(553b) High Efficiency Nitrogen Fertilizer Production From Power Plant Fly Ash

This research concerns a high efficiency, low cost nitrogen fertilizer manufacturing technology from fly ash, which is a recycled material from coal power plants that may contain high concentrations of mercury and carbon. Traditional nitrogen fertilizer production uses natural gas as the primary feedstock and is very costly. The traditional fertilizers are water-soluble compounds, resulting in significant loss of fertilizer and pollution of streams and ground water. At the same time, America's coal power plants produce more than 71.1 million tons of fly ash per year, and most of it is disposed of in landfills. The high mercury content in the fly ash makes the disposal more difficult and costly. The objectives of this project were to develop a high volume and highly technical application for fly ash and bring a value-added high efficiency low cost nitrogen fertilizer product to farmers.