Ammonium sulfate, production

The trend in nitrogen product production generally parallels the changes in product capacity. However, ammonium sulfate production is expected to rise as world industrial production increases, even though a significant increase in capacity is not likely. Also, ammonium nitrate production is projected to be flat even though some new capacity will be built35. 

The future development of ammonium sulfate production depends strongly upon the situation regarding (textile-)fiber production. Ammonium sulfate production is growing more slowly than that of the other nitrogen fertilizers. 

Future development of ammonium sulfate production depends upon the development of the textile industry... 

DSM, working initially with DuPont and then later with Shell, have developed a process using butadiene and carbon monoxide feedstocks to make caprolactam without ammonium sulfate production in the mid-1990s. Called Altam, the process employs four steps - carbonylation, hydroformylation, reductive amination and cyclization. DSM claims cost reductions of 25-30%, simplified plant operations and lower energy consumption, but the process never reached commercial scale. 

Except in special cases, such as those described in sub-paragraphs 4, 5, and 6 above, crystallization is of primary importance in ammonium sulfate production. Fortunately, there are several pdblications reviewing the jfuudamentaLprocess.. ind design features that control crystal formation and influence plant performance [50,51,52,531. Some processes used to produce ammonium sulfate are described below. 

This type of crystallizer is generally known as the Krystal or Oslo" unit and was developed in Norway by Isaacssen and Jeremiassen [54]. Figure 8.21 illustrates disgrammatically the use of forced circulation in conjunction with this design of crystallizer for ammonium sulfate production. 

Figure 8.23. Gypsum Process of Ammonium Sulfate Production.

Occasionally, spent sulfuric acid from petroleum refineries, petrochemical plants, and soap factories can be used for ammonium sulfate production if impurities do not cause insurmountable frothing or corrosion problems or render the product unacceptable. If the acid is too badly contaminated, it may be more expedient to burn off the impurities in a specially designed furnace and to produce fresh acid for ammoniation. 

Ettle, G. W. 1949. Some Aspects of Ammonium Sulfate Production, Proceedings of the Fertiliser Society of London, No. 5, London, England. 

Process of ammonium sulfate production from coke-oven gas. 

Oppau did not produce any nitrogen fertilizer during the last year of World War I because all of its ammonia was used to synthesize HNO3 for Germany s munitions industry. Ammonium sulfate production at the plant resumed only in June 1919, and output reached almost 13,000 t during the remainder of the year, increasing to more than 92,000 t in 1920. On September 21, 1921, a major explosion of ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate stored in a silo destroyed a large part of the plant and killed 561 people in spite of this setback, that year s output of ammonium sulfate surpassed 190,000 t and in 1922 rose to 303,000 t. ... 

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