TVA Fertilizer Research

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Browsing TVA Fertilizer Research by Subject "Fertilizers"

Now showing 1 - 16 of 16
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    Ammonium Polyphosphate Fluid Fertilizers Made from Merchant-Grade Orthophosphoric Acid
    Achorn, Frank P.; Mann, Horace C.; McGill, Kenneth E.
    This article discusses developing and producing ammonium polyphosphate (APP) fluid fertilizers using merchant-grade orthophosphoric acid. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) developed an energy-efficient process to produce these fertilizers, which can be stored, shipped, and marketed throughout the United States. The APP fluid contains polyphosphate, allowing it to be stored at low temperatures without freezing. A demonstration-scale plant was built, and approximately 10,000 tons of 9-32-0 grade APP suspension were produced and distributed to distributors in 13 states. The article describes the process flow, chemical and physical properties of the fertilizers, their uses in mixed-grade suspensions, and storage recommendations. The operating procedures, equipment, and polyphosphate content variables are also discussed. The findings indicate that APP fluid fertilizers offer a cost-effective alternative to suspension fertilizers, particularly in regions with sub-zero temperatures.
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    Cost Comparison between Clear Liquids and Suspensions Fertilizers
    (1980-09-12) Achorn, Frank P.
    The study compares the costs of producing and using clear liquid and suspension fertilizers. The authors address the potential cost savings of using suspension fertilizers due to their ability to be made in higher-analysis grades. The analysis considers factors such as raw material costs, investment costs, fixed and operating costs, transportation costs, application costs, and the cost of refilling nurse tanks and applicators. The study concludes that in most instances, the total cost of producing, transporting, and applying suspension fertilizers is lower than that of clear liquid fertilizers. The cost difference ranges from significant savings for certain ratios to minimal savings for others. While suspensions offer economic advantages, they require more complexity in handling and storage. The authors recommend employing personnel experienced in the mixing and applying fluid fertilizers for marketing suspension fertilizers. Additionally, precautions should be taken to agitate suspension mixtures in storage. The study notes that suspensions are particularly beneficial for operators facing challenges meeting sales requirements during the fertilizer season. Overall, the study highlights the economic desirability of using suspension fertilizers in most cases but emphasizes the need for expertise in their handling and storage.
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    Fertilizer Application Equipment
    Achorn, Frank P.; Ray Diamond
    This material provides an overview of fertilizer application equipment, specifically focusing on ground-operated dry fertilizer distributors. Different fertilizer application systems are discussed, including broadcast application equipment, spinner and boom-type spreaders, and full-width distributors. The material describes the features and mechanisms of these equipment types, highlighting their usage, design variations, and performance characteristics. Factors affecting distribution patterns, such as particle size, density, and segregation, are also discussed. The accuracy and variability of application rates for different feed mechanisms are examined, emphasizing the importance of considering fertilizer density in adjusting application rates. The document concludes with the findings of performance tests conducted on various distributors, indicating the variability in application rates across a hypothetical field.
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    Fluid Fertilizers
    (1986) Achorn, Frank P.
    This material summarizes the content of Chapter 6 on fluid fertilizers, focusing on the term "fluid fertilizer" and its various forms, such as anhydrous ammonia, aqua ammonia, nitrogen solutions, liquid mixed fertilizers, and suspensions. The chapter primarily discusses the production and use of fluid fertilizers in the United States, although other countries are also identified. It highlights the increasing popularity of fluid fertilizers, particularly nitrogen solutions, and their advantages, such as low-cost raw materials, ideal fertilizer placement, micronutrient and pesticide-carrying capabilities, and ease of handling. The material also uses anhydrous ammonia, including its production, storage, dealer operations, and application methods. Safety considerations and precautions associated with handling ammonia are outlined. Additionally, the document mentions aqua ammonia as a safer alternative to anhydrous ammonia and describes its production, storage, and application. Finally, it discusses the growing use of nonpressure nitrogen solutions in the US and their preference over anhydrous ammonia.
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    Fluid Fertilizers - 1967
    (1967-12-14) Achorn, Frank P.
    This material summarizes material presented by Frank P. Achorn at the 1967 Maine Plant Food Society meeting. The material focuses on the growing interest in fluid fertilizers, including clear liquids and suspensions, among manufacturers and consumers. It highlights the increasing consumption of liquid mixed fertilizers and their significant role in the fertilizer industry. The material provides insights into the classification and operation of hot-mix and cold-mix plants for fluid fertilizer production. It discusses the use of different raw materials, such as phosphoric acid, ammonia, and potash, and their effects on manufacturing. The document also explores suspensions' production and potential advantages, particularly in addressing the need for micronutrients. It also touches on economic considerations and the future outlook for clear liquids and suspensions in the fluid fertilizer market.
