Industrial Fertiliser Production Flashcards

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Why are fertilisers made on a very large scale in industry?

Because modern farming needs huge amounts of fertiliser to grow enough food crops.

Which substance is the main starting material for making many industrial nitrogen fertilisers?

Ammonia gas is the main starting material for many nitrogen fertilisers.

What is the word equation for making ammonium nitrate fertiliser from ammonia?

Ammonia + nitric acid → ammonium nitrate.

Briefly describe how ammonium nitrate fertiliser is made in an industrial plant.

Ammonia is reacted with nitric acid to make a solution of ammonium nitrate. This solution is then concentrated and turned into solid fertiliser.

Why must the reaction between ammonia and nitric acid be carefully controlled in industry?

It gives out a lot of heat. The temperature must be controlled to keep the reaction safe and to give a good-quality product.

Why is industrial ammonium nitrate often made into pellets or granules rather than left as a solution?

Solid pellets are easy to store, transport and spread on fields. They also contain more nitrogen per kilogram than a dilute solution.

Why can phosphate rock not be used directly as a fertiliser on fields?

Phosphate rock is almost insoluble in water, so plant roots cannot take in the phosphate from it.

How is phosphate rock changed into a useful phosphate fertiliser in industry?

It is treated with acids, such as sulfuric or nitric acid, to make soluble phosphate salts that plants can absorb.

Where do the potassium compounds used in industrial fertilisers usually come from?

They are mined from underground deposits of potassium salts, such as potassium chloride or potassium sulfate.

What is meant by a continuous process in industrial fertiliser manufacture?

A continuous process runs all the time, with reactants fed in and products removed without stopping the plant.

Give one reason why fertiliser factories use continuous processes instead of batch processes.

Continuous processes can make large amounts of fertiliser quickly with fewer workers, which helps to reduce costs.

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