Fertilizer application
Fertilizers are chemical compounds provided to plants to promote growth. Fertilizers can be organic (including organic matter) or inorganic (made from simple chemical or mineral substances, inorganic). They can be naturally occurring compounds such as peat or mineral deposits, or produced through natural processes (such as composting) or chemical processes (such as the Haber process). Fertilizers typically provide three primary nutrients for plants (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium: NPK) in varying ratios, secondary nutrients for plants (calcium, sulfur, magnesium), and sometimes micronutrients (or trace elements). The particle size of fertilizer materials directly affects the release rate, effectiveness, and work hazards such as dust generation. Natural organic fertilizers include manure, sludge, earthworm castings, peat, seaweed, wastewater, and bird droppings. Green manure crops are also grown to supplement soil nutrients. Manufactured organic fertilizers include compost, bone meal, and extracts from seaweed. Inorganic fertilizers are often synthetic materials containing the three main components NPK. They are named or labeled according to the content of these three elements, which are macronutrients.
The influence of particle size and shape
The fertilizer industry considers particle size analysis to be so important that a minimum measurement frequency must be performed to ensure proper quality. Traditional techniques for analyzing the particle size of fertilizers have been screened, but companies are now seeking more effective measurement tools. Any technique considered to replace screening must be able to correlate with previous screening results, while providing efficiency in speed, ease of use, and long-term cost.CAMSIZER dynamic Image analysis system meets each requirement.
CAMSIZER captures the size and shape of particles using two CCD cameras.
Manufacturing
Due to occupational health and safety (the respiratory capability of fertilizer dust) and environmental aspects (dust formation), fertilizer manufacturers are required to granulate and crystallize fertilizers. This improves handling and does not affect the molecular structure of the product in any way. Monitoring the amount of fine particles has become an important criterion for fertilizer products. With a measurement range from 30 micrometers to 30 millimeters, CAMSIZER technology quantifies both the amount of fine particles and the desired particle size of the product. An optional ultrasonic accessory can also be used to disperse moderately agglomerated particles.
Suitable screen specifications
Many, if not all, fertilizer manufacturers have established sizing specifications using sieves. And often the situation requires that any new measurement technology must meet similar specifications. CAMSIZER accomplishes this easily by using a smart sieve accessory designed to calculate how a particle with a certain measuring shape will pass through the square mesh sieve holes. Despite the complex calculations, creating each matching file is simple and quick. Users need three inputs to create a match:
- Data screening to use as a reference
- A CAMSIZER measurement of the entire sample
- The CAMSIZER measurement of the sieve cross-section contains the mode size (most common)
Then, the integrated CAMSIZER Primary Fitting software generates a matching file that can be toggled on or off for each subsequent measurement of this specific material. See the images below for a comparison of typical results before and after applying the primary fitting method.
This feature allows the CAMSIZER to match previous specifications and provides significant advantages in speed, accuracy, and consistency between each unit compared to sieving.
CAMSIZER compared to sieve results without basic coupling
CAMSIZER compared to sieve results with primary connector
Easy quality control
CAMSIZER comes with several software tools that facilitate quality control. It visually displays pass/fail criteria (see image below) to quickly identify whether materials are within or outside specifications. Choose to save images of all particles or only those particles that prevent multiple particles from passing through. These images provide irrefutable evidence and allow people to focus on problem-solving.
CAMSIZER visually displays the passing specifications for easy operation.
User interface and SGN calculation
SGN calculations and user interface are also provided for products or organizations that require these metrics.
UI and SGN measurements are available directly in the CAMSIZER software.
Summary of benefits
Many satisfied CAMSIZER users in the fertilizer industry enjoy the following benefits:
Measuring is much faster than screening
- Elimination of bottlenecks in the product release process
- Less measurement time, more time for analysis/improvement
More accurate analysis helps improve rework rates and storage data
- Many users see productivity improvements of over 50%
Measurements based on SOP mean easy comparison between cases and plants
- Less time to decide if there is a problem, more time to solve the problem
Installation services available at home and online
Excellent tool regeneration capability