Ballestra S.p.A.
home »  Fertilizers »  AN and CAN

Ammonium Nitrate Production

TGAN and FGAN Solutions

Ammonium Nitrate Production

Ammonium nitrate is a key compound widely used in various industries, from agriculture to chemical manufacturing and civil engineering. AN is a fertilizer produced from Nitric acid (58-62% wt concentration) + ammonia (99% wt) as raw materials. They react into a reactor, where water is evaporated to produce LP steam which is used to preheat of the raw materials. The reactor can be atmospheric or operate under pressure. Then AN exits the reactor at 95-96% wt concentration and could be concentrated further as per the required process performances.
BALLESTRA offers in-house technology for the production of Technical Grade Ammonium Nitrate (TGAN) and Fertilizer Grade Ammonium Nitrate (FGAN).

These two grades serve distinct purposes—TGAN for use in explosives and chemical processes, and FGAN for high-quality fertilizers in agriculture.

Technical Grade Ammonium Nitrate (TGAN) Production

The production process for TGAN begins with the synthesis and concentration of ammonium nitrate to up to 96%. The concentrated ammonium nitrate is then sent to the top of a prilling tower. Here’s a breakdown of the process:

  • Prilling Process: Ammonium nitrate droplets are formed as the molten material is distributed through prilling nozzles over the tower. The droplets solidify as they fall through the tower, with the heat of crystallization being removed by countercurrent air. Fans installed at the top of the prilling tower assist in the air circulation.
  • Prill Collection: At the bottom of the prilling tower, the solidified prills are collected onto a belt conveyor, which transfers them via a lump grid to a bucket elevator.
  • Drying and Cooling: The prills are initially dried in a pre-dryer using co-current hot air. The dried prills are then sent to a countercurrent dryer for further drying. After drying, the prills enter a cooler where they are cooled using conditioned air.
  • Dust Treatment: The air from the prilling tower, pre-dryer, dryer, cooler, and other equipment is treated in a scrubber. The scrubber removes ammonium nitrate dust using a circulating ammonium nitrate solution and process condensate makeup.
  • Screening and Coating: The cooled product is screened and coated before being sent to storage for further use.

Fertilizer Grade Ammonium Nitrate (FGAN) Production
The process for FGAN production is similar to TGAN, but with several key differences to meet the requirements of high-quality fertilizer products:

  • Higher Concentration: Ammonium nitrate is concentrated to 99.5%, compared to 96% for TGAN, to ensure a higher nitrogen content in the final product.
  • Solidification is performed into a granulator. The product then goes into a homogenizer, where the fines recovered from the granulator are mixed with the 99% wt liquid AN.
  • Bypass for Dual Production: If the same plant is used for both TGAN and FGAN production, a bypass is incorporated to switch between the two processes. The prilling devices are adjusted to match the specific size requirements of FGAN granules.

Characteristics of the Final Products

The final products, TGAN and FGAN, have different characteristics based on their intended applications.

CharacteristicTGANFGAN
Water content (%)0.10.3
Hardness (kg on average D50)0.91.5
Granulometry1mm < 90% < 2mm1mm < 90% < 4mm
Nitrogen content (%)34.834.5 (may be lower if fillers are used)
Fuel oil absorption (%)10 min.Not detonable as per EC 2019/1009
Bulk density (kg/m³)0.800.95

For more information

on how Ballestra technology can support your technical grade ammonium nitrate production or fertilizer grade ammonium nitrate production, contact our team

Contact us Ballestra S.p.A.