Analysis of Wall Thickness and Absorption Characteristics of Ammonium Nitrate(V) from Various Sources

Abstract

This study investigates the wall thickness and specific surface area (SBET) of ammonium nitrate(V) samples of varying provenance. The research focuses on both fertilizer-grade ammonium nitrate(V) and three porous prill samples obtained from different manufacturers. The samples were analyzed using tomography scanning and two distinct porosimetry methods. The wall thickness analysis revealed that fertilizer-grade ammonium nitrate(V) possesses thicker walls, ranging from 0.05 to 0.40 mm, compared to porous prill-type ammonium nitrate(V), which predominantly exhibited wall thicknesses between 0.05 and 0.025 mm, with occasional thicker regions up to 0.040 mm. These variations in wall thickness are likely attributable to differences in manufacturing processes and prilling conditions specific to the ammonium nitrate(V) porous prill-type samples. The specific surface area (SBET), derived from nitrogen adsorption measurements, indicated that the samples exhibited surface areas ranging from 0.011 to 0.466 m2·g, suggesting that these samples do not exhibit particularly high absorption capacities. However, the SBET values obtained from the mercury intrusion method suggested significantly higher absorption capacities, falling within the range of 4.87–18.29 m2·g. These findings suggest that mercury porosimetry may provide a more accurate assessment of the porosity and absorption potential of ammonium nitrate(V) samples.

Keywords

• ammonium nitrate(V)
• prill
• fertilizer
• tomography
• wall thickness
• S_BET