Our Fertilizer Granulation Process employs proven technology developed by the Tennessee Valley Authority, and successfully used by the fertilizer industry for 35 years. We pump liquefied conditioned residuals, anhydrous ammonia and concentrated acid into a "pipe cross reactor" positioned along the axial centerline of a drum granulator. The water in the residuals cools the exothermic reaction of acid and ammonia, ensuring effective granulation.

The reaction occurs at a temperature of 132°C (270°F) under significant pressure, at a pH between one and two. Several critical chemical reactions take place: Inorganic salts form.  Proteins and other organic macromolecules hydrolyze into amino acids. Microbial sterility is achieved, exceeding federal requirements. 

The organics bind with the inorganic salts to form complexes that reduce volatilization of nitrogen to the atmosphere and leaching of nitrogen to the groundwater. This creates a new, enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizer that meets the emerging economic and environmental requirements in the fertilizer marketplace.

The molten fertilizer exiting the pipe-cross reactor contains enough chemical exothermic energy to remove 90 percent of the moisture in the granulator, thereby requiring far less natural gas than conventional sludge drying technologies. This creates very hard, durable fertilizer granules containing less than 2 percent moisture.

more...  Water Environment Federation Bulletin Nov.Dec.08