Fertilizer Plants

Washington State Air Toxic Sources and Emission Estimation Methods 7.1
Fertilizer Plants
Fertilizer is used to amend soils to promote the growth of desirable plants. The main components
of fertilizer are nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. There are other elements, such as iron and
sulfur, that are important to the vigorous growth of plants but they are needed in much lower
concentrations and are generally available in the native soil. In Washington, chemical fertilizers
are produced by a combination of large fixed facilities. They produce nitric acid and ammonia to
react with each other, with phosphates, and with other elements and smaller mobile facilities that
generate ammonium phosphate. There are also a limited number of facilities that process metal
fume to produce blends of trace elements of soil amendments.
There are four distinct types of fertilizers:
v ammonium nitrate
v normal superphosphate
v triple superphosphate (TSP):
Run Of the Pile (ROP)
Granular Triple Superphosphate (GTSP)
v ammonium phosphate
Phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) is used to measure the phosphorous content of fertilizer.
In Washington, there are approximately 14 facilities that fall under SIC code 2873 Nitrogenous
Fertilizers and 2 facilities that fall under SIC code 2874 Phosphate Fertilizers (Ecology, 1/20/98).
In 1996 the 54th Legislature passed Substitute House Bill 2338 on March 1, 1996. Chapter 70.94
RCW will be amended to state that the Department of Ecology will not regulate ammonia
emissions resulting from the storage, distribution, transportation, or application of ammonia for
use as an agricultural fertilizer. Manufacturing of ammonia based products are still subject to
regulation.
Description of Process
Ammonium Nitrate Fertilizer
Approximately 60 percent of the ammonium nitrate produced in the U.S. is sold as a solid
product. To produce a solid product, the ammonium nitrate solution is concentrated in an
evaporator or concentrator. The resulting "melt" contains about 95 to 99.8 percent ammonium
nitrate at approximately 300F. This melt is then used to make solid ammonium nitrate products.
The manufacture of ammonium nitrate involves several unit operations including solution
formation and concentration; solids formation, finishing, screening and coating; and product
bagging and/or bulk shipping. All ammonium nitrate plants produce an aqueous ammonium
nitrate solution through the reaction of ammonia and nitric acid in a neutralizer. In some cases,
solutions may be blended for marketing as liquid fertilizers.
Fertilizer Plants
7-2 Washington State Air Toxic Sources and Emission Estimation Methods
The number of operating steps employed depends on the end product desired. For example,
plants producing ammonium nitrate solutions alone use only the solution formation, solution
blending and bulk shipping operations. Plants producing a solid ammonium nitrate product may
employ all of the operations. (AP-42
1
, Section 8.3)
There are several 10-34-0 (10% nitrogen, 34% phosphorus pentoxide and 0% potassium)
granulators and generators in this state. They include portable and permanent generators.
Normal Superphosphate Fertilizer
Normal superphosphate fertilizer contains between 15 and 21 percent P
2
O
5
. It is manufactured by
reacting ground phosphate rock with 65 to 75 percent sulfuric acid. This is described by the
following equation: (U.S. EPA, May 1979)
[Ca
3
(PO
4
)
2
]
3
CaF
2
+ 7H
2
SO
4
+ 3H
2
O 3[CaH
4
(PO
4
)
2
.H
2
O] + 7CaSO
4
+ 2HF
Fluorapate (phosphate rock) + sulfuric acid + water mono-calcium phosphate monohydrate +
calcium sulfate + hydrogen fluoride
Chapter 40 C.F.R., Part 60, Subpart U regulates the standards of performance for the phosphate
fertilizer industry. The Standard Industrial Code (SIC) for normal superphosphate fertilizer is
2874.
Triple Superphosphate Fertilizer
Triple superphosphate fertilizer contains greater than 40 percent P
2
O
5
. There are two processes
Run Of the Pile Triple Superphospate (ROP-TSP) and Granular Triple Superphosphate (GTSP).
Chapter 40 C.F.R., Part 60, Subpart W regulates the superphosphoric acid plants.
Ammonium Phosphate Fertilizer
Ammonium phosphate fertilizer is either in granular or liquid form. Granular ammonium
phosphate (NH
4
H
2
PO
4
) is produced by reacting phosphoric acid (H
3
PO
4
) with anhydrous
ammonia (NH
3
). Ammoniated superphosphates are produced by adding normal superphosphate
or triple superphosphate to the mixture. (AP-42, Section 8.5)
For liquid 10-34-0 fertilizer production, ammonia and superphosphoric acid are reacted in an
inverted U-tube reactor creating temperatures in excess of 600
o
F. Water is added and the product
is cooled and stored prior to application. (Ryan, June 18, 1992) For portable units, the stack is
limited to 13.5 feet so that it may travel under bridges and overpasses.

1
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Compilation of Air Pollutant Emissions Factors Volume 1: Stationary
Point and Area Sources, Fifth Edition with Supplements, October 1997, Document No. AP-42.
Fertilizer Plants
Washington State Air Toxic Sources and Emission Estimation Methods 7.3
Methods of Determining Emissions
EPAs SPECIATE database has identified the following toxic pollutant emissions from normal
superphosphate and triple superphosphate production: hexane, methyl alcohol, formaldehyde,
methyl ethyl ketone, benzene, toluene, and styrene (AP-42).
Several stack test for toxic emissions have been performed in the U.S., please see references for
details.
Emissions factors are available in AP-42 for particulate matter. There are also emissions factors
for ammonia for ammonium nitrate production, and for fluoride and ammonia for ammonium
phosphate production.
Fertilizer Plants
7-4 Washington State Air Toxic Sources and Emission Estimation Methods
References
Centex/Land O'Lakes Agronomy Company, Letter Report to Greg Ryan transmitting the
Emissions and Compliance Study, July 27, 1994.
Johnson, Karl T., Letter to Mr. Chris Myrick discussing states regulatory levels, The Fertilizer
Institute, January 12, 1993.
NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Services Center for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health, September 1985, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. 20402.
Ryan, Greg, Memo to Myron Saikewicz on 10-34-0 Fertilizer Plants, Washington State
Department of Ecology, June 18, 1992.
Tennessee Valley Authority, Production of Ammonium Polyphosphate Solutions from Wet-
Process Superphosphoric Acid, March 21, 1974, TV40218A, El Dorado, Kansas.
Tennessee Valley Authority, Results of Stack Gas Sampling for Mears Fertilizer Company, Inc,
September 9-10, 1991. Chemical Development Department, National Fertilizer and
Environmental Research Center, Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Source Assessment: Phosphate Fertilizer Industry, May
1979, EPA-600/2-79-019C. Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, NC.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Compilation of Air Pollutant Emissions Factors Volume
1: Stationary Point and Area Sources, Fifth Edition with Supplements, , January 1995, Document
No. AP-42. (Section 8.3 Ammonium Nitrate, Section 8.5, Phosphate Fertilizers, July 1993).
(available by section on Internet at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/ap42.html)
Washington State Department of Ecology, Facility/Site on the Web, accessed 1/20/98.
(http://www.wa.gov/ecology/iss/fsweb/fshome.html)