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    Handling and Distributing Urea
    (1983) Hubert L. Balay; Slappey, George A.
    This document explores the handling and distribution of urea, a nitrogen fertilizer compound widely used in agriculture. It traces the history of urea, from its first organic synthesis in 1828 to its significant growth in production and market share over the years. The document highlights the advantages of urea over other nitrogen sources, including its lower pollution levels, transportation risks, and plant food content. It also discusses the challenges associated with urea, such as size segregation, mechanical strength, chemical compatibility, and the presence of biuret. Additionally, the document examines the production of urea-ammonium phosphate grades and the potential use of urea as a supplemental nitrogen source in liquid fertilizers. This document provides valuable insights into the importance and complexities of handling and distributing urea in the agricultural industry.
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    Latest Developments in Production of Suspension Mixtures
    (1982-09) Hubert L. Balay; Slappey, George A.
    This document discusses the advancements made in producing suspension mixtures for fertilizer applications. The authors highlight the historical background and challenges associated with the production and application of suspension mixtures. They emphasize the shift towards more efficient banding techniques due to economic factors impacting farmers. The article presents various methods for preparing suspension fertilizers, focusing on using different base solutions, including ammonium polyphosphate and ammonium orthophosphate. The Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) processes for producing these bases are described, including the pipe reactor process and a continuous process for ammonium orthophosphate suspension. The authors also explore the production of solid ammonium polyphosphate and its granulation process. They discuss the benefits of cooling techniques to control crystal growth and enhance suspension quality. The document also highlights the potential of a batch process for producing orthophosphoric acid-based suspension mixtures, offering a cost-effective alternative to existing continuous processes. The findings presented in this report contribute to the understanding and improvement of suspension mixture production, aiding farmers in achieving optimal fertilizer efficiency.
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    Marketing Advantages of Using Solid Materials in Suspensions
    (1976-07) Hubert L. Balay
    This material highlights the marketing advantages of utilizing solid materials in suspension fertilizers. The presentation by Hubert L. Balay, a chemical engineer from the Tennessee Valley Authority, discusses the benefits of solid materials over fluids in terms of cost-effectiveness and ease of transportation. Using solid materials in suspension fertilizers reduces transportation costs, especially considering the rising freight rates for dilute materials. The author explores various solid materials, including monoammonium phosphate, TVA ammonium polyphosphate, diammonium phosphate, solid urea, TVA granular urea-ammonium phosphate (UAP), calcium phosphate, red potash, and micronutrients. The presentation concludes by emphasizing the potential savings and future implications of adopting solid materials in suspension fertilizer production. This information is based on a presentation at the NFSA Round-Up conference in 1976 in St. Louis, Missouri.
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    Minimizing the Cost of Mixed Fertilizers and Location of Bulk Blending Plants - Part A
    (1967-08) Achorn, Frank P.
    This material presents a study on minimizing the cost of mixed fertilizers and the optimal location of bulk blending plants. It is divided into two parts, with Part A focusing on the fundamentals of bulk blending plants and their role in producing dry-mixed granular fertilizers. The material outlines the flow of materials in the bulk blend marketing system, involving basic producers and their production of various nitrogen, phosphate, and N-P products. The blending plant is typically situated within a 50-mile radius of the farms it serves. Each phase of the bulk blend marketing system incurs costs, and it is the responsibility of the blender to determine the most cost-effective combination of these costs to deliver and apply plant nutrients on the farm. The material introduces a least-cost linear program developed by Mr. Walker to assist blenders in making informed decisions. It highlights the transportation and handling costs of the bulk blend marketing system and explores the impact of higher-analysis materials on reducing these costs. The benefits of using higher-analysis materials include decreased transportation costs and the ability to produce mixtures of higher nutrient analyses. The production of high-analysis grades is advantageous for blenders as it lowers their fixed and handling costs per unit of plant food. The material emphasizes the importance of considering delivered costs, fixed and operating costs, and finding the least-cost mixtures to deliver to the farm at the lowest price. Blenders can enhance their sales programs and improve their economic viability by optimizing these factors. The material concludes by mentioning how the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) supports blenders in determining the least-cost mixtures based on the materials available to them.
