Pharos University
Faculty of Engineering
Petrochemical Department
‫جامعه فاروس‬
‫كلية اهلندسة‬
‫قسم البرتوكيماوايت‬
FERTILIZER INDUSTRY
LECTURE (1)
1. INTRODUCTION:
A fertilizer is any material, organic or inorganic, natural or
synthetic, that furnishes to plants one or more of the chemical
elements necessary for normal growth.
The plant needs about sixteen essential elements for its
growth. These elements are divided to two major types,
Macronutrients and Micronutrients.
1.1 Macronutrients:
a) Carbon, hydrogen, and Oxygen which are supplied to the
plant by air and water, and are therefore, not dealt with as
nutrients by the fertilizer industry
b) Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium which are considered
primary elements.
C) Calcium, Magnesium, and Sulfur which are considered
secondary elements.
 1.2 Micronutrients:
They are required in much smaller amounts and are known as
micronutrients or trace elements. They are Boron, Chloride,
Copper, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, and Zinc.
 In addition to the 16 essential elements listed above, some
other elements have been shown in certain circumstances to
be helpful in increasing crop yields or in improving the value
of crops for animal or human nutrition. Examples are
sodium, silicon and cobalt.
 The following figure shows the 16 essential elements
for plant growth.
2.Types of Inorganic Fertilizers
 2.1. Nitrogen (N) Fertilizers:
 The supply of nitrogen, determines a plant’s growth, vigor,
color and yield. Increasing the nitrogen supply to a crop tends
to increase the crop’s content of substances that contain
nitrogen such as proteins and vitamin B1.
 The intermediate product in the case of nitrogen fertilizers is
ammonia (NH3), which is produced by combining nitrogen
extracted from the air with hydrogen which is obtained from
natural gas, or through the hydrocarbon steam reforming
process
The further processing of ammonia produces straight N
fertilizers such as urea, ammonium nitrate and calcium
ammonium nitrate, as well as solutions of the above
fertilizers and ammonium sulphate.
2.2. Phosphate (P) Fertilizers
Phosphorus is required for good rooting and resistance to
drought, for plant growth and development, for the
ripening of seed and fruit and in the manufacture and use
of sugars and complex carbohydrates. A good supply of
phosphorus is essential in the first stages of a plant’s life
and for early maturity.
 This nutrient is often described or declared as phosphate (P2O5)
rather than phosphorus (P).
 1 kg P is equivalent to 2.291 kg P2O5
 Rock phosphate (27 - 38% P2O5) is the raw material source
from which most types of phosphate fertilizers are produced,
with minor exceptions such as basic slag (12 - 18% P2O5),
which is a by-product of steel production.
 To transform the phosphorus into a plant-available form and to
obtain a more concentrated product, phosphate rock is
processed using sulphuric acid, phosphoric acid and/or nitric
acid. Acidulation by means of sulphuric acid produces either
phosphoric acid.
 2.3. Potash (K) Fertilizers:
 Potassium controls water relations in plants and helps give
plant cells their turgor or stiffness. This is important for crop
quality and resistance to disease. Sufficient potassium is also
critical for vitamin and mineral content, for texture, firmness
and resistance to drought.
 This nutrient is often described or declared as potash
(K2O) rather than potassium (K).
 1 kg K is equivalent to 1.205 kg K2O.
 Most potassium used in fertilizer production is taken from
natural deposits of potassium chloride. The mined material is
crushed and purified by the removal of rock particles and salt
and then applied direct, or more usually incorporated in NPK
fertilizers
2.4 Multi Nutrient Fertilizers
 Multi-nutrient fertilizers produced in the EU are either complex
fertilizers (every particle contains the same ratio of nutrients),
or blends (made by mixing particles of different materials).
Typically, complex NPK fertilizers are manufactured by
producing slurries of ammonium phosphates, to which
potassium salts are added prior to granulation or prilling.
 On a global scale, nitrogen is the most needed nutrient (59%)
followed by phosphorus (24%) and potassium (17%).