Everything about The Nitrophosphate Process totally explained
The
nitrophosphate process (also known as the
Odda process) was a method for the industrial production of
nitrogen fertilizers invented by Erling Johnson in the city of
Odda, Norway around
1927.
The process involves acidifying
phosphate rock with
nitric acid to produce a mixture of
phosphoric acid and
calcium nitrate.
» Ca
3(PO
4)
2 + 6 HNO
3 + 12 H
2O → 2 H
3PO
4 + 3 Ca(NO
3)
2 + 12 H
2O
The mixture is cooled to below 0 degrees Celsius, where the calcium nitrate crystalises and can be separated from the phosphoric acid.
» 2 H
3PO
4 + 3 Ca(NO
3)
2 + 12 H
2O → 2 H
3PO
4 + 3 Ca(NO
3)
2.4H
2O
The resulting calcium nitrate produces nitrogen fertilizer. The filtrate is composed mainly of phosphoric acid with some nitric acid and traces of calcium nitrate, and this is neutralized with
ammonia to produce a compound fertilizer.
» Ca(NO
3)
2 + 4 H
3PO
4 + 8 NH
3 → CaHPO
4 + 2 NH
4NO
3 + 3(NH
4)
2HPO
4
If
potassium chloride or
potassium sulfate is added, the result will be NPK fertilizer. The process was an innovation for requiring neither the expensive
sulfuric acid nor producing
gypsum waste.
The calcium nitrate mentioned before, can as said be worked up as calcium nitrate fertilizer but often it's converted into
ammonium nitrate and
calcium carbonate using
carbon dioxide and ammonia.
» Ca(NO
3)
2 + 2 NH
3 + CO
2 + H
2O → 2 NH
4NO
3 + CaCO
3
Both products can be worked up together as straight nitrogen fertilizer.
Although Johnson created the process while working for the Odda Smelteverk, his company never employed it. Instead, it licensed the process to
Norsk Hydro,
BASF,
Hoechst, and DSM. Each of these companies used the process, introduced variations, and licensed it to other companies. Today, only
Yara (Norsk Hydro), BASF, AgroLinz, and GNFC still use the Odda process. Due to the alterations of the process by the various companies who employed it, the process is now generally referred to as the nitrophosphate process.
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