Process industry 1- handout [2018]

CHAPTER FIVE
AGRO-CHEMICAL INDUSRTIES
An Agro-chemical industry deals with the production of different fertilizers and
pesticides that can increase crop production and protect agricultures from diseases
or pest. The production of fertilizers and pesticides is very effective in increasing
food production and agricultural production. This chapter will cover the production
of both fertilizer as well as pesticides i.e. these industries. However these industries
are differing in terms of their manufacturing process, toxicity and environmental
impact, economic as well as size.

Fertilizer
Fertilizer, natural or artificial substance containing the chemical elements that
improve growth and productiveness of plants by improving soil fertility. Fertilizers
enhance the natural fertility of the soil or replace the chemical elements taken from
the soil by previous crops. Fertilization implies the apply of one or more nutrient to
the soil. From natural elements plants need only 18 of them for their growth; but
Nitrogen, phosphorous and calcium are very essential nutrients which are required
by plants in large amount. Modern chemical fertilizers include one or more of the
three elements that are most important in plant nutrition: nitrogen, phosphorus, and
potassium. Of secondary importance are the elements sulfur, magnesium, and
calcium.

Types of fertilizers
Fertilizers are classified in to two depending on their source i.e. organic and
inorganic fertilizers.

Organic Fertilizer

Organic fertilizers are composed of naturally occurring biodegradable materials.

Most organic fertilizers includes: animal manure plus, compost, seaweed, peat
moss and other ingredients from nature. They help increase the direct yield of your
plants as soon as you start fertilizing, and also improve the health and long-term
productivity of your soil.

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Inorganic Fertilizer

Inorganic fertilizer or synthetic fertilizer is compounds of different nutrients.

Nitrogen potassium and phosphorous fertilizers are inorganic fertilizers. They are
found in several forms liquid, powdered and granular. Inorganic fertilizers are
generally used to treat sizable industrial fields because they are cheaper and more
easily produced on a large scale than organic fertilizer. Inorganic fertilizers are also
less bulky than organic fertilizers, which allow the plant to carry nutrients more
easily from the soil to its leaves and fruits.

Nitrogen fertilizers

Nitrogen fertilizers containing nitrogen as nutrient or fertilizers rich in nitrogen

content. Nitrogen fertilizer industry includes the production of synthetic ammonia,
urea, ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, and ammonium phosphate etc.

The nutrients from nitrogenous fertilizer are then carried through the ground into
the root system of the plant. Nitrogenous fertilizers usually come in the form of
white granules or pellets which are used to fertilize the soil before or during
planting.

The most dominant raw material of these fertilizers is ammonia. (NH3), which is
sometimes injected into the ground directly. This compound is used as a feedstock
for all nitrogen fertilizers, such as anhydrous ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) and
urea (CO (NH2)2) etc.

Urea
Urea, also known as carbamide, is an organic compound with chemical formula
CO (NH2)2. This amide has two –NH2 groups joined by a carbonyl (C=O)
functional group. It is a high concentration nitrogen fertilizer with 46%nitrogen
content. 85% of urea produced is used for fertilizer, 3% for animal supplements
and the rest 12% is applied for production of plastics and other uses. Urea serves
an important role in the metabolism of nitrogen-containing compounds by animals
and is the main nitrogen-containing substance in the urine of mammals. It is a
colorless, highly soluble in water, having a slight ammonia scent and practically
non-toxic.

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Manufacturing methods of urea

Urea is a dry nitrogen material produced by reacting ammonia with carbon dioxide.
It is produced from liquid ammonia and gaseous carbon dioxide at about 170-1900
C and 135- 145 bar, according to the following reactions:

1. Formation of ammonium carbamate. It is fast and exothermic and essentially

goes to completion under the industrial reaction conditions used.
CO2+ 2NH3→ NH2COONH4
2. Dehydration of ammonium carbamate. It is slower and endothermic and
does not go to completion.

NH2COONH4↔ NH2CONH2+ H2O

Both reactions take place in the liquid phase in the same reactor and are in
equilibrium.

Figure: production of urea

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Advantages of urea

 Agriculture: Urea has the highest nitrogen content of all solid nitrogenous
fertilizers.
 Raw material in manufacturing of many chemicals such as various plastics,
urea-formaldehyde resins urea-melamine-formaldehyde used in marine
plywood and many adhesives.
 It has the lowest transportation costs and cheap product.
 Explosives: to make urea nitrate, a high explosive that is used industrially
and as part of some improvised explosive devices. It is a stabilizer in
nitrocellulose explosives and its production is less pollutant to the
atmosphere
 Urea serves as a hydrogen source for subsequent power generation in fuel
cells
 An ingredient in some skin cream, moisturizers, hair conditioners, and
shampoos
 A main ingredient in hair removers such as Nair, tooth whitening products
and in dish soap
 Along with diammonium phosphate, as a yeast nutrient, for fermentation of
sugars into ethanol

Phosphate fertilizers

Phosphate fertilizers are fertilizers of phosphorous. They include calcium

phosphate derived from phosphate rock or bones. All phosphate fertilizers are
obtained by extraction from minerals containing the anion PO43−. Phosphate
fertilizer is good for acidic soils. The most common phosphate fertilizers raw
materials are MAP, DAP, Single Super Phosphate (SSP), Triple Super Phosphate
(TSP), ammonia mineral acids.

