DISADVANTAGES OF THE USE OF AN

FERTILIZER GRADE

VERSUS

AN TECHNICAL GRADE
In theory, all types of commercial and
fertilizer grade Ammonium Nitrate may be
used for making AN solution. However, cost,
quality, and safety shall be taken into account.

The use of a fertilizer grade AN in Cerrejon

instead of the current TAN from Yara will
produce a significant impact on quality and
safety.
Below we set a number of disadvantages
of AN Fertilizer Grade versus TAN from
Yara.

Disadvantages taken from experiences

abroad and even here in Colombia.
 Fertilizer Grade AN

- More impurities
- Major grade of pollution
- More frequent cleaning of the disolution and
storage tanks.
- Each cleaning involves loss of AN.
- For the same net amount of TAN more amount
of AN Fertilizer is needed.
- More caking: more difficulties when emptying
big bags and bins.
- The oxidant solution with impurities
increases the risk of exothermic reaction
due to the low pH currently used. (pH = 1
or even lower).
- The solution can reacts on contact with
organic material such as wood, oil or
grease.
- The tendency to descompose is enhanced
by high temperature, acidic conditions (low
pH) and presence of contaminants such as:
Cl, Fe, Co, Ni, Cr, Cu and Zinc.
Possible sources of contamination:
Process conditions, thermal dissociation,
raw material, corrosion and water.

The probability to descompose as

prevention requires the installation of a
system to add large volume of water, or
increase the pH by adding Ammonia.
- More clogged filters
- Greater demand to transfer pumps
- SMO can not be used alone, should be
necessary to combine it with some type
of Pibsa.
- The use of waste oil will be reduced.
- Emulsion stability will be reduced.
In real tests conducted in Colombia we found
that the filter after the Waukesha pump
obtained the maximum pressure of 0.5 bar at
two hours of operation, while with the AN Yara
not get over the pressure of 0.2 bar all the
time.
Likewise, with ACRON the pumps was required
in a 66.7% of its capacity (starting 62.2%) in a
production of 40 tons in 3 hours. With AN Yara
the value was 61.5% (starting 58.7%) with a
higher production in 4.5 hours. See graphs
below.
 Behaviour of sensors PT216 (after Waukesha pump M212), and
PD215 (measures differential pressure before and after the filter)
Sensor PD215 shows alarm when the pressure reaches 0.5 Bar.
ACRON
0.9

0.8

0.7

0.6

0.5
PT216 (Bar)
0.4 PDT215 (Bar)

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Behaviour of Waukesha Pump M212 during 3 production hours
ACRON

Waukesha M212 (%)

66.4 66.7
65.9
65.3

64
63.6 63.5

62.2

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
 Behaviour of Sensors PT216 and PDT215 during 4:30
operation hours.
AN YARA

15 de abril
0.5 0.5 Linea 2
Producción
53 tons con N.A.
0.4 Yara.
4:30 horas
de operación.

PT216 (Bar)
0.12 0.11 0.11 PDT215 (Bar)
 Behaviour Waukesha Pump M212 during 4:30
operation hours
AN YARA
 

61.5
15 de abril
Linea 2
Producción
60.5 53 tons con N.A.
Yara.
4:30 horas
de operación

58.7
M212 (%)
 CONCLUSION

There is not any doubt, the use of AN

Fertilizer Grade instead of TAN will
demand important changes in the current
process.