Patent ID: 7985393

Claim:
A process for the production of ammonium sulfate nitrate, comprising: forming a slurry melt comprising ammonium sulfate nitrate and ammonium sulfate in a reactor having a temperature between 180° C. and 200° C.; passing the slurry melt to a heated stator having a temperature between 180° C. and 200° C. and a pressure of less than 0.8 MPa; continuously agitating the slurry melt in the heated stator to maintain the slurry melt under a shear-thinned condition; recycling a recycle portion of the slurry melt from the heated stator to the reactor; passing a portion of the slurry melt through a channel in the heated stator; extruding the portion of the slurry melt through a moving grid that slides over the channel, and wherein the moving grid comprises holes sized to form droplets; and cooling the droplets that spread to form uniform solid particles in the 1 to 3 mm diameter range.