Phase Stabilisation of Ammonium Nitrate Fertilisers

Keywords: Ammonium nitrate, Thermal cycling, Fertiliser safety, Product stewardship, Fertiliser storage, Fertiliser transport.

Ammonium nitrate is well studied, but not well known. The accidents that have occurred after 2000 have increased the pressure on AN as a product. On the other hand, it’s superior performance in plant nutrition increases the pressure to maintain it for agricultural uses. The safety characteristics of a product during its lifecycle are important. This requires the use of stabilisers.

The main stabilisers were developed in the 1950s and 1960s. The majority of the AN produced is stabilised with magnesium nitrate, even though there are a number of other alternatives. The CAN type products are not widely stabilised. The potential additives for such a product are much more limited than they are for AN.

This paper is intended to give an overview on the stabilisation of ammonium nitrate The paper presents the characteristics of phase transitions and their effects on a manufacturing process. Different inorganic and organic stabilisers and their modes of action are described by summarising the main inventions. Examples of typical results are included to provide a reference for the development of new types of additives.

Harri Kiiski, Phil. Lic., Kemira GrowHow Oy, Helsinki, Finland.

59 pages, 29 figures, 5 tables, 194 references.