Oil, Gas and PetrochemicalsNitric Acid, Phosphoric Acid and NPK Fertiliser Production
Nitric acid trains lose money through gauze losses and nitrous oxide limits, phosphoric acid plants through gypsum filtration and scale, and NPK granulators through poor recycle ratio and moisture. Here the three are treated as one nutrient chain, starting downstream of ammonia. It opens with ammonia oxidation over platinum rhodium gauzes, absorption, tail gas treatment for NOx and N2O abatement, and mono and dual pressure plant designs. Wet process phosphoric acid follows: phosphate rock quality, digestion with sulphuric acid, dihydrate and hemihydrate routes, filtration, concentration, fluorine recovery and phosphogypsum. The NPK section covers neutralisation, pipe reactors, the chemistry of ammoniated phosphate granulation, recycle control, drying, coating and caking prevention. Plant staff leave able to troubleshoot each step and link raw material quality to final product grade.
Course objectives
- Explain ammonia oxidation and the factors that drive gauze efficiency and loss
- Operate nitric acid absorption to meet strength and tail gas limits
- Select nitrous oxide and NOx abatement methods
- Relate phosphate rock quality to phosphoric acid plant performance
- Control dihydrate and hemihydrate reaction and filtration conditions
- Manage phosphogypsum and fluorine recovery responsibly
- Control neutralisation and pipe reactor chemistry in NPK production
- Diagnose granulation, drying and caking problems from product data
Who should attend
- Fertiliser plant operators and supervisors
- Process engineers in nitric and phosphoric acid plants
- Production managers in fertiliser complexes
- Environmental officers responsible for stack and effluent compliance
- Quality staff managing NPK product grades
Course outline
- 01Fertiliser chemistry and the nutrient chain
- 02Ammonia oxidation and gauze management
- 03Nitric acid absorption and tail gas
- 04Phosphate rock and acid digestion
- 05Filtration, concentration and phosphogypsum
- 06Neutralisation and pipe reactors
- 07NPK granulation chemistry and recycle
- 08Drying, coating and caking control
Scheduled sessions
| Dates | Venue | Format | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 to 30 October 2026 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Classroom | R19,950 per delegate | |
| 16 to 20 November 2026 | Nairobi, Kenya | Classroom | USD 1,325 per delegate | |
| 1 to 5 March 2027 | Online | Online | R8,500 per delegate | |
| 8 to 12 March 2027 | Maputo, Mozambique | Classroom | USD 1,325 per delegate | |
| 22 to 26 March 2027 | Harare, Zimbabwe | Classroom | USD 1,325 per delegate |
Nitric Acid, Phosphoric Acid and NPK Fertiliser Production
From R8,500