2/19/2016
Acknowledgements
Contributors
• Vatren Jurin, Discovery And Innovation Group, Brandt
Consolidated
• Dale Edgington, Purchasing & Production Manager, Advanced
Micronutrient Products, Reese, MI
Micronutrients, Metals, and More
Alan Blaylock, Ph.D.
Manager, Agronomy
Agrium Wholesale
Denver, Colorado
Phil Peterson, Ph.D.
Marketing and Sales
Manager, Agronomist
Kronos Micronutrients
Moxee, WA
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Micronutrient Forms
Micronutrient Raw Materials
• “The Micronutrient Fertilizer Industry: From Industrial ByProducts to Beneficial Use”
• Almost all of the metal micronutrient fertilizers (Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu)
are derived from by-products from other metal processing
industries
• Key micronutrient raw-material sources
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–
–
–
–
–
Source: V. Jurin, Brandt Consolidated
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Steel-making (electric arc-furnace dust)
Smelters and foundries (brass fume dust)
Tire incineration for energy generation (tire ash)
Galvanizing operations (dross, skimmings, spent acids)
Mining (tailings)
Emissions cleaning from various industries (baghouse dust)
Source: EPA-35-B-01-006
Raw Material Management
Raw Material Examples
• The niche of the micronutrient industry is in the ability to source
and utilize nutrient rich by-products from a multitude of
industries.
• The fertilizer industry must comply with the rules of RCRA –
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
• Challenges occur because there are some elements that
naturally occur together.
• Zinc oxide can come from what might be considered a traditional
source…mining. As zinc-rich ore is smelted and reduced to zinc
metal, zinc oxide is a by-product, captured in the dust collector.
• The largest use for zinc metal is in galvanizing – coating steel for
corrosion resistance. Not all zinc makes it onto the target and
there are different methods for collecting the excess…
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– The unused product can be collected in the waste water treatment
process. It is de-watered and extruded as a filter-cake at roughly 50%
moisture. (The consistency of mud).
– Other processes yield zinc sulfate heptahydrate which contains roughly
38% moisture. (The consistency of brown sugar).
– Example: zinc, lead and cadmium.
• The largest consumer of zinc oxide is in tire manufacturing.
Every radial tire contains roughly a pound of zinc.
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Production Issues Created by Utilizing By-Products
Control Processes Arising From Raw Material Issues
• Materials are available on an as-generated basis which means
you take them as they become available, not necessarily when
you need them.
• Materials are supplied as-is, which means
•
•
•
•
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–
–
–
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Analyze all incoming raw material streams,
Segregate if possible
Determine statistical averages
Utilize multiple nutrient sources to compensate for the
fluctuations in each
• Analyze product in process and adjust as needed.
Nutrient content varies
Moisture content varies
Sizing varies
Presence of foreign material
Variations in unwanted riders…heavy metals.
Imagine formulating a blend with urea, DAP and potash but the
nutrient content of each varies with each shipment of ingredients
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Costing Concepts
Non-Nutritive Elements and Risk-Based Standards
• Some raw materials are indexed from commodity markets…the
London Metals Exchange (LME) and the COMEX… and fluctuate
on a daily basis like stock and other commodity markets.
• The fluctuations are driven by the supply and demand for
primary metals in the world market and have very little to do
with the price of NP&K or the agricultural economy.
• The selection of raw materials isn’t always driven by least cost
calculations…
• The AAPFCO standard – American Association of Plant Food
Control Officials provides guidelines for the amount of nonnutritive elements that may be contained in a finished product
• Based on “HEALTH RISK EVALUATION OF SELECT METALS IN
INORGANIC FERTILIZERS POST APPLICATION” by The Weinberg
Group, Washington DC, 2000.
• Fertilizers that exceed these guidelines are considered
“adulterated”
• Few, if any US manufacturers come near to those levels.
– Raw material affects the selection of raw materials.
– Some will granulate well while others will not.
– Some will become soluble while others wont.
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Risk-Based Concentrations for Non-Nutritive Elements
Metals
mg/kg per
1% nutrient
Arsenic
Cadmium
Cobalt
Lead
Mercury
Molybdenum
Nickel
Selenium
Zinc
112
83
2,228
463
6
300*
1,900
180
2,900*
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Micronutrient Manufacturing Processes
Example: 20% Zn fertilizer
mg/kg for
20% Zn
example content
mg/kg
2,240
2
1,660
6
44,560
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9,260
273
120
< .02
6,000
8
38,000
68
3,600
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na
na
Raw material
*Applies only when not guaranteed.
Source: Adapted from http://aapfco.org/rules.html
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Acid granulation
(partial reaction)
• Oxysulfates
• Wide range of watersolubility
• No filtration,
purification
• Lowest cost
Acid reaction
(complete dissolution)
• Metal salts –
sulfates, chlorides
• Water-soluble salts
• Filtration,
purification
• Medium cost
Reaction with chelate and
organic acids
• Chelates and complexes
• Wide range of chemical
and physical properties
• Highest cost
Drying,
screening
Spray drying,
Fluid-bed
granulation,
Liquids
Liquids
Spray drying
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Micronutrients, Oxysulfates, and Water Solubility
Boron
From the late Dr. John Mortvedt
• “research shows that both ZnS04 (100% soluble) and ZnO (100%
insoluble) are
• Mined from borate mineral deposits
– Largest deposits in California
• Sodium borate (borax)
– equally effective when applied as a powder and mixed well with the soil.
– However, if applied as a granule, ZnS04 is still effective but ZnO is ineffective”
– Water soluble
– Often solubilized, purified, and re-granulated or spray-dried
• “it is imperative to know the fraction that is soluble for optimum
crop response”
• “TVA research shows that 35-50% of the total zinc should be in
the water soluble form to be fully effective for the immediate
crop”
• Buyer beware: Only two states require solubility labeling.
• Sodium calcium borate (ulexite)
– Partially water soluble
– Usually granulated directly without further processing
• Either may be reacted with sulfuric acid to form boric acid which
may then be used to form other compounds.
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Thank You!
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