Q1 :

a) What are the raw materials of single super phosphate? Explain manufacturing of single

super phosphate.

b) Describe the industrial process of DAP manufacturing mentioning major unit

operations involved in it.

Ans :
a) The raw materials of Single Super Phosphate are :

1)Phosphate rock: A naturally occurring mineral that is mined from

the earth and is the primary source of phosphorus used in the
production of fertilizers.
2)Sulphuric acid(strong/spent): A strong acid that is produced by the reaction of
sulphur dioxide with oxygen.
3) Water: Is used to dissolve the sulphuric acid and to control the temperature during reaction

Quantitative requirement :
Taking basis 1 ton of SSP ; phosphate rock required is 0.6ton and sulfuric acid required is
0.36ton .

Chemical reaction of key raw materials:

Ca3(PO4)2 + 2H2SO4 + 4H2O =>
CaH4(PO4)2 + 2(CaSO4.2H2O)
{ ΔH = -108.44kcal }

b) The manufacturing process starts with :

procurement of raw materials: The procurement of rock phosphate is fulfilled by importing the
same from countries like Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Morocco, Syria, Togo, Tunisia, etc.
The requirement of Sulphuric acid is met by purchasing the same from local vendors.
Grinding : After the procurement of raw materials, the manufacturing process starts in Grinding
mill where Rock Phosphate is grinded
Mixer : and then the grinded rock phosphate is moved to mixer where Sulphuric acid and water
is added.
The mixture is then mixed properly
den machine : the mixture is moved via the den machine to the cutter
cutter : to cut the huge chunks of mixture into powder form.
The manufacturing process of powdered and granulated SSP is same till the mixing process and
after this process the mixture is then treated separately.

Powdered SSP
After the mixing process, the mixture is then moved for further curing process, wherein the
drying and mixing of SSP takes place and samples of the final product is sent to the in house
laboratory for testing and quality check to ensure that the final product contains the required
chemical composition. Once the samples pass the final quality check the product is then sent to
hopper for packing the same into HDPE bags for dispatch.

Granulated SSP
After the mixing process, the mixture is then moved for further curing process, wherein the
drying and mixing of SSP takes place. After the curing process the mixture is moved via crane to
granulation drum where water is added and then the granulated mixture is moved via conveyor
belt to dryer drum wherein the mixture is heated at a temperature of around 1000 degree Celsius.
After the heating process, the mixture is then moved to the cooler drum to extract moisture and
then the product moves to the vibrating screen to ensure that the granules are of adequate and
required size. The samples of granulated SSP now move to the in house laboratory for final
testing and quality check and to determine whether the product contains the required chemical
composition or not. After the samples pass the final quality check, the product is then sent to
hopper for packing the same into HDPE bags for dispatch .

The manufacturing of SSP requires various unit operations:

1) Granulator: It helps in solidifying the DAP slurry with the recycled solid materials (typically
of 2-4mm
in size) into product sized granules and transfer it into the dryer.
2) Dryer: It is used to reduce the water content in the granules. It is a rotating drum made up of
a carbon
Steel alloy which uses co-current airflow. It has hammers on ts side to prevent the building up
along
the walls.
3) Pulverizer: They reduce the particle size of granules from an upper limit to undersize.
4) Cyclone Seperator: It helps in sucking dusts and is significant. It consists of dedusting fan and
dedusting cyclones which have suction ducts.
5) Ammonium Venturi scrubber: It helps in the recovering of various gas streams to protect the
environment and make the process more effective.
6) Elevators and Conveyers: They contribute to the solid handling transport system.
7)Fluidized bed: It has coolers and exhaust fans which are arranged in series which cools before
sending
the products to the bagging sections.