Ammonium sulfate CAS#7783-20-2

Ammonium Sulfate CAS#7783-20-2

Ammonium sulfate is one of the earliest nitrogen fertilizers, widely adopted globally. Recognized as a benchmark nitrogen fertilizer, it generally contains 20–30% nitrogen. As a salt derived from strong acid and weak base, its aqueous solution shows weak acidity. Among inorganic fertilizers, it functions both as a nitrogen source and an acidic soil amendment. Note that prolonged continuous application may trigger soil acidification and compaction, which requires proper agronomic management.

It cannot be used as raw material for organic fertilizer production and should not be blended with alkaline fertilizers; otherwise, double hydrolysis will occur and reduce its fertilizer efficiency. Back in the 1960s, ammonium sulfate served as the dominant nitrogen fertilizer and a key sulfur supply for crops. Originally manufactured by neutralizing ammonia with sulfuric acid, the industry gradually shifted to by-product ammonium sulfate.

Currently, the majority of ammonium sulfate is recovered as a by-product from multiple industrial streams, including coking, caprolactam production, tail gas desulfurization of sulfuric acid plants, power station flue-gas desulfurization, acrylonitrile, methyl methacrylate and zinc oxide manufacturing. This production route realizes waste recycling, following the concept of “treating waste with waste” to conserve energy and cut emissions. With the rapid development of ammonia-based desulfurization technology, output of power plant by-product ammonium sulfate is expected to expand significantly in the coming years.

Ammonium Sulfate Chemical Properties