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    New Developments in Fluid Fertilizer Manufacture
    (1982-02) Achorn, Frank P.
    This paper presents an overview of the developments in fluid fertilizer manufacturing in the United States over the past 30 years. The study examines the fluid fertilizers utilized in 1980, including anhydrous ammonia, aqua ammonia, nitrogen solutions, and fluid mixtures. While there has been a significant increase in the use of fluid fertilizers during the last two decades, recent data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) suggest a minimal growth in their usage in the past year. The findings reveal that approximately 61 percent of the total nitrogen applied in the U.S. is in fluid form, with anhydrous ammonia accounting for a significant portion. Additionally, 16 percent of the phosphorus (P2O5) and 8 percent of potassium (K2O) are applied as fluids. Among the various fluid fertilizers, fluid mixtures represent 20 percent of the total mixtures employed in the U.S. The paper highlights the lack of recent innovations in using anhydrous ammonia and emphasizes the focus on this aspect throughout the discussion.
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    Producing and Marketing Suspension Fertilizers From Solids
    (1977-07) Hubert L. Balay; Salladay, David G.
    This material discusses the production and marketing of suspension fertilizers from solid materials, focusing on the advantages of fluid fertilizers over solid ones. The authors highlight the ease of mixing and uniform application of pesticides as a significant advantage of fluid fertilizers, along with other properties such as accuracy of application, low salt index, and the ability to mix and apply secondary and micronutrients uniformly. Traditionally, fluid fertilizers have been considered premium products due to their advantages and higher prices resulting from the costlier phosphate materials used in their production. However, in the face of rising costs and the need for cheaper raw materials, using solids to produce fluids has gained traction. The authors explore the use of monoammonium phosphate (MAP) and diammonium phosphate (DAP) as popular solid bases for fluid fertilizers, discussing their solubility and production methods. The potential use of triple superphosphate and ammonium polyphosphate (APP) as phosphate sources in fluid fertilizers is also mentioned. Overall, the material provides insights into the historical development and current practices of producing suspension fertilizers from solid materials.
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    Production and Consumption of Sulfur-Bearing Fertilizers in the United States
    (1983-08-31) Salladay, David G.; Hargett, Norman L.
    This material summarizes the content of a material discussing the production and consumption of sulfur-bearing fertilizers in the United States. It highlights the historical significance of sulfur as a plant nutrient and emphasizes the need to review its use in modern agricultural practices. The material explores areas of sulfur deficiency in different states, factors complicating the identification of sulfur deficiencies, and the role of atmospheric deposition in sulfur availability. It also discusses the production of granular sulfur-bearing fertilizers, such as monoammonium phosphate (MAP) and diammonium phosphate (DAP), as well as fluid sulfur-bearing fertilizers like ammonium thiosulfate and urea-ammonium sulfate. The document concludes by mentioning mathematical equations for formulating consistent quality clay suspensions in fluid fertilizers and developing a new urea-ammonium sulfate suspension.
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    Selecting Equipment and Materials of Construction for Fluid Fertilizer Plants
    (1977-10) Kimbrough, Homer L.; Hubert L. Balay
    This paper discusses the selection of equipment and materials for construction of fluid fertilizer plants. With the growing popularity of fluid fertilizer production, many new manufacturers are seeking guidance on equipment selection. The paper emphasizes the importance of considering factors such as the type of liquid fertilizer, production rate, fertilizer season length, and equipment usage. Projection of production needs over 5 to 10 years is recommended to avoid selecting inadequate equipment. The authors recommend selecting pumps, pipes, storage tanks, and mix tanks based on the characteristics of the fertilizers and operational requirements. The paper also highlights the significance of proper support, ventilation, and maintenance practices for maximizing the lifespan of the equipment. Overall, the information presented aims to assist prospective fluid fertilizer plant owners in making informed decisions about equipment selection and construction materials.
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    Technical Aspects of Suspensions
    (1967-11-29) Achorn, Frank P.; Kimbrough, Homer L.
