Maintaining Quality in Fertilizer Manufacturing - Mosaic Company

Introduction

A talk from the Chemicals Summit - Agrochemical Symposium

Learn how the world’s leading agricultural producer of phosphate and potash products, two of the primary crop nutrients, is using analytical instrumentation in R&D and QA/QC to maximize its manufacturing of high quality fertilizers. And how PerkinElmer's maintenance and training services are a vital component in their factory efficiency and minimizing production downtime.

Andreas Jimeno, Senior Lab Supervisor at Mosaic Fertilizer explains the phosphate manufacturing processes from mined phosphate rock. He details the differing crop nutrients that result and the gypsum by-product. He explains how Mosaic uses ICP-OES for fast and effective element/metals determination, to control impurities affecting phosphate acid crystallization. And touches on the non-elemental testing for PcO5, Nitrogen, Sulfur and particle size. Jimeno explains the company's transition from AA to ICP and the multiple benefits that came with the transition.

Trent Moore, Quality Control Lab Supervisor of Mosaic Potash explains how potassium underpins Potash composition and its role as a regulator in crop health. Learn about both 'conventional' and 'solution' mining processes; from the Canadian 'Prairie Evaporate' formed over 400 millions years ago from an ancient inland sea - to the Belle Plaine which uses hot salt water injection a staggering 2 km/1.24 miles below the earth's surface. At the North American potash sites they test products using ICP-OES and FTIR/NIR in-line with environmental organic-free certification prior to export to countries including USA, China, Brazil and India.