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Anonymous Poster

Nitrogen Fertilizer Generator

06/14/2009 1:41 AM

I would like to produce nitrogen fertilizer for own use by exposing air (oxygen & nitrogen) to an electric corona discharge. I already have an ozone generator which produces 5g/hr ozone. The resultant air ( partly containing O^3 and hopefully NO and NO^2) will then be scrubbed ( venturi mixed) with a water solution containing either potassium hydroxide or potassium carbonate ( all in dilute form ) which hopefully will give me potassium nitrite/nitrate? This dilute mixture will then be applied through a dripper irrigation system (fertigation). Is this obtainable? Could someone possibly guide me with the construction of such a setup? Many thanks. Barry

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Guru
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#1

Re: Nitrogen Fertilizer Generator

06/14/2009 11:50 PM

Anyone who knows may not be allowed to tell you.

Potassium nitrate and a couple of other materials are now "regulated" in many countries. Even Potasium permangamate is regulated.

The ongoing monitoring costs for "fertigation" to get your concentrations correct are not warranted. Buy and use appropriate nutrient materials and mix properly.

By the way, I'm not even certain that the chemical path that you implied would work anyhow without significant additional energy input.

Also, as a "guest" you have no history of credibility for anyone on this forum. Thus there will be a significant reluctance to provide you any specific information. Why don't you register? It's free!!

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#5
In reply to #1

Re: Nitrogen Fertilizer Generator

06/15/2009 3:19 AM

Thank you Just an Engineer,

I am registered. Thanks for the advice. The object of the practice I have in mind is that it would all be supplementary, since I do make ozonated water for bacterial irradication on orchard trees. So if there is a benefit (bonus) in getting useable nitrogen I'll take it. All I need is moral/technical support.

My location Robertson, W.C. South Africa.

BlR

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Anonymous Poster
#12
In reply to #1

Re: Nitrogen Fertilizer Generator

06/15/2009 7:41 PM

Why is it necessary to regulate virtually all chemicals. Do governmental officials really believe that they are impacting terrorists rather than just preventing useful scientific inquiry? Do they think that terrorists would be limited by their assinine regllations?

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Guru
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#13
In reply to #12

Re: Nitrogen Fertilizer Generator

06/15/2009 8:11 PM

I don't know who you are, but "fair question".

I agree that the measures put in place are probably ineffective and onerous on all of society.

I found it "interesting" that some organisations around the world and especially in England had been using "fertilizer bombs" for decades and there was no move to regulate the chemicals involved and yet a few incidents led to political pressure to regulate certain chemicals that were used by them worldwide.

I also find it interesting that there are chemicals that are potentially more dangerous in general use every day that are not regulated.

I have a basic training in chemistry and have even seen dangerous combinations of goods packed on supermarket shelves, one above the other.

I am unable to influence the necessary legislative changes to undo what is in place. I do however make sure that the regulated materials that I use are accounted properly. On the scale of my property that's not much of an issue.

The reason for my notes in the first post relate to the notion of an unregistered "guest" raising questions on how to manufacture in a non-regulated manner materials that are known to be "of concern" at international level.

"Useful scientific enquirey" is able to be conducted. The monitoring of those materials only requires the user to provide adequate evidence of the intended use and maintenance of records. I'm conducting "experiments" on different concentrations and treatments and have no difficulty obtaining the necessary materials. As a matter of fact, by having the items registered it means that I have assurance of the actual concentrations that I am receiving rather than generic supply of "urea" for instance that could have significant contaminants (like water) that affect the end results. The registration also means that I am able to find suppleirs of the materials from the registry records rather than "shopping around".

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Anonymous Poster
#2

Re: Nitrogen Fertilizer Generator

06/14/2009 11:52 PM

You might get a little Nitrogen fertilizer that way, but the volume and quality will be low and the cost high, unless the power for the electrical discharge is free. You will get a much better fertilizer by composting waste vegetation and extracting the nutrients in water if you want a liquid fertilizer. Look around soft drink bottling plants or other food processing companies to find resonably priced used 55-gallon plastic drums, often HDPE Food grade, for your compostor. I got several used Coca-Cola barrels for $6.00 each to run my cellolosic fuel ethanol fermentation a while back. You can see them in the video at www.ire-incorp.com

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#3

Re: Nitrogen Fertilizer Generator

06/15/2009 2:33 AM

Special catalysts are needed to get a significant output.

Almost certainly the cost will far exceed the cost of simply buying your fertilizer, even if you have to import it.

If it's just curiousity, try and see, but the yield will be terrible and the power consumption very high for the amount made.

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Guru
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#4

Re: Nitrogen Fertilizer Generator

06/15/2009 3:03 AM

Hello Guest,

Why do you not join. I think you will find the people here very helpful to a point, (after) you join, considering what you request info' about.

As has been said these chemicals are monitored. The cost of producing even a small amount of nitrogenous substance 'your way', will easily be more expensive than just buying nitrogenous fertilizer. And the way you suggest to make nitrogenous fertilizer may not be as easy to run and will mean a great deal of work before you even get any return.

A little like making sand by smashing rocks together! ;-) Do you want to use the nitrogenous stuff to grow things yourself, or to make fertilizer to sell?

Take care and keep in touch please.

bb

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#6
In reply to #4

Re: Nitrogen Fertilizer Generator

06/15/2009 3:23 AM

Thanks to all you fellows for the helpful advice!

Iam the Guest aka Barryleroux.

BlR

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#7
In reply to #4

Re: Nitrogen Fertilizer Generator

06/15/2009 3:40 AM

Thanks babybear,

I am running an ozone plant which feeds the corona- discharge resultant air to a venturi which mixes it with pure water in order to make a disinfectant ( 03- impregnated water @ 5 ppm) which is then sprayed, to destroy a bacterium (Xanthomonas campestris), on my orchard trees. So without any additional input costs I was thinking why should the process also not work to produce N2O which can supplement my nitrogen requirements? The exercise is entirely for own farm use. The nitrogen compound (the N2O bound with a potassium base)(if its attained) will be applied as a foliar feed.

You guys are great! Thank you all again.

BlR

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#9
In reply to #7

Re: Nitrogen Fertilizer Generator

06/15/2009 11:30 AM

Ozone generators are optimized to produce ozone and to avoid production of NO2. In your application, I would think that NO2 levels would be much lower than ozone. I would be surprised if you ended up with 0.5 ppm or even 0.05 ppm nitrogen compounds, even under ideal conditions.

Attempts at optimizing NOx production will reduce O3 production, so this scheme would likely result in higher costs, not a net savings.

It is likely that you are already dissolving all the nitrates in the water, given their low concentrations.

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#8

Re: Nitrogen Fertilizer Generator

06/15/2009 10:00 AM

The major products of corona discharge are sound, ozone, nitric acid (in the presence of moisture in the air, this precipitates as a white powder usually), light (from x-rays thru IR, strongest in UV), slight heat (maybe 5F at corona source), ...

So the nitric acid white powder, I have read where this can have a pH of 2.0, so there may be seperation for your application.

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#10
In reply to #8

Re: Nitrogen Fertilizer Generator

06/15/2009 11:39 AM

Nitric acid is a liquid, not a powder. If you see a white powder, it is most likely ammonium nitrate, formed by the reaction of the nitric acid with ambient levels of ammonia in the air. Concentrated solutions of ammonium nitrate would have a pH of about 4

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#11
In reply to #10

Re: Nitrogen Fertilizer Generator

06/15/2009 11:52 AM

Isn't he looking for fertilizer, the chemo stew "ammonium nitrate" ?

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