Single Super Phosphate (SSP)

SSP was the first commercial mineral fertilizer which contains relatively low P
content or 16-22% p2o5. It is also known as ordinary superphosphate and normal
superphosphate. SSP is contains monocalcium phosphate (MCP, also called
calcium dihydrogen phosphate) and gypsum.

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The general chemical reaction is

Ca3(PO4)2 [rock phosphate] + 2 H2SO4 [sulfuric acid] → Ca(H2PO4)2

[monocalcium phosphate] + 2 CaSO4 [gypsum].

Triple Super Phosphate

Triple superphosphate is highly concentrated phosphorus fertilizer with contents of
46% diphosphorus pentoxide (P2O5). It is made by the action of phosphoric acid on
raw rock phosphate (also called appatite).

3Ca3 (PO4)2 +CaF2+14 H3PO4 → 10 Ca (H2PO4)2 +2HF

Figure: production of super phosphate

Potassium fertilizers/ potash fertilizers

Potassium fertilizers are mined from potash deposits i.e. compounds of potassium
or K2O. Potash is a mixture of potassium minerals used to make potassium
(chemical symbol: K) fertilizers. Potash is soluble in water. Sometimes potash is

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referred to as K2O, as a matter of convenience to those describing the potassium

content. Potash fertilizers include potassium chloride, potassium sulfate, potassium
carbonate or potassium nitrate. But the two main varieties of potassium fertilizer
are sulfate of potash and muriate of potash.

Sulfate of potash (SOP): it is known potassium phosphate (K2SO4). It is made by

treating potassium chloride with magnesium. It contains 48-53% K2O and 17-18%
sulfur. It is produced by manipulating potash ore to remove other mineral.

Muriate of potash (MOP) or potassium chloride uses a crystallized form of

potash to fertilize plants. It is primarily mined from sylvinite ore containing NaCl
and KCl, then milling and floatation process separates the two salts. MOP is
generally contains 60-63% K2O and 46% Cl.

Mixed fertilizers

Mixed fertilizers contain more than one of the three major nutrients nitrogen,
phosphorus and potassium. They are mixtures of two or more fertilizers. Mixed
fertilizers can be formulated in hundreds of ways. Ammonium sulfate phosphate
with urea, urea ammonium phosphate and ammonium phosphate nitrate are some
examples of mixed fertilizers.

Pesticides
Pesticides are chemical compounds that are used to kill pests including insects,
rodents, fungi and unwanted plants (weeds). Pesticides are used in public health to
kill vectors of disease such as mosquitoes, and in agriculture to kill pests that
damage crops. By their nature, pesticides are potentially toxic to other organisms
including humans, and need to be used safely and disposed of properly.

Types of pesticides
Pesticides are often classified depend on the type of pest they control. Pesticides
can also be considered as either biodegradable pesticides; which will be broken
down by microbes and other living beings into harmless compounds or persistent
pesticides; which may take months or years before they are broken down.
Herbicides
It the major class of pesticides which control Herbs and insects. Herbicides used
including: amidosulfuron, flazasulfuron, metsulfuronmethyl, rimsulfuron, sulfomet
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uron-methyl, terbacil,nicosulfuron, and triflusulfuron-methyl. These are broad-

spectrum herbicides that kill plants weeds or pests by inhibiting the
enzyme acetolactate synthase.

Insecticides
They the second classes of pesticides controlling insects.
Organophosphate and carbamate insecticides have a similar mode of action. They
affect the nervous system of target pests (and non-target organisms) by
disrupting acetylcholinesterase activity, the enzyme that regulates acetylcholine, at
nerve synapses. This inhibition causes an increase in synaptic acetylcholine and
over-stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system. Many of these
insecticides, first developed in the mid 20th century, are very poisonous. Although
commonly used in the past, many older chemicals have been removed from the
market due to their health and environmental effects (e.g. DDT, chlordane,
and toxaphene). However, many organophosphates are not persistent in the
environment.
Pyrethroid insecticides were developed as a synthetic version of the naturally
occurring pesticide pyrethrin, which is found in chrysanthemums. They have been
modified to increase their stability in the environment. Some synthetic pyrethroids
are toxic to the nervous system.

Type of pesticides Action or use

Control algae in lakes, canals, swimming pools, water tanks, and other
Algicides
sites

Kill or repel organisms that attach to underwater surfaces, such as boat

Antifouling agents
bottoms

Antimicrobials Kill microorganisms (such as bacteria and viruses)

Attract pests (for example, to lure an insect or rodent to a trap). (However,

Attractants
food is not considered a pesticide when used as an attractant.)

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Biopesticides are certain types of pesticides derived from such natural

Biopesticides
materials as animals, plants, bacteria, and certain minerals

Biocides Kill microorganisms

Disinfectants and
Kill or inactivate disease-producing microorganisms on inanimate objects
sanitizers

Fungicides Kill fungi (including blights, mildews, molds, and rusts)

Fumigants Produce gas or vapor intended to destroy pests in buildings or soil

Herbicides Kill weeds and other plants that grow where they are not wanted

Insecticides Kill insects and other arthropods

Miticides Kill mites that feed on plants and animals

Microorganisms that kill, inhibit, or out compete pests, including insects

Microbial pesticides
or other microorganisms

Molluscicides Kill snails and slugs

Kill nematodes (microscopic, worm-like organisms that feed on plant

Nematicides
roots)

Ovicides Kill eggs of insects and mites

Pheromones Biochemicals used to disrupt the mating behavior of insects

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Repellents Repel pests, including insects (such as mosquitoes) and birds

Rodenticides Control mice and other rodents

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