    This document explores the rapid growth and increasing interest in suspensions within the fertilizer industry, focusing on three major reasons for their popularity. Firstly, suspensions allow for producing high-analysis grades with significantly higher concentrations than clear liquids. Secondly, they provide a means of incorporating nutrients into fluid fertilizers. Lastly, suspensions enable the effective suspension of pesticide or herbicide fluids, reducing the need for multiple applications. The production of suspensions typically involves two main procedures: hot and cold mixing. Hot mixing utilizes acid and superphosphates, often combined with ammonia, resulting in heat release during the mixing process. On the other hand, cold mixing involves using materials that do not generate heat when mixed. Various suspension grades, such as 12-12-12, 9-27-9, and 12-15-10, have been successfully produced through hot-mix processes. Different suspensions are created based on the choice of raw materials and the chemical reactions involved. For instance, the neutralization of orthophosphoric acid with aqua ammonia produces ammonium phosphate suspensions, while nitric acid reacted with phosphate rock yields nitric phosphate suspensions. Each type has its advantages and considerations. Although lower in the analysis compared to ammonium phosphate suspensions, Nitric phosphate suspensions offer the benefit of using low-cost raw materials. Triple superphosphate can also be used to produce suspensions, either through ammoniation with aqua ammonia or an ammoniating solution. This approach allows for the utilization of low-cost phosphate and eliminates the need for additional suspending clay. However, the crushing and screening of triple superphosphate pose challenges due to its sticky nature. Additionally, the document describes a continuous hot-mix plant that produces a base ammonium polyphosphate suspension, specifically the 12-40-0 grade. This base suspension is then marketed through cold-mix plants as a liquid fertilizer. With its regional approach, the 12-40-0 suspension marketing system simplifies the supply chain and has gained acceptance in the fluid fertilizer industry.
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    What's Ahead for Application Practices?
    (1982-08) Achorn, Frank P.; Broder, Michael F.
    This document explores the current and future trends in fertilizer application practices in the United States. It highlights the significance of proper application methods and their impact on fertilizer production and marketing systems. The distribution of fertilizer materials applied is examined, including anhydrous ammonia, granular or solid fertilizers, and fluids. The document discusses the potential advantages of the dual application of ammonia and mixtures and the use of granular homogeneous mixtures. Various equipment for applying granular and fluid mixtures, such as pneumatic-type and high-flotation applicators, is presented. The document also addresses the challenges and costs associated with the custom application of ammonia and the conversion of anhydrous ammonia to liquid aqua ammonia for easier and more cost-effective application. It emphasizes the increasing popularity of solid fertilizer application through custom application methods using high-flotation applicators. The financial considerations and minimum acreage required for break-even are analyzed. Furthermore, the document explores the growing demand for fluid fertilizers and nitrogen solutions due to their ease of handling, uniform application, accurate measurement, and ability to mix pesticides. It discusses the equipment for applying fluid fertilizers and the potential benefits of applying fluids through irrigation systems or during tillage operations. The adoption of minimum tillage practices and the advantages of no-till operations are also examined. The concept of strip application, which lies between broadcasting and banding of fertilizers, is introduced. Promising results of strip application for phosphate and potash fertilizers are discussed, along with the equipment used for this method.
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    What’s New in Fertilizer Bulk Blending
    (1981-10) Achorn, Frank P.; Bauer, Herman J.
    The material summarizes "What's New in Fertilizer Bulk Blending," presented at the TVA Fertilizer Conference in 1981. The authors, Herman J. Bauer and Frank P. Achorn discuss the advancements and innovations in the bulk blending industry for fertilizers. They highlight various new concepts and developments in materials, equipment, additives, and application techniques. The authors mention the increasing use of urea instead of other nitrogen sources and the development of a granular form of urea. They also discuss using monoammonium phosphate (MAP) as a phosphate source and the growing demand for sulfur-coated urea (SCU) and controlled-release nitrogen materials. Additionally, they note the shift towards using ammonium sulfate (AS) as a source of sulfur and the emergence of granular sulfur. Regarding equipment, the authors highlight the use of corrosion-resistant materials and the incorporation of egg crate bin dividers for reducing segregation in bulk blends. They also mention the addition of micronutrients and pesticides to the blending process and use programmable calculators, microcomputers, and pocket computers for formulating fertilizers and performing other tasks like inventory control and accounting. Applying bulk blends with micronutrients and pesticides requires careful distribution to ensure optimal results. The authors suggest using overlapping applications and a minimum fertilizer material for proper particle distribution. They mention the development of an applicator that uses pressurized air for dry fertilizer application. The authors also address challenges and considerations in bulk blending, emphasizing the importance of particle size matching to reduce segregation. They discuss the potential issues related to the addition of fluid materials, the sensitization of ammonium nitrate (AN) by certain pesticides and the segregation tendencies of bagged materials.