Fertilizer Grade Ammonium

Refs 1) P.F. Macy et al, "Investigation of Sensitivity of Fertilizer Grade Ammonium Nitrate to Explosion , PicArsn SFALTech-Rept 1658(1947) 2) E. Harvey et al, JACS... 

The Capital Chemist, March 1966, p 71 22) Anon, "Fertilizer-Grade Ammonium Nitrate (Gave no detonation when burned alone but detonated when mixed with com-... 

Fires and Explosions of Ammonium Nitrate, Including FGAN (Fertilizer Grade Ammonium Nitrate). See Vol 1 of EnCycl, pp A357-L... 

It is advisable to use ammonium nitrate with as little as possible of the inert material usually added to ammonium nitrate to prevent its caking. According to the same source, the quantity of inert material should not exceed 0.4% of NH4N03 (fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate usually contains 2-5% added matter). 

Urider Preparation of Fertilizer Grade Ammonium Nitrate. This process has not been used for making ammonium nitrate fertilizer since 1948, as mentioned above... 

FGAN fertilizer grade ammonium FM fulminate of mercuryfsee MF)... 

It has been suggested by Lee and Akre [40] that fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate containing inert-coating and fuel oil can be used as a blasting explosive. Indeed it became a useful explosive in open pit blasting. This is described in detail in Vol. III. 

Fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate prilled with fuel oil is generally used in the U.S.A. for making explosives other than permitted types (see Vol. HI). 

This explosives manufacture is simple. The fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate is powdered with a mortar pestle or ground in a similar manner. This should be done until the consistancy of face powder is obtained. This powdering can also be accomplished by dissolving the AN prills in boiling water (30% water, 70% AN). This liquor might need to be gently heated to get the AN to completely dissolve. This should be done in a pyrex or preferably stainless steel container. 

The copper-free solution containing nickel, cobalt, ammonium sulfate, ammonium sulfamate, and some unsaturated sulfur compounds imdergoes an oxidation-hydrolysis step in an autoclave at 460°F under an air pressure of 600 psig. The unsaturated sulfur compounds are oxidized and sulfamate is hydrolyzed to sulfate. This step prevents the contamination of the fertilizer-grade ammonium sulfate with ammonium sulfamate and of the nickel with sulfur. The oxydrolyzed solution containing about 45 gm/liter Ni, 1 gm/liter Co, and 350 gm/liter (NH4)4S04 is ready for batchwise nickel recovery. 

The metal-free solution is evaporated to leave behind fertilizer grade ammonium sulfate crystals with a water-soluble nitrogen content of 21% and a sulfur content of 24%. 

Put several pounds of fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate in a pan. Pour in enough wood alcohol (methanol) to cover the fertilizer. Then stir it until a lot of it has dissolved. Next, let it set a few minutes to allow the impurities to settle to the bottom along with the undissolved ammonium nitrate. 

---