NPK fertilisers

• Why are NPK fertilisers helpful?

  They increase the yield and size of crops grown
• Where are they produced?

  In large industrial facilities.
• What are they?

  Formulations of different salts
• What are the 3 elements in the name?

  Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphorus.
• How is ammonium nitrate made?

  -Using ammonia produced by the Haber Method.-The ammonia in then used to produce nitric acid.-Reacting nitric acid with ammonia will then make ammonium nitrate.
• How do you get the Potassium?

  -From Potassium chloride or Potassium sulfate-Can be mined without any further processing
• Why does phosphorus need to be chemically processed?

  It is insoluble and cannot be absorbed by plants roots.
• What does treating phosphorus with nitric acid do?

  -Produces phosphorus acid and calcium nitrate
• Can you add phosphoric acid directly to plants? Why or why not?

  -No-It contains insoluble phosphorus
• When neutralised with ammonia what does phosphorus acid produce?

  -Ammonium Phosphate
• When treated with sulfuric acid what is made?

  -Calcium phosphate and calcium sulfate-'single superphosphate'
• When treated with phosphoric acid what is made?

  Triple superphosphate
• In a school lab, what are the solutions of ammonia and nitric acid, and why?

  -Dilute Solutions-For Safety
• Industrially, what are the solutions of ammonia and nitric acid, and why?

  -Ammonia is a gas-Nitric acid is concentrated-Dangerous as very exthothermic, but the heat energy can be used later
• Crystalisation in schools

  -Produce Crystals using a water bath and Bunsen burner-Requires a lot of heat energy-Batch process
• Production in industry

  -Energy already produced from exothermic reaction earlier-Evaporation-Continuous Process