An unbiased, understandable, and technically competent analysis of a new venture is a valuable tool for any decision maker considering a substantial capital investment. IFDC’s staff members use a variety of techniques and financial analyses to meet the specific needs of clients.

Production Cost Analyses

Our staff can conduct comparative analyses of the actual or potential production costs incurred by a client with respect to other competitors in the marketplace. These analyses can be performed either as a separate study or integrated in an overall market and supply study. Included in these analyses may be the shipping and handling costs to the markets under consideration. We can also provide data on raw material supplies and other production cost components.

Process Design

IFDC’s basic process design packages provide the foundation for the detail engineering, equipment procurement, and construction phases of many fertilizer plant projects. IFDC’s laboratories and pilot plants are often used to provide the essential process information needed for the preparation of the basic process design package. Such packages, containing the required material balances, piping, instrumentation diagrams, and equipment data sheets, are then used by the client to secure proposals and bids from local or international engineering and construction firms for the full implementation of the project.

Enhancement of Production Efficiency

IFDC has broad and comprehensive experience in solving the most frequently occurring production problems encountered by fertilizer producers. Examples of the most common problems handled by our staff include:

1. Process and equipment de-bottlenecking.
2. Process optimization with emphasis on decreasing production costs.
3. Raw materials and energy consumption auditing (field measuring).
4. Maintenance troubleshooting and problem solving.
5. Process design, additions, and improvements.
6. Improvements in packaging, materials handling, and distribution systems.
7. Quality assurance methods and programs.
8. Miscellaneous site- and problem-specific assistance and training.

Bench-Scale Laboratory Processing

IFDC Headquarters’ facilities house several specially equipped bench-scale, research, and analytical laboratories that allow systematic and thorough evaluations of fertilizers and fertilizer raw materials. IFDC’s capabilities include: (1) coating of fertilizer granules to control nutrient release, (2) acidulation of phosphate rocks in wet-process phosphoric acid and nitrophosphate processes, (3) conversion of phosphate ore and intermediates to granular single or multi-nutrient products, (4) physical-chemical analyses of raw materials and products, and (5) preparation of other specialized fertilizers.

Pilot-Plant Processing

Although much information regarding the chemistry of a production process can be obtained from laboratory and bench-scale studies, some engineering aspects can only be determined in larger scale (pilot plant-scale) continuous production. IFDC’s pilot plant facilities include units for beneficiation of phosphate ores, production of wet-process phosphoric acid, production of nitrophosphates, blending, and chemical or steam granulation.  These pilot plants have proven indispensable in researching and developing new products and processes, optimizing processes, evaluating new phosphate rock deposits, conducting process and equipment problem solving, and training.

Project Management

In full-scale fertilizer plant development projects, our involvement can begin with assisting a client in preparing bid invitations, evaluating proposals, and drafting and negotiating the contract. During the detail engineering and construction phases, we may continue to assist the client in many activities including inspection of equipment during fabrication, supervision of the contractor’s work, developing plant operations and management skills, performance testing, and post startup process and product optimization.

Environmental and Safety Assessments

IFDC environmental and safety assessments are designed to examine the ambient and workplace environment in a broad range of fertilizer production facilities. In addition to identifying and measuring process losses and estimating the associated impact on production costs, these studies may also include plant safety audits, evaluation of emergency procedures, assessment of hazards, and recommendations for implementing corrective measures.

Mineral Resource Evaluation

One of the first steps in many agro-mineral resource evaluations is a characterization study of the ore or potential ore. Characterization involves chemical, mineralogical, and textural studies. Characterization studies, which may reveal the difficulties of using certain raw materials, possible beneficiation routes, and the suitability of various types of chemical processing, may provide a firm basis for further testing. IFDC’s geologists and engineers are available for onsite evaluations. Among the services offered are geologic evaluations, resource-reserve estimates, development of mining and processing plans, and economic analyses.

Examples of Recent IFDC Engineering and Technology Projects

IFDC has conducted a broad spectrum of projects, many of which are proprietary in nature, ranging in diversity from collection of information on a particular subject for a client to the design and supervision of construction and startup of large-scale NPK granulation plants. The scope and diversity of projects performed by IFDC’s staff are illustrated by a few of the projects conducted in recent years. Examples of these projects follow.

• Increasing production rates in a large-scale NPK granulation plant by 47% with a substantial reduction in raw material costs.
   
• Assisting in process design, project management, and startup of a large NPK granulation plant and optimizing the plant’s performance and product quality.
   
• Assessing the quality control program of a large fertilizer producer and assisting in integrating quality into its production processes.
   
• Developing, testing, and optimizing a granulation process using new binders and generating data for process design.
   
• Developing a fluid fertilizer process using off-specification raw materials.
   
• Preparing fertilizer for use in hydroponic experiments for Space Shuttle Missions of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
   
• Assisting the Egyptian Government in establishing the Egyptian Fertilizer Development Center, including laboratories, a pilot plant, and research programs.