Ammonium nitrate is a chemical compound with different applications in various industries. It is a popular fertilizer in Agriculture. commercial grade Ammonium nitrate contains about 33.5 per cent nitrogen; it is the most common nitrogenous component of artificial fertilizers.
Global agriculture activities and rising demand for Ammonium nitrate lead to the growth of the Ammonium nitrate market at a CAGR of at least 5% over the next ten years.
What is Ammonium nitrate fertilizer?
Ammonium nitrate is a popular fertilizer since it is an exceptional source of nitrogen. It is produced to use on a large scale because it contains both nitrate and ammonium. Plus, it has a relatively high nutrient content. The nitrate form moves with soil water to the roots and is immediately available for plant uptake. The ammonium fraction is taken up by roots or gradually converted to nitrate by soil microorganisms.
Ammonium nitrate-based fertilizers are uniform mixtures containing ammonium nitrate as the main ingredient within the following compositions:
- Ammonium nitrate fertilizer with up to 70% ammonium nitrate mixed with other inorganic materials.
- Ammonium nitrate fertilizer with up to 80% ammonium nitrate mixed with calcium carbonate and/or mineral calcium sulphate.
- Ammonium nitrate fertilizer with up to 45% ammonium nitrate mixed with ammonium sulphate.
- Ammonium nitrate fertilizer with up to 70% ammonium nitrate and up to 0.4% total combustible organic materials.
Ammonium nitrate fertilizer advantages
Ammonium nitrate fertilizer is an exceptional source of nitrogen for plants. Some of the Ammonium nitrate fertilizer advantages include:
- Ammonium nitrate fertilizers produce less greenhouse gas emissions than other fertilizers.
- Half of the nitrogen in Ammonium nitrate fertilizer is quick-release nitrogen which is immediately available to the plants.
- The other half is slow-release nitrogen to provide an effective balance in plant nutrition.
- Ammonium nitrate fertilizers are less susceptible to volatilization losses than urea-based fertilizers when left on the soil surface.
Why is Ammonium nitrate suitable to be used as a fertilizer?
Ammonium nitrate fertilizer is preferred due to its nitrogen content. Although nitrogen is naturally found in the soil and the atmosphere, the form in which nitrogen is absorbed by the plant is very specific. An Ammonium nitrate fertilizer can deliver in this area. Ammonium nitrate has a chemical formula NH4NO3. The forms that plants can absorb nitrogen are NO3 and NH4. So, this compound is easily absorbed by the plant.
Ammonium nitrate fertilizer production
Ammonium nitrate solution is produced by neutralizing ammonia with nitric acid under reliable conditions. Then, the concentrated ammonium nitrate solution is fed to a tower and solidified. granular ammonium nitrate is produced by spraying the concentrated solution onto small granules in a rotating drum. Low-density prills are preferred for industrial use, while high-density prills are used as fertilizer.
Sometimes small quantities of carbonate minerals are added before solidifying, to eliminate Ammonium nitrate’s explosive properties.
There are two main types of Ammonium nitrate fertilizers:
Straight nitrogen fertilizers
This type of fertilizer contains only nitrogen as the principal plant nutrient. Typical products are Ammonium Nitrate (AN) and Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) (mixtures of Ammonium Nitrate and calcium carbonate).
Compound fertilizers
This type of fertilizer in addition to nitrogen, contains at least other nutrients such as phosphate.
What is Calcium Ammonium nitrate fertilizer?
Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) is a fertilizer with a nitrogen content of 25 – 28%. CAN fertilizer can be applied to supply nitrogen for any plant. Calcium has different advantages for the plant as well as for the soil. It increases plant size and protects them from developing deformed leaves and buds. additionally, it helps farmers in protecting their soils due to calcium being an effective soil pH regulator.
FAQ
What is Ammonium nitrate fertilizer?
Ammonium nitrate is a popular fertilizer since it provides half of the Nitrogen in the nitrate form and half in the ammonium form. The nitrate form moves readily with soil water to the roots, where it’s immediately available for plant uptake. The ammonium fraction is taken up by roots or gradually converted to nitrate by soil microorganisms.
What is the difference between urea and Ammonium nitrate fertilizer?
Ammonium nitrate fertilizer is less concentrated than urea, Ammonium nitrate’s advantage in comparison with urea is that it is more stable and does not rapidly lose nitrogen to the atmosphere.
Is Ammonium nitrate fertilizer better or urea?
Ammonium nitrate and urea both contain nitrogen but in different forms. Since Ammonium nitrate has nitrate in it already, plants get nitrogen from it a bit faster than urea.
What are the disadvantages of Ammonium nitrate fertilizer?
Under normal handling conditions, Ammonium nitrate is not harmful. However, inhalation of high concentrations of Ammonium nitrate dust can cause respiratory tract irritation. Symptoms may include coughing, sore throat, and shortness of breath.
Is Ammonium Nitrate safe in fertilizer?
Due to the possibility of an explosion, Ammonium nitrate fertilizer should be kept out of closed spaces. Plus, this product may be hazardous to water quality.
What is the price of Ammonium nitrate fertilizer?
ArChem Ammonium nitrate can be purchased in a variety of volumes. Depending on your orders, Prices are different. for more information about Ammonium nitrate price, please contact our technical sales team in ArChem.