USING THE HIGH SHEAR PIN MIXER IN PREPARING SUSPENSION FERTILIZERS

THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS RESEARCH PROJECT ARE TO DETERMINE IF A SYSTEM DESIGNED AROUND THE HIGH SHEAR PIN MIXER WILL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE THE 1) DISTRIBUTION OF CHEMICALS IN SUSPENSION FERTILIZERS, THEREBY MINIMIZING PRECIPITATION AND CRYSTALLIZATION, AND 2) GEL STRENGTH OF THE SUSPENDING AGENT WHILE MINIMIZING THE COMMON VISCOSITY PROBLEM AND SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASING THE "STORAGE LIFE" OF THE SUSPENSION FERTILIZER. A TEST SYSTEM WILL BECONSTRUCTED AND VALIDATION TESTING WILL BE CONDUCTED BY THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY IN MUSCLE SHOALS, ALABAMA. THIS TESTING WILL CONSIST OF AN EVALUATION OF VISCOSITY, CLEAR LAYER, SETTLED CRYSTALS, AND OTHER SETTLING AND POURABILITY AT ROOM TEMPERATURE OF THE SUSPENSION SAMPLES.