Nitrogen fertilizer production

Figure 3.1. Nitrogen fertilizer production - 1980/81 1999/2000. (Reproduced by permission of International Fertilizer Industry Association)...

In the mid-1990 s the ammonia industry accounted for about 5% of the worldwide natural gas consumption. For economic and environmental reasons, natural gas is the feedstock of choice. However, processes for ammonia production can use a wide range of energy sources. For example, in 2001 60% of China s nitrogen fertilizer production was based on coal. In 2002 natural gas is the most economic feedstock for the production of ammonia as shown in Table 6.736. 

Anhydrous ammonia was produced in about 80 countries in 2001. About 85 percent is used for nitrogen fertilizer production, including about 4 percent that is directly applied to the fields.36,153. In the United States the distribution of ammonia use differs slightly from the worldwide uses. In the United States only 80 percent of the ammonia is used to make fertilizers. Chemical intermediates account for 19 percent of the ammonia use and the remaining 1 percent is used in pulp and paper, metals, and refrigeration applications.37... 

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-... 

Ruskam, R.P. (1978) Prilling versus granulation for nitrogen fertilizer production. Chemical Engineering, 1 June, 114-118. 

Projected increases in nitrogen fertilizer production capacity by region are discussed in Chapter 4 of this manual. Most expansions will occur in Asia and Latin America North America, Eastern Europe, and Oceania will see little change in ce acity, whereas Eurasia and Western Europe are expected to reduce capacities by small amounts. 

Ammonia is a baac bi cfing block for most nitrogen fertilizers with the exception of some naturally occur-rir nitrates. In ammonia manufacture, nitrogen is actually fixed from the earth s atmosphere. At about 78%, nitrogen is the most common gas in the earth s atmosphere. The amount of nitrogen in the earth s atmosphere is not considered a limiting factor in nitrogen fertilizer production. 

Based Nitrogenous Fertilizer Production, TVA Symposium Ammonia from Coal, Muscle Shoals, AL, U.S.A. 

Ibid., Minutes of BASF negotiations in the finance ministry for a governmental loan to increase nitrogenous fertilizer production, 5 Dec 1914 ArBASF, T14/1, BASF to Haber, 2 Dec 1914. 

R. W. Trehame, D. R. Moles, M. R. Bruce, C. K. McKibben, and B. K. Rein, Nitrogen fertilizer production by solar energy, Proc. Int. Solar Energy Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia (1979). An alternative approach has recently been described in the New York Times Wednesday, August 26, 1987, page D6. 

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