Process for preparing thermally stable ammonium nitrate-containing granules of high bulk density
AssigneeUnie van Kunstmestfabrieken B.V.
InventorsStanislaus M. P. Mutsers, Cornelis Hoek, Gerardus M. C. Wagemans
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Abstract
A process for preparing thermally stable ammonium nitrate-containing granules having high bulk density, high impact resistance, high crushing resistance, and little or no tendency to cake by spraying a liquid composition containing at most 15% by weight water, a stabilization agent, ammonium nitrate and other components into a fluidized bed of ammonium nitrate seed particles thereby forming granules and recovering the thus formed ammonium nitrate-containing granulated product.
Claims12
A process for preparing thermally stable ammonium nitrate-containing granules of high bulk density from a composition containing a stabilization agent and ammonium nitrate, comprising the combination of steps of:
- (a) forming a fluidized bed of ammonium nitrate seeds kept separated from each other while being contacted by and suspended within a gas current, said fluidized bed being fluidized with air flowing through said bed from bottom to top at a superficial velocity about twice the minimum fluidizaton velocity;
- (b) spraying a liquid composition composed of ammonium nitrate and containing:
- (i) at most about 15% by weight water,
- (ii) about 0.3% to about 3.5% by weight calcium nitrate, and
- (iii) about 0.5% to about 5.0% by weight of a thermal stabilization agent wherein said stabilization agent is a finely divided silica-containing material which is insoluble in and chemically inert to ammonium nitrate
- into said seed bed while said bed is maintained at a temperature of between about 95.degree. C. to about 145.degree. C. whereby granules are thereby formed and then discharged from said seed bed;
- and
- (c) recovering and rapidly cooling the thus formed granules discharged from said seed bed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.