Honeywell develops safer AN fertilizer

23 September 2008 16:45  [Source: ICIS news]

TORONTO (ICIS news)--Honeywell has developed a new technology to produce a highly-effective, safer ammonium nitrate (AN)-based fertilizer with significantly lower explosive potential, the US technology and chemicals firm said on Tuesday.

 

The new patented technology fused ammonium sulphate with ammonium nitrate, providing both nitrogen and sulphur needed for efficient plant nutrition as well as enhanced safety, quality and storage characteristics, it said. 

 

The technology had already received a safety designation from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the company added.

 

“The unique composition of this new fertilizer makes it extremely difficult to turn it into a weapon,” said Qamar Bhatia, vice president and general manager of Honeywell’s resins and chemicals business.

 

“Ammonium nitrate has long been an excellent fertilizer, but this technology makes it safer.”

 

Honeywell was conducting pilot plant test production of the new fertilizer to finalise scale-up and engineering for manufacturing, and it was is also in talks with potential manufacturing partners, it said.

 

The company, which plans to market the new product as Sulf-N 26 fertilizer, hoped to have limited quantities for sale in certain regions in 2009, it added.

 

Ammonium nitrate fertilizer was used by US terrorist Timothy McVeigh to blow up a government building in Oklahoma City in 1995, killing over a hundred people.

 

Safety concerns over the product heightened further after the 9/11 Al-Qaeda terrorist attacks on New York and Washington in 2001.

 

Honeywell’s resins and chemicals business is one of the world’s largest producers of ammonium sulphate fertilizer.

 

To discuss issues facing the chemical industry go to ICIS connect

By: Stefan Baumgarten
+1 713 525 2653

For the latest chemical news, data and analysis that directly impacts your business sign up for a free trial to ICIS news - the breaking online news service for the global chemical industry.

Get the facts and analysis behind the headlines from our market leading weekly magazine: sign up to a free trial to ICIS Chemical Business.

Printer Friendly