attempts have been made to establish the arc process in the United States. In 913, the Southern Electro-Chemical Company, a subsidiary af the Snuthern Power Company, incorporated under the laws of the State of New York, erected a plant at Nitrolec, South Carnliini, This plant employed the Panllng furnace and was ec[ui[ipi d for nitric acid cnnceiitratiim and ammonium nitrate production. The plant as enlarged in 1915 was of a capacily to utilize some 7,000 electrical horsepower. Tts totid consumption for tVie mouth iif March 1915, the hest perind id operation, was at tlie rate iif less than half that amount, however. 

The ozonation can be successfully employed as a method for cleaning the waste water from the manufacture of ammonium nitrate containing CN , S , CSN ions. The purification level is 83, 98 and 95% respectively at O3 consumption of 0.7 g/l/g water for 10 min contact. 

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