YARA INTERNATIONAL ASA

The present disclosure is related to a pipe reactor. In its broadest aspect, the present disclosure is related to a method for producing a urea ammonium sulphate-based composition in a pipe reactor comprising a first and a second mixing zone. The method comprises the steps of: a) directing a liquid stream comprising ammonium bisulphate to the first mixing zone of the pipe reactor; b) directing a first stream of ammonia to the first mixing zone of the pipe reactor for reacting with the liquid stream comprising ammonium bisulphate, provided in step a), to obtain a liquid stream comprising ammonium sulphate; c) directing the liquid stream comprising ammonium sulphate, provided in step b), to the second mixing zone of the pipe reactor; and d) directing a liquid stream of urea to the second mixing zone of the pipe reactor for mixing with the liquid stream comprising ammonium sulphate.

A device for distributing solid particles in a field, including elements for producing the solid particles from at least two solid, particulate compositions; the elements for producing including at least two containers for storing each of the solid, particulate compositions, wherein the elements for producing are capable of producing solid particles with different ratios of the at least two solid, particulate compositions; and elements for delivering the solid particles to the field. The present disclosure also provides a method for distributing solid, fertilizer particles to a field with the device.

A recovery system for recovering volatile precious metals from a gas phase, particularly for selectively recovering Pt and/or Pd, but not Rh from a gas phase. The recovery system is characterized in that it includes a plurality of woven or knitted metallic silver gauzes stacked on top of each other, or a plurality of layers of a ceramic or glass support coated with metallic silver, or a combination of both. The disclosure further relates to a method for recovering volatile precious metals from a gas phase, a system for the catalytic conversion of ammonia into nitric oxide including a recovery system according to the recovery system of the disclosure, and the use of the system for the catalytic conversion of ammonia into nitric acid, and for the catalytic ammonia into nitric oxide

A computer-implemented method for providing a site-specific variable fertilizer recommendation for a crop at a given point in time, including determining at least one agricultural field including at least one crop, scheduling a fertilization application for the agricultural field, and determining a crop nutrient status of the agricultural field. Determining the crop nutrient status includes receiving remote data, including image data of the agricultural field and a time stamp indicative of when the image data was taken, generating at least one vegetation index indicative of a crop nutrient status based on the image data, and determining a crop nutrient status based on the vegetation index. The method further includes adjusting the crop nutrient status based on the time difference between the time stamp of the image data and the scheduled fertilizer application, and determining a variable fertilizer recommendation for the agricultural field based on the adjusted crop nutrient status.

System and method for remotely determining a chlorophyll concentration in crops present in agricultural fields, wherein a chlorophyll related vegetation index is combined with a water related vegetation index to determine a chlorophyll concentration. Further embodiments for the combination of remote and local sensing are included as well as the determination of measurement regions for that goal are disclosed.

A baffle for a shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The baffle including a flat plate with a region having a plurality of annular elements designed for receiving the tubes of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger, arranged in at least two rows, wherein a row is staggered with respect to an adjacent row, wherein the outer diameter of the annular element is less than 130% of the inner diameter of the annular element, and wherein each annular element is joined with all of its adjacent annular elements by a bridging structure in the plane of the plate, oriented along a line connecting the centers of two adjacent annular elements, thereby defining a plurality of openings in the plate. A shell-and-tube heat exchanger, a method for heating a liquid composition, a method for stripping a liquid composition including urea, carbamate, ammonia and water, and a method for producing a solid, particulate, urea-based composition.

System and method for determining at least one first measurement region for carrying out at least one measurement with a crop nutrient measurement device for providing a fertilizer recommendation based on position dependent yield data. Different embodiments for determination of the measurement regions regarding specific locations and field conditions are disclosed.

A method for separating thorium and cerium from a solid concentrate comprising compounds of thorium, cerium and further rare earth metals, comprising: a) contacting the solid concentrate with an acid to achieve an acid composition with a pH of less than 0.5; b) reacting the acid composition obtained in step a) with ozone or heating the acid composition at a temperature ranging from 110° C. to 130° C. for a time period ranging from 1 to 3 hours, thereby oxidizing the cerium ions in the acid composition to an oxidation state of +IV; c) increasing, to at most 2, the pH of the composition obtained in step b), resulting in the precipitation of thorium and cerium compounds; and d) separating the precipitated thorium and cerium compounds from the composition obtained in step c) to obtain an aqueous acidic rare earth solution depleted in thorium and cerium.

Improved methods for the removal of heavy metals, in particular cadmium, from an aqueous phosphoric acid containing composition, wherein an organothiophosphorous heavy metal precipitating agent and an ionic polymeric surfactant, particularly a cationic polyacrylamide copolymer surfactant, are both added to a phosphoric acid containing composition, particularly under vigorous mixing conditions, such as between 500 and 700 rpm. The ionic polymeric surfactant promotes the precipitation of the heavy metals. More in particular, the phosphoric acid containing composition is obtained by the acid digestion of phosphate rock, preferably by nitric acid, sulfuric acid, or a combination thereof.

Improved methods for the removal of heavy metals, in particular cadmium, from an aqueous phosphoric acid containing composition, using an organothiophosphorous heavy metal precipitating agent to said composition, wherein the reaction between the heavy metals, in particular cadmium, and the organothiophosphorous precipitating agent is performed at a pH ranging between 1.6 and 2.0 measured after a 13-fold dilution by volume. Advantageously, an ionic polymer, particularly a cationic and/or an anionic poly(meth)acrylamide copolymer may be used to promote heavy metal precipitation and/or to facilitate the removal of the precipitates from the composition. More in particular, the phosphoric acid containing composition is obtained by the acid digestion of phosphate rock, preferably by nitric acid, sulfuric acid, or a combination thereof.