Overview of Efficient Manufacturing Processes

Keywords: Production efficiency, Fertiliser manufacturing, Fertiliser acids.

This paper is concerned with the environmental issues which arise from the production of chemical fertilisers. It is based on a work by one of the authors for UNIDO/ World Bank, whose permission to use the data is gratefully acknowledged.

In a paper of this length it is only possible to present an over-view of the subject. Attention is drawn to an initiative of the European Fertiliser Manufacturers Association (EFMA) in which the Best Available Techniques (BAT) for the various types of plant will be discussed in detail in a series of booklets. This paper draws upon some of the preliminary work; the final booklets will be published in 1994 and will be launched at the April meeting of the Fertiliser Society, together with a paper which will detail the legislative requirements of different countries.

An over view is provided in which the main links between the different processes is shown. The paper will assume that the reader has a broad knowledge of the industry. For an introduction to the processes appropriate references are provided in each section, general books which should be of use to those who are new to the industry are mentioned.

G D France, Hydro Agri, Immingham, UK.

D C Thompson, ICI Fertilizers, Wilton, UK.

47 pages, 13 figures, 2 tables, 18 references.